Comical Ali back on TV

FORMER Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, who earned the nickname “Comical Ali”, made a sudden appearance in Abu Dhabi yesterday, saying he might not return to his homeland.

“When I leave I always have in my mind that I might not come down this road again, but I’m working and praying to God that I can return to Baghdad one day,” he said on Abu Dhabi television.

Sahaf, 63, became an unlikely media star during the war, winning his stripes as a hero to many in the Arab world while Western audiences gasped and then chuckled at his bravado.

Now grey-haired, he earned his unflattering nickname for proclaiming the defeat of US forces even as American troops advanced into Baghdad, and for his habit of handling loaded weapons during news conferences.

“I have really mixed feelings, of sadness and hope,” said Sahaf, who was shown arriving at the airport in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

“Hopefully, all of them (Arab countries) are our nation, but one always hopes to return to his homeland with his memories.”

The station showed excerpts of Sahaf talking on the plane, flagging an interview to be shown later in the day.

Sahaf, who was not on the US “most wanted” list, was released last month after he surrendered to US forces in Baghdad.