How Star Wars influenced Uday Hussein’s paramilitary unit in Iraq

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How Star Wars influenced Uday Hussein’s paramilitary unit in Iraq
By Zamone Perez
Feb 24, 03:02 PM
Darth Vader served as the inspiration for one Iraq paramilitary. (Sascha Steinbach/Getty Images)

For children and adults alike, Star Wars represented the defining film of a generation — but most children didn’t grow up to lead a paramilitary force as the son of a brutal authoritarian.

From 1995 until his death in Mosul in 2003, Uday Hussein, the erratic eldest son of the country’s former president, led the paramilitary group Fedayeen Saddam, or “Saddam’s Men of Sacrifice.”

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SSG Michael Noll Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Cpl Vic Burk SGT Charlie Lee] Sgt (Join to see) SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM PV2 Larry Sellnow SPC Gary C. SPC (Join to see) Amn Dale Preisach SGT Ruben Lozada 1SG Paul Ayotte CPT Richard Trione SFC Ralph E Kelley 1SG Patrick Burke PV2 Scott Mollette SGT Gerald “Jerry” Harrell PO2 Marco Monsalve Lt Col Charlie Brown