Interesting tidbit from the Idler:
Saddam Hussein's appetite for weapons of mass destruction is well-known; his taste for women from the Western hemisphere less so. Executive Secretary of the Foreign Chamber of Commerce in Brazilia Roberto Gianetti da Fonseca has created a sensation with the publication of his memoirs "Memorias de um trader " ("Memoirs of a Trader.") In 1981 Fonseca accompanied a Brazilian trade mission to Baghdad which was renewing a contract to supply meat to the Iraqi government in return for continued access to Iraqi oil, a critical concern for the Brazilian government. In the middle of negotiations, Fonseca was startled when Hussein himself showed up at the trade talks. Hussein insisted on three conditions for the negotiations to go forward. First, he wanted Brazil's civilian ambassador replaced by a serving military officer, preferably a general. Secondly, he wanted more access to Brazil's burgeoning defense industry with increased supplies of missiles, tanks, and other military hardware. Last but not least, "tell President Figueiredo that I will order the release and return of the Brazilian women who are now here being kept by the delegation members who visited Rio de Janeiro during the last Carnival, but I don't want any fuss made about it." Fonseca was startled to learn that Iraqi "delegates" were holding six Brazilian women as virtual slaves.Posted by Rich at March 28, 2002 5:16 AM