Where have all the Saddams gone?

No, not the body doubles. No little babies named Saddam in Iraq these days.

There used to be some prestige with that name, and even some monetary value, if your baby were born on Saddam's birthday - or at least you could fudge it a bit. article

“We have not recorded a single Saddam since the regime fell on 9 April," said Emad Fakher Hassan, an employee at the public records office in Baghdad.

..."Before the war, birth certificates often gave 28 April as the day of birth, the same as Saddam, even if in reality the babies were born a few days later. That way they received 150,000 Iraqi dinars (then $75) every year after their first birthday", said Hassan.

Salim, a driver, could not call his child Saddam because it was a girl. But she had the good fortune of being born on 28 April 2002.

"I called her Milad - birth - to mark the link with the birthday of the leader. But the Americans entered Baghdad 19 days before I could get the bonus".

Curses! Foiled again!

"Under Saddam, people were scared to proclaim their religious or political convictions. Today an Iraqi can even call his son Bush if he wants," Hassan says jokingly.

"Thank God, nobody has done it yet."

One baby was recently registered under the name Usama bin Ladin.

"We tried to dissuade the father, but he insisted on the name."

Usama's father is from Falluja, a hotbed of anti-American activity.

Just wanted to get the important stuff out of the way this morning.

....but hey, you do what you want....you will anyway.