Samira Shahbandar

Samira Shahbandar (Arabic: سميرة الشابندر‎, born 1946) is a former flight attendant, and was the second wife of Saddam Hussein, and the mother of his third son.

Early life

Shahbandar was born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1946.[1] Shahbandar was born into an aristocratic Baghdad family.[2][3]

Career

Shahbandar was a flight attendant with Iraqi Airways.[4]

Personal life

Shahbandar was married to Noureddine al Safi, an Iraqi pilot and manager of Iraqi Airways.[3][5] They have two children.[3] Shahbandar's son is Mohammad Saffi (b. 1966).[6][7]

In 1983, Shahbandar met Saddam Hussein.[8] Saddam Hussein forced Shahbandar to divorce her first husband.[5] In 1986, Shahbandar was married to Saddam Hussein in secret.[5][4] In the late 1980s, Shahbandar appeared in public with Saddam Hussein.[5]

Kamel Hana Gegeo, Hussein's valet, food taster and friend, introduced Samira to him. Hussein's secret marriage took place while he was married to Sajida Talfah, his first wife.[9] Sajida was extremely jealous and angry when she found out about his mistress, and her brother Adnan Khairallah complained.[10] Uday Hussein, Saddam Hussein's son with Sajida, was also angry over his father's mistress, took it as an insult to his mother, and believed that his status as heir apparent was threatened. In October 1988, during a party, Uday Hussein murdered Kamel Hana Gegeo in front of horrified guests. While Saddam Hussein declared that his son Uday Hussein would go to trial for murder, Gegeo's parents and Sajida begged that Uday Hussein be pardoned.[11]

In 2002, Shahbandar's son Mohammad Saffi, a resident of New Zealand and a flight engineer with Air New Zealand, was detained in Miami, Florida, US due to lack of a student visa.[6]

As of 2004, Shahbandar was acknowledged as the wife of Saddam Hussein by United Nations.[12]

Her character was featured heavily in the plot of BBC adaptation House of Saddam and was played by Australian actress Christine Stephen-Daly.

Her son from Saddam

in Al Riyadh (newspaper) interview with Ali Al Nida Husein Al Omar, chief of Bejat Subtribe of Al-Bu Nasir, Published in 22 Feb 2007, The chief was asked about What some people say of Saddam’s son from his wife Samira, He replied “Saddam had only two wives, the first was Umm [Mother of] Uday and Qusay, Sajida Khairallah Talfah, and the other he married after a while, [was] Samira al-Shahbandar, he married her when she was 40 years old, and she had no children from him.”.[13]

See also

References
  1. "United Nations ...IQi.060". United Nations. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  2. Colvin, Marie (15 December 2003). "Saddam's wife in gold ... and exile". breakfornews.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  3. "Wife No2 – and only surviving son – are alive and wealthy in Lebanon". The Scotsman. 15 December 2003. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  4. "Report: Saddam "second wife" lives in Beirut". albawaba.com. 28 July 2003. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  5. Sudakov, Dmitry (16 July 2013). "Will Saddam Hussein's children have to answer for their father?". pravdareport.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  6. "Saddam's Stepson detained in Miami". BBC. 4 July 2002. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  7. "Stepson's arrest sheds light on Saddam's love life". billingsgazette.com. 5 July 2002. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  8. Sherrill, Martha (25 January 1991). "Bride of Saddam, Matched Since Childhood". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  9. "Saddam's Minister of Mass Destruction?". ABC News. Archived from the original on 10 September 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  10. Khairallah was killed in a helicopter crash, caused by "mechanical failure." Hussein's bodyguard said that he was told to place a bomb on the helicopter
  11. "Bride of Saddam, Matched Since Childhood". The Washington Post. 10 April 1998. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  12. "United Nations Security Council ... IQi060. Samira Shahbandar". United Nations. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  13. https://www.alriyadh.com/227054
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