The dictator’s son, Uday Hussein, was a volatile prince. He scoured the city for prizes to claim. He had already seen Samira. He began to circle. But before Uday could close his claws, a higher power intervened. Saddam Hussein himself, estranged from his first wife Sajida and seeking a new confidante, cast his gaze upon her.
Who is Samira Shahbandar? A Snapshot of a Controversial Figure in Middle East Policy samira shahbandar
Before she became the fourth wife of the most feared man in Iraq, Samira Shahbandar was a creature of the sky. She was a flight attendant for Iraqi Airways, a woman known for her striking beauty—a pale, elegant face framed by dark hair, possessing a regal stillness that set her apart. In the late 1980s, Baghdad was still a cosmopolitan hub, a city of coffee shops and universities, and Samira moved through it with an air of independence. The dictator’s son, Uday Hussein, was a volatile prince
The narrative of how Samira met Saddam is one of the most controversial chapters in the history of the Hussein family. According to accounts documented by the United Nations Security Council , Saddam was introduced to Samira in the early 1980s. He began to circle
Yet, within the gilded walls, she held a strange power. Those who wanted access to the "Lion of Baghdad" knew that the path sometimes ran through Samira. She was the only one who could soothe his legendary rages. While Sajida represented the tribal, traditional roots of the regime, Samira represented Saddam’s desire for a different life—one where he was not just a revolutionary, but a man of culture.
She was originally married to Noureddine Al Safi, a pilot and high-ranking official at Iraqi Airways. They had two children together. Marriage to Saddam Hussein
She is the final secret of the fallen kingdom.