Russians Want to Build Bridge Named After Saddam Hussein - 14 March, 2003

A witty reader of Russia’s Simbirsky Kurier newspaper suggested an idea to complete construction of a new bridge over the Volga River in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk. For realization of the idea, the reader think, the city administration must apply to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein for financial aid; the latter is highly likely to welcome the idea.

When the reader Alexander Levashov came to the Simbirsky Kurier editorial office, he said it was perfectly clear that it was quite impossible to complete construction of the bridge: the regional administration has no finance for this purpose and unlikely to obtain some at all; the central government in Moscow doesn’t need a bridge in the Ulyanovsk region as well. If the object was actually very important, the construction would have been completed long ago. It is no hope to get some money from western investors, as they understand perfectly well that the money will never be paid back. Alexander Levashov said: “Russian oligarchs are willful and greedy, they prefer to spend their billions earned by trade in the national oil, gas and electricity in brothels of Thailand and Hong Kong instead of financing some important projects.” That is why, the author of the unusual idea says, people can appeal some foreign rich man and offer him participation in the following project: the man completes construction of the bridge in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk, and after the construction the bridge is to be named after the man.

Alexander Levashov thinks that it’s better to ask multi-millionaires from the East for financial aid, the Brunei sultan for instance. It will be a pleasure for him, for his children and grandchildren to know that somewhere in Russia there is a place named after him. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is a nice candidature as well. Americans are trying to picture him as a villain, while, Alexander Levashov says, it is still a big problem who is a bigger villain, Saddam Hussein or George W. Bush. It is quite possible that the idea suggested in the Russian city of Ilyanovsk will come in handy for Hussein right now, it may serve some kind of support to him.  And Iraq has enough money, that is why construction of the Russian bridge won’t be a problem for the country at all.

When the Simbirsky Kurier reader was asked who would address Hussein for assistance, he replied it must be the city parliament or the regional Legislative Assembly that must ask Saddam for help. It is not ruled out that the newspaper publication will work: officials in the Iraqi Embassy can see it and forward to Baghdad.

Andrey Semyuonov
Simbirsky Kurier newspaper