Honor Among Thieves

“Yes,” said Al Obaydi quietly.

“Did you, that same afternoon, visit General Al-Hassan, the Head of State Security?”

“No. He visited me.”

“Ah, I have made a mistake. It was he who visited you.”

“Yes,” said Al Obaydi.

“Did you alert him to the fact that an enemy agent might be heading towards Iraq, having found a way of crossing the border with the intention of perhaps assassinating our leader?”

“I couldn’t have known that.”

“But you must have suspected something unusual was going on?”

“I wasn’t certain at that time.”

“Did you let General Al-Hassan know of your uncertainty?”

“No. I did not.”

“Was it because you didn’t trust him?”

“I didn’t know him. It was the first time we had met. The previous…” Al Obaydi regretted the words the moment he had said them.

“You were about to say?” said the Prosecutor.

“Nothing.”

“I see. So, let us move on to the following day, when you paid a visit—because I feel confident that he didn’t visit you—to the Deputy Foreign Minister.” This induced some smiles around the table, but Al Obaydi did not see them.

“Yes, a routine call to discuss my appointment to Paris. He was, after all, the former Ambassador.”

“Quite. But was he not also your immediate superior?”

“Yes, he was,” said Al Obaydi.

“So, did you tell him of your suspicions?”

“I wasn’t sure there was anything to tell him.”

“Did you tell him of your suspicions?” asked the Prosecutor, raising his voice.

“No, I did not.”

“Was he not to be trusted either? Or didn’t you know him well enough?”

“I wasn’t sure. I wanted more proof.”

“I see. You wanted more proof. So what did you do next?”

“I traveled to Paris,” said Al Obaydi.

“On the next day?” asked the State Prosecutor.

“No,” said Al Obaydi, hesitating.

“On the day after, perhaps? Or the day after that?”