A 9mm pistol reportedly awarded by former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein to an unknown recipient was discovered in a car in the Israeli-Arab city of Kafr Qasim on Wednesday.
Police signaled to a car to pull over for inspection after detecting suspicious behavior. The driver reportedly tried to flee on foot, but was quickly nabbed by police.
In examining the contents of the car, police uncovered a weapon with an Arabic engraving that read “A gift from the president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, for defending his homeland.”
The officers confiscated the gun and arrested the 17-year-old driver for illegal possession of a weapon and escape from lawful custody. The teen, a resident of the city, denied he owned or knew about the gun, and has no apparent ties to the Iraqi regime.
Saddam Hussein was captured by US troops on December 13, 2006. He was tried by the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal, found guilty of crimes against humanity, and sentenced to death. On December 30, 2006, the former Iraqi dictator was hanged in Kadhimiya, north of Baghdad.
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