By Mohamed Hasni
Baghdad - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein received a bit of everything in the mailbox. There were messages from the world's rich and powerful to the once proud strongman of Baghdad, and there were letters from ordinary people with simple requests.
A glimpse at some of Saddam's correspondence was possible in the ruins of one of his palaces destroyed by United States air power.
Helmut Hierzer of Austria wrote to Saddam Hussein in hopes of getting a watch with the now-deposed president's picture on it.
In the letter dated September 24, 2002, the Austrian enclosed a photograph cut out of a newspaper showing the object of his desire, which he explained he needed "to complete (his) collection of watches".
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This request could be easily met.
"Approved", reads the handwriting of the head of the presidential office, Ahmed Hussein Khodeir, on a document bearing the regime's official emblem of an eagle with open wings.
There was no invoice, just a note that "arrangements will be made to send the watch to the Austrian citizen".
The sample of archives from Saddam's 24-year rule left in the debris showed little of much importance, despite abundant labels classifying the documents "secret".
Many messages simply wished the Iraqi leadership well, particularly for Muslim holidays.
Correspondents included United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, in a message bearing his initials and the blue insignia of the world body, Cuban President Fidel Castro, a number of Arab leaders and a motley assortment of other figures from around the world.
One of the more puzzling items was sent by New York jazz artist Andrew "Tex" Allen, who sent a press packet to Saddam with the musician's photograph and a handwritten letter.
"To President Saddam Hussein and the people of Iraq," Allen wrote, he wanted to express "brotherhood".
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