Beyond the Boxer: Ali and the Humanitarian Within
Image and headline from the Philidelphia Inquirer, 1990.
1990
In November 1990, Muhammad Ali travelled to Baghdad, Iraq. It was Ali's intention to meet with Saddam Hussein, to negotiate the release of United States citizens taken hostage during the August 2, 1990 invasion of Kuwait, despite warnings from the State Department. It was reported that Ali met with Hussein for nearly an hour to discuss the hostages's release.
Ali's visit to Iraq and his meeting with Hussein led to the release and return of 15 U.S. hostages. He returned to the United States December 4, 1990 accompanied by the hostages he helped to release.
This was not the first of Ali's attempts to provide aide in hostage situations, nor was it his last. In 1979, Ali offered himself in exchange for 60 United States Embassy personnel who were taken hostage amid the unrest in Iran. He proposed to hold his next fight in Tehran, Iran in exchange for the hostages' release in 1980. Ali would, in 2015, issue a statement for the release of the imprisoned journalist, Jason Rezaian, from Iranian authorities.
