A snakes-and-ladders ‘terror’ board game — featuring former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden — created by the CIAto deter children from getting influenced by such leaders has been put on sale.
The game has pictures of top al-Qaeda leaders and Hussein at the heads of snakes.
The prototype was covertly designed for the CIA by Donald Levine, the creator of the iconic G.I. Joe doll, in 2005 for an “influence operation”, intended to distribute scary or perhaps comical depictions of Osama and Hussein strategically to children.
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The project, intended for use in Arab countries, was discontinued after prototypes were developed.
The board game has a blue cardboard playing surface with a numbered grid and small photographs of Saddam, Osama and other members of al-Qaeda printed on it, according to the description given by U.S. auctioneers Nate D Sanders. It includes a pair of dice and blue, red and yellow game pieces.
Levine’s son Neil is selling the board game prototype through memorabilia auctioneers Nate D Sanders in Los Angeles with a starting bid of $500 (Rs. 31,782). The auction will take place later this week.
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Mr. Levine is also selling a demon-faced bin Laden doll that was also created by his father as part of a CIA programme to dissuade children from idolising the al-Qaeda chief.