Mark Hoppus, the bassist and co-lead vocalist of pop-punk icons BLINK-182, has added an unexpected—and frankly unbelievable—chapter to his legacy. While known for catchy hooks, energetic tours, and recently, his public battle with cancer, Hoppus revealed a surprising story during the promotion of his autobiography Fahrenheit-182: A Memoir: he may have played a small but pivotal role in the capture of Saddam Hussein.
In a candid interview with NME, Hoppus shared a story that sounds like something straight out of a movie. During a USO tour performance on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, Hoppus found himself dining with a fleet admiral. Over dinner, he pitched an idea about how the military might track down the elusive Iraqi dictator.
“I did, I saved the world from Saddam Hussein,” Hoppus joked, before explaining the details of his pitch. According to the BLINK-182 co-founder, Saddam was known for releasing propaganda videos with a flag behind him. Hoppus suggested the military could fly drones or aircraft in grid patterns above the suspected area, blasting inaudible time code signals into the air. When Saddam released his videos, the idea went, the hidden audio time code would get captured on tape, allowing analysts to triangulate his exact location.
The admiral initially laughed off the suggestion but told Hoppus he planned to bring it up at a meeting with the Pentagon’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. And then, just a few months later, Saddam Hussein was captured.
While the military has not officially credited Hoppus with this idea, the story stands as a strange and proud moment for the musician. When asked why he hasn’t received any formal recognition, Hoppus shrugged, “Just knowing that I saved the world is medal enough.”
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