Sayid

BACKSTORY A former member of the Iraqi Republican Guard who specialized in ''communications'' (a code word for torture), Sayid found his loyalty shattered when he was ordered to torture his childhood love, Nadia. He secretly set her free after killing his commanding officer. Sayid was captured by the U.S. Army during Operation Desert Storm, then coerced by the CIA — who told him they would reveal Nadia's whereabouts — into infiltrating a terrorist cell in Australia. There, he persuaded his college roommate, Essam (Donnie Keshawarz), to go through with a suicide bombing — but when Essam learned of Sayid's betrayal at the last minute, he shot himself. Sayid was flying to California on Oceanic 815 to find Nadia.

ISLAND LIFE SO FAR Competent, intelligent, and practical, Sayid proved handy when he fixed the broken transceiver on which the castaways heard a distress signal from Rousseau (Mira Furlan), an unstable Frenchwoman who'd been on the island for 16 years. Accused of terrorism by Sawyer, Sayid had no trouble torturing (and eventually stabbing) him when he and Jack believed Sawyer was hoarding the asthma inhalers needed by stranded passenger Shannon. Feeling guilty, he left camp and was captured by Rousseau, then escaped with her notes and enlisted Shannon to help translate them. He fell in love with Shannon, who was later killed by Ana Lucia in an accident. Sayid bounced back from the loss by torturing new arrival and suspected Other Henry Gale, and by planning an attack on the Others. He was last seen scouting a deserted Others camp after sailing to the north side of the island with Sun and Jin.

BURNING QUESTION FOR SEASON 3 ''Sayid is on a rampage this year,'' says Lindelof. ''What are the effects of a master strategist being out-strategized, and taking someone who has revenge in his heart and ramping that up?''

WE PREDICT Since so many key castaways have either been captured by the Others or caught in the hatch explosion, the salvation of the survivors is pretty much up to this guy.

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