Saddam could have had exile, but NO! What the ?!?!
Did Saddam accept exile offer before invasion?
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Another article from the folks at AP, found via MSNBC, but on a topic that I have long wondered about: just how stupid was Saddam Hussein, and for that matters his friends, neighbors and allies, for not finding a way to take up exile somewhere else where he could have lived out the remainder of his years with the loot from his years in power in Iraq.
Apparently that very thing came close to happening, but fell apart when some of Saddam's neighbors decided they couldn't go through with the plan. Which leaves me scratching my head and going What the --insert curse word of choice here--?!
We (the U.S.A.) and our allies spend billions, shed blood of thousands of our own, watched over 2000 of our own die, and are continuing to see a country in some turmoil because the U.A.E. and others couldn't find some way to help Saddam exit that would work for themselves and their own "league of nations" type organization?!
Am I wrong in thinking this is utter nonsense and that with friends like these (both for the U.S. and for Saddam) who needs enemies?! What did these idiots think would happen if we invaded - did they really think that things would be better for them than if they coaxed Saddam to leave freely? Did they really not realize that by getting him to leave the country they could have had their own choice of government in power in Iraq without worrying about seeing a U.S. style representative Democracy take hold that doesn't cede power over to the Sunni's (who are a minority in Iraq)?
Argh, middle eastern politics will never cease to amaze me, but if the facts of the story snippet below are correct, then anyone and everyone that is blaming George W. Bush, the neocons, the war hawks, etc., for what happened in Iraq should be turning their fickle fingers of blame towards the U.A.E., the Arab League, France and a host of others that all should have been working much harder towards implementing the apparently peaceful transition plans that were being discussed, rather than trying to keep the U.S. from getting a vote in the U.N. that would make absolutely certain to legitimize the war.
Headline is linked. Please see original article for complete story. Information below is just a snippet of original article.
Did Saddam accept exile offer before invasion?
Arab leaders scuttled deal aimed at avoiding war, UAE officials say
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Saddam Hussein accepted an 11th-hour offer to flee into exile weeks ahead of the U.S.-led 2003 invasion, but Arab League officials scuttled the proposal, officials in this Gulf state claimed.
The exile initiative was spearheaded by the late president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, at an emergency Arab summit held in Egypt in February 2003, Sheik Zayed’s son said in an interview aired by Al-Arabiya TV during a documentary. The U.S.-led coalition invaded on March 19 that year.
A top government official confirmed the offer on Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Saddam allegedly accepted the offer to try to halt the invasion and bring elections to Iraq within six months, according to the official and Sheik Zayed’s son.
“We had the final acceptance of the various parties ... the main players in the world and the concerned person, Saddam Hussein,” the son, Sheik Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said during the program aired Thursday to mark the first anniversary of his father’s death.
{snip}
The anonymous Emirates official said Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa did not bring the proposal to the summit’s discussion because Arab foreign ministers had not presented and accepted it as league protocol dictated.
At the time, Arab League leaders said the summit decided not to take up the idea, citing league rules barring interference in members’ domestic affairs.
Unknown whether Saddam accepted deal
It was not immediately possible to verify the Emirates claims that their offer had been accepted by Saddam, who is being held in U.S. military custody in Iraq and his facing trial on charges of crimes against humanity.
Officials from the Egypt-based 22-member Arab League declined to comment.
But at the 2003 summit, the Iraqi delegation rejected the Emirates proposal, while Iraq’s former U.N. ambassador, Mohammed Al-Douri, said Saddam was not going anywhere.
... more at linked article please see original article for complete story.
Again, there's more detail in the original article, so please see the entire article. Also feel free to comment on your thoughts on this news (late though it seems to be).
Apparently that very thing came close to happening, but fell apart when some of Saddam's neighbors decided they couldn't go through with the plan. Which leaves me scratching my head and going What the --insert curse word of choice here--?!
We (the U.S.A.) and our allies spend billions, shed blood of thousands of our own, watched over 2000 of our own die, and are continuing to see a country in some turmoil because the U.A.E. and others couldn't find some way to help Saddam exit that would work for themselves and their own "league of nations" type organization?!
Am I wrong in thinking this is utter nonsense and that with friends like these (both for the U.S. and for Saddam) who needs enemies?! What did these idiots think would happen if we invaded - did they really think that things would be better for them than if they coaxed Saddam to leave freely? Did they really not realize that by getting him to leave the country they could have had their own choice of government in power in Iraq without worrying about seeing a U.S. style representative Democracy take hold that doesn't cede power over to the Sunni's (who are a minority in Iraq)?
Argh, middle eastern politics will never cease to amaze me, but if the facts of the story snippet below are correct, then anyone and everyone that is blaming George W. Bush, the neocons, the war hawks, etc., for what happened in Iraq should be turning their fickle fingers of blame towards the U.A.E., the Arab League, France and a host of others that all should have been working much harder towards implementing the apparently peaceful transition plans that were being discussed, rather than trying to keep the U.S. from getting a vote in the U.N. that would make absolutely certain to legitimize the war.
Headline is linked. Please see original article for complete story. Information below is just a snippet of original article.
Did Saddam accept exile offer before invasion?
Arab leaders scuttled deal aimed at avoiding war, UAE officials say
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Saddam Hussein accepted an 11th-hour offer to flee into exile weeks ahead of the U.S.-led 2003 invasion, but Arab League officials scuttled the proposal, officials in this Gulf state claimed.
The exile initiative was spearheaded by the late president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, at an emergency Arab summit held in Egypt in February 2003, Sheik Zayed’s son said in an interview aired by Al-Arabiya TV during a documentary. The U.S.-led coalition invaded on March 19 that year.
A top government official confirmed the offer on Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Saddam allegedly accepted the offer to try to halt the invasion and bring elections to Iraq within six months, according to the official and Sheik Zayed’s son.
“We had the final acceptance of the various parties ... the main players in the world and the concerned person, Saddam Hussein,” the son, Sheik Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said during the program aired Thursday to mark the first anniversary of his father’s death.
{snip}
The anonymous Emirates official said Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa did not bring the proposal to the summit’s discussion because Arab foreign ministers had not presented and accepted it as league protocol dictated.
At the time, Arab League leaders said the summit decided not to take up the idea, citing league rules barring interference in members’ domestic affairs.
Unknown whether Saddam accepted deal
It was not immediately possible to verify the Emirates claims that their offer had been accepted by Saddam, who is being held in U.S. military custody in Iraq and his facing trial on charges of crimes against humanity.
Officials from the Egypt-based 22-member Arab League declined to comment.
But at the 2003 summit, the Iraqi delegation rejected the Emirates proposal, while Iraq’s former U.N. ambassador, Mohammed Al-Douri, said Saddam was not going anywhere.
... more at linked article please see original article for complete story.
Again, there's more detail in the original article, so please see the entire article. Also feel free to comment on your thoughts on this news (late though it seems to be).
