Saddam offered to go into exile

[trex]

26th September 2007

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...ticle_id=484162

Saddam Hussein offered to step down and go into exile one month before the invasion of Iraq, it was claimed last night.

Fearing defeat, Saddam was prepared to go peacefully in return for £500million ($1billion).

The extraordinary offer was revealed yesterday in a transcript of talks in February 2003 between George Bush and the then Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar at the President's Texas ranch.

The White House refused to comment on the report last night.

But, if verified, it is certain to raise questions in Washington and London over whether the costly four-year war could have been averted.

Only yesterday, the Bush administration asked Congress for another £100billion to finance the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The total war bill for British taxpayers is expected to reach £7billion by next year.

More than 3,800 American service personnel have lost their lives in Iraq, along with 170 Britons and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians.

However, according to the tapes, one month before he launched the invasion Mr Bush appeared convinced that Saddam was serious about going into exile.

"The Eqyptians are speaking to Saddam Hussein," said Mr Bush.

"It seems he's indicated he would be prepared to go into exile if he's allowed to take $1billion and all the information he wants about weapons of mass destruction."

Asked by the Spanish premier whether Saddam - who was executed in December last year - could really leave, the President replied: "Yes, that possibility exists. Or he might even be assassinated."

But he added that whatever happened: "We'll be in Baghdad by the end of March."

Mr Bush went on to refer optimistically to the rebuilding or Iraq.

The transcript - which was published yesterday in the Spanish newspaper El Pais - was said to have been recorded by a diplomat at the meeting in Crawford, Texas, on February 22, 2003.

Mr Bush was dismissive of the then French President Jacques Chirac, saying he "thinks he's Mr Arab".

Referring to his relationship with Downing Street, he said: "I don't mind being the bad cop if Blair is the good cop."

The President added: "Saddam won't change and he'll keep on playing games.

"The time has come to get rid of him. That's the way it is."

Days before the invasion began on March 22, 2003, the United Arab Emirates proposed to a summit of Arab leaders that Saddam and his henchmen should go into exile.

It was the first time the plan had been officially voiced but it was drowned out in the drumbeat of war.

A spokesman for Mr Aznar's foundation had no comment on its authenticity.

-------------------------

if this is true we will hear some interesting comments from the spin-machine.

lap dogs, sit up and bark

[bush_cheney2004]

I like this part:

"The time has come to get rid of him. That's the way it is."

And that's just what the good cop and bad cop did. Ding dong...Saddam is dead.

[M.Dancer]

Old old old news. Like a zombie, old news get dug up and dusted off every now and then.

Here's the story in 2005

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/arch...1/03/2003278553

And from 2003

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200301/3...30_110965.shtml

There is no indication that Saddam made any plans to l;eave or was serious. Otherwise he would have simply got on the bus, forgot about us and put the blame on him..........

[weaponeer]

I'll go into exile for only $1 million.....

[M.Dancer]

I'll go into exile for only $1 million.....

The family and I went into exile this summer for two weeks....And I had to PAY!

[weaponeer]

The family and I went into exile this summer for two weeks....And I had to PAY!

I have been in exile over here for almost 6 months, coming home next weekend!!!

[guyser]

I have been in exile over here for almost 6 months, coming home next weekend!!!

Safe trip home !

[August1991]

I like this part:

"The time has come to get rid of him. That's the way it is."

That reminds me of this quote:

He said the Iraqi leader's "hatred" was largely directed at the United States and added: "After all, this is the guy who tried to kill my dad."

In his speech September 12 to the United Nations on Iraq, Bush mentioned the alleged plot to kill a former U.S. president but did not mention that it was his father. The alleged assassination attempt came when former President Bush visited Kuwait during the Clinton administration. The former president had orchestrated the U.S.-led coalition that pushed the Iraqi army from Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War.

CNN

[Higgly]

This was widely reported at the time.

[ScottSA]

NEWSFLASH! Man has landed on the moon! "This is one small decade too late, but a giant leap for anti-Bush propaganda" said Dan Rather, about his walk to the outhouse...

[Topaz]

You must remember that war is a business and people DO get rich in wars. The US is the largest military supplier to the world. The Carlyle Group holds a number of companies in this business. If you do your research you will find that both, Cheney and Bush's family have made big billions in this war. If you go back and listen what Bush said in the debates with Gore, you will see most of what he said then were lies now! Every country has their "Bad guys" and the US has Bush and Cheney!

[sharkman]

But more importantly, people get free in wars. Bad guys? How about slime spinmaster Moore. Or Rosie. Or Billary. It's nice that at least none of the aforementioned wing nuts is in power. Nicer still that Bush won a second term to finish what he started.

If Saddam had gone into exile, he would have come back for a greatest hits reunion tour sooner or later and Iraq would have had to deal with him all over again.

[ScottSA]

You must remember that war is a business and people DO get rich in wars. The US is the largest military supplier to the world. The Carlyle Group holds a number of companies in this business. If you do your research you will find that both, Cheney and Bush's family have made big billions in this war. If you go back and listen what Bush said in the debates with Gore, you will see most of what he said then were lies now! Every country has their "Bad guys" and the US has Bush and Cheney!

And we have Topaz.

[trex]

But more importantly, people get free in wars. Bad guys? How about slime spinmaster Moore. Or Rosie. Or Billary.

theres a lot of hate towards michael moore coming from certain parts of the US media, which you seem to be in agreeance with. but i really dont see the comparison at this level, one man sends his troops to war, triggering the deaths of thousands, possibly its an illegal war and certainly very unpopular, around the entire world. the other guy makes documentaries. you might not agree with the hype of his documentaries but you really cant compare the two.

many times when somone stands up to the system in the US they get attacked relentlessly by the media... which tells us who is running it, and who's being indoctrinated.

"If Saddam had gone into exile, he would have come back for a greatest hits reunion tour sooner or later and Iraq would have had to deal with him all over again."

your making a big assumption there. they could have negotiated a political takover in iraq, put al maliki in power, put their henchmen in the parliament and implemented the US agenda, without going through hell first. in otherwords, a shortcut to the success they have yet to obtain. thus the war accomplished NOTHING that could not have been done by other means

[GostHacked]

But more importantly, people get free in wars. Bad guys? How about slime spinmaster Moore. Or Rosie. Or Billary. It's nice that at least none of the aforementioned wing nuts is in power. Nicer still that Bush won a second term to finish what he started.

If Saddam had gone into exile, he would have come back for a greatest hits reunion tour sooner or later and Iraq would have had to deal with him all over again.

He won't be able to finish what he started, Bush's time is almost up. You really mean the NEXT President will be able to finish this..... oh wait, Bush said the US could be in there for a long time. He even said that this struggle will continue once he left office.

Finish what you started. HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH Please.

[jbg]

This was widely reported at the time.

And irrelevant, since he would have been around to make trouble from exile. Also, the invasion sent the appropriate "don't tread on me" message".