Indications Saddam Was Not In Hiding, But Captive (DEBKAfile)

DEBKAfile ^ | December 14, 2003 6:65PM | not given

[tineke]

After his last audioaped message was delivered and aired over Al Arabia TV on Sunday November 16, on the occasion of Ramadan, Saddam was seized, possibly with the connivance of his own men, and held in that hole in Anwar for three weeks or more, which would have accounted for his appearance and condition.

Meanwhile, his captors bargained for the $25 million dollar prize the Americans promised for information leading to his capture alive or dead.

The negoiations were mediated by Jalal Talabani's Kurdish PUK militia.

These circumstances would explain the ex-ruler's docility -described by Lt. General Sanchez as 'resignation'-in the face of his capture by United States forces.

He must have regarded them as rescuers and would have greeted them with relief.

From General Sanchez's evasive answers to questions on the $25 million dollar bounty, it may be inferred that the Americans and the Kurs took advantage of the negoiations with Saddam's abductors to move in close and capture him on their own account

[tineke]

Turned in by his own men? (or wife)

[Dilbert56]

Thought he had a gun on him?

[RightWhale]

Saddam was armed. Surely DEBKA didn't miss that, too.

[af_vet_1981]

ROFL

"We will direct every resource at our command - every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence and every necessary weapon of war - to the disruption and to the defeat of the global terror network. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest."

[Focault's Pendulum]

It's debka.

[Free_at_last_-2001]

Saddam was armed. Surely DEBKA didn't miss that, too. can't let facts get in the way of a good story!

[fourhorsemen]

Oh please. Several months ago Debka reported that Saddam and his sons were at a resort in Syria.

[Lazamataz]

DEBKA is so consistently wrong that I don't even think they got the name DEBKA right.

Prisoners don't got sidearms and $750,000 samolians.

[Burkeman1]

Yes- that was the initial report. I am skeptical of this. But it wouldn't surprise me. Sadaam commanded loyalty out of fear only- not love. That is the reason why I thought he was dead. I couldn't imagine one of his lackies not wanting to turn him in for the doe.

[graycamel]

Notice how we mysteriously caught Saddam right after the Haliburton scandal broke through. Watch...Just before next November's election we will "suddenly" catch Osama (even though he will have been in prison for months).

[tineke]

The pistol was found on his person with 750k cash in the hole, correct?

Maybe since the US offer was 'Alive or Dead' the pistol was there if he wanted to take his own life..

[Lazamataz]

It's debka.

Watch out for that DEBKA on the sidewalk! It's a pain to clean it off your shoe.

[YaYa123]

Hally loo ya...proof positive, finally, that Debka is a ridiculous source to quote!

[Southack]

It's worth remembering that President Bush sent his "sanctions" message to Syria on Friday for not cooperating with us enough.

Pause.

The next day, poof, we've got Saddam.

Message sent. Message received.

[new cruelty]

According to DEBKAfile analysts, these seven anomalies point to one conclusion: Saddam Hussein was not in hiding; he was a prisoner.

it must be true... from what I recall, most prisoners are given at a minimum THREE AK-47s and over TWO million in walking around money.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Sounds EXTREMELY plausible, almost a story line from "Tales of the Arabian Nights".

[new cruelty]

LOL.. you're a cuckoo.

[sully777]

It seems inane to lock up a prisoner with a pistol and two AK47's, as reported on FNC, but perhaps DEBKAfile is giving clues for Iraq's inability to win wars. Hahahaha.

I rate this theory a solid F.

[Lazamataz]

We've got the War Engine in the region.

Time to own the Middle East.