Iraq's UN Ambassador Vanishes!

Newsmax ^ | 01-25-03 | Newsmax

[ConservativeMan55]

Iraq's U.N. Ambassador Vanishes

NewsMax's correspondent at the United Nations, Stewart Stogel, says Iraq's U.N. Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri is missing.

Aldouri decided to take an "overdue" home leave during the week of Dec. 15.

He told NewsMax it would be the first time to return home and visit relatives in more than a year. The ambassador said he would return to New York and his U.N. post on Jan. 15.

He hasn't.

Inquiries to the Iraqi mission have resulted in "moving dates" as to just when Aldouri will return.

At the beginning of this past week, a senior Iraq diplomat explained the ambassador would return "by Wednesday." On Thursday, another Iraqi diplomat said it could be any time "between now and Monday." He could offer no explanation to account for the delay.

UNMOVIC and the IAEA must submit their latest update on Iraqi cooperation and inspections analysis to the Security Council on Monday.

Aldouri was last seen in public in Baghdad about two weeks ago. He was present at a factory site being inspected by UNMOVIC. The U.N. froze the site for several hours.

Aldouri voluntarily elected to remain at the site while the inspections were in progress. Afterward, he complained about the "conduct" of the inspections and the inspectors. Since then, he has not been heard from.

In his absence, Iraq's deputy U.N. Ambassador Mohammed Salman Ali has assumed Aldouri's duties.

As previously reported in NewsMax, Ali is regarded in U.N. diplomatic circles as the New York station chief for Iraq's intelligence service.

A little over a year ago, Iraq's No. 2 and No. 3 diplomats defected to the U.S. just as their tours of duty at the U.N. had ended.

In 1991, Iraq's ambassador to the United States defected shortly before the start of the Gulf War.

In March 2002, a high-level group of Iraqi officials visiting the U.N. on the possible resumption of arms inspections were approached by the U.S. to defect.

One was Gen. Amir al-Saadi, Saddam's chief scientific and senior military weapons adviser. Another was Saeed Hassan, Iraq's former U.N. ambassador and Aldouri's predecessor. None accepted the U.S. "offer."

However, all of this happened on Aldouri's watch.

Aldouri was also believed to be close to former Iraqi oil minister Gen. Amir Rasheed, who unexpectedly "resigned" last month.

The ambassador's influence at home is regarded by U.N. diplomats as "decreasing."

The fact that Aldouri remains at home while the suspected intelligence chief runs the show in New York (just as UNMOVIC and the IAEA prepare critical reports) has led to speculation among numerous diplomats as to what Baghdad is up to.

[ConservativeMan55]

Methinks that this guy may have defected, and is in a safehouse in the United States somewhere. Also, whats up with this guy who jumped in the United Nations car with a notepad screaming "SAVE ME!" And yet another guy who tried to storm the UN compound with a knife.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

Nah, I don't think he defected or we would make a big deal of it.Since previous UN ambassadors and other officials have defected, Sadaam made sure he didn't by doing away with him.Lord knows if hes dead or just in jail.But I doubt if he shows up.

[ConservativeMan55]

If Saddam has him, he's probably already 6ft under.

[johniegrad]

Maybe he gave up some information either accidently or purposely that he shouldn't have given up and they've executed him. Article like this leaves a lot open to speculation.

[ConservativeMan55]

The fact that the Iraqi's are saying he will be back Monday or Tuesday also is probably a lie.
Its just like the inspections.
When Monday or Tuesday rolls around, they will say he will be back in another week.

[Cicero]

Since it's unlikely that Hans Blix would have offed him for offensive behavior, it's more likely that he crossed Saddam.

Saddam doesn't like being crossed.

[NYDave]

If anyone is interested, the ambassador's home is in NYC, Manhattan, on East 80th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues on the South side of the street, one house West of the Junior League. They used to have a plaque on the house but took it down just before Gulf I. During Gulf I, the street was often shut down and crawling with lots of guys with wires coming out of their ears (FBI, NYPD, Secret Service, who knows?). I'm certainly not suggesting anything but I thought I would just post this of general interest.

[ConservativeMan55]

Well the last known whereabouts of this guy was that he was headed back to Iraq. If he didn't secretly defect, then Saddam has offed him.

One thing about a secret defection is that Saddam might think someone else offed him, and leave his family alone.

[ConservativeMan55]

What I am thinking! LOL! That would mean that Saddam is rational, and we all know he's a raving lunatic!
Bottom line is that when we invade, we are going to make the UN and the rest of the world see these weapons.
I can just see us liberating the people of Iraq, and finding these weapons, and attempting to show them to the rest of the world.
When we do, the socialists in Germany and France will just turn their heads, and still not believe it. Because they don't want to believe it.

[Barnacle]

Next week the story will be…

"U.N. Ambassador? We ain't got no U.N. Ambassador.
We don't need no U.N. Ambassador.
I don't have to show you any stinking U.N. Ambassador!"

[Nick Danger]

The fact that Aldouri remains at home

Well, at least now we know where his remains are.

[rs79bm]

Let's see...the only reason anyone would be "missing" from Baghdad is if Saddam had ordered them to be killed. There is a remote possibility he defected to the U.S. but I suspect that's not the case.

[mamalujo]

that was great!!

[ConservativeMan55]

We need some photoshop guru to put Saddam's face on that picture!

[MattAMiller]

Is there any proof the ambassador exists? We have a lot of information that he was there once. But nobody can find him now, so maybe he just doesn't exist. Maybe he never existed. We ought withhold judgement until an international panel of inspectors can search the entire planet and see if they can find him.

[ConservativeMan55]

He exists! He does press conferences all the time!

[Ann Archy]

...uh, as another Freeper noted this morning, his name is Hans "Ignorance Is" Blix! Thought the moniker was a hoot!!

[LADYAK]

It bothered me that the UN inspector just say there...the guy obviously had some information to turn over....you know that guy is dead now....so sad...the UN inspector should have said we are going to question this fella instead of just sitting there....how do we expect the Iraque people to stand up and fight this regime.....so sad for that fella.

[Cicero]

ROTFL

[Dan Day]

U.N. Ambassador? We ain't got no U.N. Ambassador. We don't need no U.N. Ambassador. I don't have to show you any stinking U.N. Ambassador!"

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