Warning Time Is Short, Bush Says Exile Is Option for Hussein

The NY Times ^ | 013003 | Brian Knowlton

[Archangelsk]

Warning Time Is Short, Bush Says Exile Is Option for Hussein
By BRIAN KNOWLTON
International Herald Tribune

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 ? President Bush said today that he would welcome exile for President Saddam Hussein and his top "henchmen," as the United States intensified pressure on Iraq by warning that efforts to avert war would be given only weeks, not months, to succeed.

The White House continued a major diplomatic push for international support ahead of a crucial debate on Iraq next week at the United Nations Security Council. Mr. Bush has directed Secretary of State Colin L. Powell to present council with evidence on Feb. 5 that Mr. Hussein has concealed banned weapons, and a White House spokesman promised a "Mount Everest of information."

Exile for Mr. Hussein has been mentioned before by Mr. Powell and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, but not publicly by the president.

"Hopefully, the pressure of the free world will convince Mr. Saddam Hussein to relinquish power," Mr. Bush said, appearing at the White House with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, who earlier signed a letter with seven other European leaders pledging support for Mr. Bush on Iraq. "Should he choose to leave the country, along with a lot of the other henchmen who tortured the Iraqi people, we would welcome that."

The president made it clear, however, that Mr. Hussein's departure would not end the matter. "The goal of disarmament remains the same" under any successor government, Mr. Bush said.

The chief White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, did not suggest that the administration thought that Mr. Hussein's abdication was likely.

The talk of exile came shortly before Mr. Bush met with Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia, which has joined in a regional diplomatic initiative to persuade Mr. Hussein to step down. The prince said later that he hoped closer Iraqi cooperation with the inspectors could yet avert war.

Mr. Bush is preparing for crucial talks on Friday with Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, whose country has deployed thousands of troops to the Persian Gulf region to support a possible American-led war.

A peaceful outcome with Iraq, Mr. Bush said, was still preferred, but he pointedly thanked Britain, Italy and the six other European countries for the letter, published today, that supported a tough line on Iraq, calling it a "strong statement of solidarity."

The Bush-Berlusconi meeting appeared particularly warm. A day earlier, Rome said it would let American warplanes use its military bases for refueling during any military action, one of the few such concrete offers from Europe.

At the same time, the White House appeared taken aback by a stinging comment from Nelson Mandela, the former South African president, who warned that President Bush wanted to "plunge the world into a holocaust."

Mr. Mandela, taking note that the United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, is from Ghana, implied that racism might be behind American and British refusal to commit themselves to working exclusively through the United Nations. "Is it because the secretary general of the United Nations is now a black man?" Mr. Mandela said in Johannesburg. "They never did that when secretary generals were white."

Speaking directly of Mr. Bush, Mr. Mandela also suggested that oil was driving American policy. "All that he wants is Iraqi oil," Mr. Mandela said.

Asked about the remark, Mr. Fleischer pointed instead to the European letter of support, signed by the leaders of Britain, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Poland, Denmark and the Czech Republic.

"The president expresses his gratitude to the many leaders of Europe who obviously feel differently" than Mr. Mandela, Mr. Fleischer said. "He understands there are going to be people who are more comfortable doing nothing about a growing menace that could turn into a holocaust." For their part, several United States officials underscored the message that American patience was growing short.

Vice President Dick Cheney, speaking to a conservative political action group, said the United States would not permit a "brutal dictator with ties to terror and a record of reckless aggression to dominate the Middle East and threaten the United States." It was clear, he said, that the Iraqi president had "absolutely no intention" of complying with international demands for disarmament.

The United States is determined to "end the terrible threats to the civilized world," he said, and will not necessarily "depend upon the decisions of others."

[Archangelsk]

As I have repeated so often, I think that Saddam has used back channels to tell the President that he will not hesitate to use his WMDs in the event of an attack on Iraqi soil/sand. The recent report from the Pentagon that Americans are currently operating in Northern Iraq only intensifies the speculation that the focus is shifting from disposing Saddam to finding and neutralizing the WMDs. I believe that this is the beginning of the end game and, as much as I can't stand the thought, Saddam may wiggle out of our grip.

[Magnum44]

as much as I can't stand the thought, Saddam may wiggle out of our grip.

Actually, if we were to successfully achieve regime change without firing a shot (and I am not optimistic about the prospects of this), it would be the greatest victory we could ask for, a true coercive diplomatic coup, and about the only thing better than a military victory I can think of.

[Pushi]

I have been predicting for over two months that Sadaam will go into exile in Egypt. I think the deal has been made and that Sadaam is just trying to put a good face on it.