White House Sources After Top Level Briefing: Saddam May be Given 48 Hours to Leave

DEBKAfile Security Newsletter ^ | March 17, 2003 | Gioria Shamis and Diane Shalem

[ewing]

Last minute briefing summoned by President Bush is attended by Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, CIA Director George Tenet and all chiefs of staff of the United States Armed Forces.

United States President Bush's address at 0300 IST will be broadcast by all networks.

He is expected to anounced that the diplomatic window is closed and Saddam must leave the country immediately.

White House sources report after top level briefing: Saddam may be given 48 hours to leave the country.

[ewing]

We may not get that far..

[dep]

ah yes. debka -- the people who announced last night that the paratroops were already being dumped into iraq. for equally reliable coverage, you can check this analysis.

dep

[mhking]

Yeah. Debka's reliability is about the same as the National Enquirer - it's about 20% right, 20% of the time. Feh.

[Sacajaweau]

48 hours is ridiculously long. His leaving would be an outright surrender and he knows he will be tried for crimes (gassing of the Kurds). He's not going anywhere except from cell to cell in his underground bunkers. Those cigars stink. We'll find him!!!

Don't forget, he doesn't even trust his own guards and considers those that he does trust as idiots.

[mewzilla]

That's about 47 more hours than Saddamn needs. And just think of what he could be up to in the meantime. Sigh.

[WoofDog123]

"ah yes. debka -- the people who announced last night that the paratroops were already being dumped into iraq. for equally reliable coverage, you can check this analysis. "

i have no idea about the debka piece, but...

It is pretty standard to do some insertions just prior to opening hostilities, to burn targets that would could be problematic for whatever reason if you waited for potus to publicly drop his hand and say GO!

[PhilDragoo]

CBS is featuring Saddam on 48 Hours--Dan Rathers is taking the next RB-71 to Baghdad.

[Non-Sequitur]

Fox is reporting the same thing and their credibility is a bit better than Debka.

So say we give Saddam 48 hours to leave and he doesn't. So we invade, kick butt, take over the country, and then find out that he has pulled a bin Laden and we can't find the SOB. Does that mean we still win?

[ewing]

At least FOX has some reportage today, I was getting worried there..

[ewing]

We could only hope..

[kaktuskid]

YES.(Don't forget we didn't kill Hitler and we still won that one!)

[Paleo Conservative]

48 hours is ridiculously long.

Sounds like Dan Rather could do another broadcast to promote Saddam on 48 Hours.

[NetValue]

Forty-eight hours is way too long. The time for opportunities to disarm voluntarily OR to leave the scene, HAVE PASSED. No more ultimatums. No more "last" chances. Saddam: Head for your bomb shelter. We're coming for you! Save the last bullet for yourself.

[Petronski]

If anyone is taking a poll, I suggest we give a 12 hour deadline.

[Cate]

Lets make this fun. I think that John Wayne would have given him to the count of three. Thats my vote.

[Buckeye Trophy Husband]

Actually, the National Enquirer has been unbelievably accurate the last few years. They get a bad rap...I've read it for years, and I'm really impressed with the scoops they get.

[Joe Hadenuf]

White House sources report after top level briefing: Saddam may be given 48 hours to leave the country.

I hope this is not accurate........

[Steven W.]

Don't worry, pray for our troops. IMO this is great deception on our part. After all, we might give him 48 hour notice. On the other hand, maybe we do not

[ewing]

Global Security.org has the war clock set for 24 hours

[CurlyBill]

If anyone is taking a poll, I suggest we give a 12 hour deadline.

You're too generous. I would give him about one hour to surrender, and about three to get out of Iraq with his cronies.....and that's being nice!