Saddam threatens deserters with death

The Sunday Telegraph ^ | April 6, 2003 | Colin Brown

[MadIvan]

Senior intelligence officials have told Tony Blair's War Cabinet that Saddam Hussein's family have been threatening people with death to stop the regime from collapsing in its final hours.

A Cabinet minister told The Telegraph last night that CIA reports showed that "maniacs" in Saddam's family were desperately trying to fight off the final defeat by threatening to shoot anyone who was prepared to surrender.

"We have been totally taken aback by the ineptness of the regime. I think people have now given up, but there is nobody in authority to authorise the surrender," the minister said.

"There are maniacs around, including members of Saddam's own family, who are threatening people with death, and with being shot, if they try to surrender. There is no question about that. We have been getting reports from the CIA."

Saddam's sons, Uday and Qusay, have a record of ruthless tactics used to run the regime on fear. Both were targeted by coalition air strikes on the leadership's palaces and bunkers in an attempt to neutralise their grip on Iraq at the start of the war.

The Telegraph has also learned that intelligence and security officials told the Prime Minister that the second of two street market bombs in the centre of Baghdad which killed 52 people may have been planted by Saddam's agents.

The bombings were in the predominantly Shia Muslim area of the city, which intelligence chiefs believe may have been seen by Saddam as expendable. British officials warned before the offensive that Saddam could bomb his own civilian population as a propaganda device to bring the coalition attacks to a halt.

The second bombing on March 28, just two days after an earlier explosion had killed 14 people in a street market, was blamed on US missiles, possibly fired by aircraft trying to hit targets on the ground.

British officials strenuously denied that the first bombing was caused by coalition missiles, but suspicions have continued that the second bombing was the fault of the coalition until now.

In an interview for Abu Dhabi TV on Friday, Mr Blair categorically denied coalition forces had been responsible for the first of the two bombings. He said: "We are sure that the first one is not coalition forces. We are still trying to check out the second one."

The devastation and death caused by both blasts were graphically shown on Al Jazeera, the Arab TV station.

Number Ten said it was thought the first of the bombings was caused by Iraqi ground-to-air missiles falling back on the city. The commander of the city's air defences, a cousin of Saddam, had been sacked for the failures, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

However, the latest intelligence reports to the Prime Minister suggest that the second bomb - which caused a huge blast, leaving a crater and damaging cars - was planted by Saddam's agents.

"Our intelligence suggests that the second of the bombs could have been planted by Saddam's people. We cannot be sure, but that is what we think may have happened," a senior government official said.

Saddam's readiness to attack his own people was seen by British ministers as a powerful propaganda weapon which was difficult to counter. The claims by Iraqi spokesmen that coalition forces were responsible for both blasts led to a public outcry in Britain, and strengthened protests by anti-war campaigners in Parliament, who claimed that the so-called "smart" bombs were causing unacceptable civilian casualties.

British officers said the coalition was not targeting Iraqi forces near the markets. There were British reports of fragments of US missiles being found, but Peter Squire, the British chief of the air staff, said on Friday that the fragments could have been planted by Saddam's agents.

He said: "The marketplace was never a target. There is no indication whatsoever that any of the weapons from any of the coalition aircraft went astray and I think the fact that people produced bits of metal with numbers on some days after the event has to be questionable."

[MadIvan]

Saddam, if alive, needs a "Mussolini moment". Or a Ceaucescu moment.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Conservababe]

When Saddam has killed everyone but himself, will he do it?

LOL

[LouisianaJoanof Arc]

Yes Ivan, I agree.

If I recall correctly, Mussolini was hung by the heels from a lamppost after being killed and then lay in the gutter in the Piazza where all could deface his body. That doesn't sound very pleasant does it :)

[xm177e2]

"We have been totally taken aback by the ineptness of the regime. I think people have now given up, but there is nobody in authority to authorise the surrender," the minister said.

So you admit you misjudged the enemy? Is that why we are now in this quagmire? </sarcasm>

[Arkinsaw]

Hey Ivan, not the thread for it, but want to pass along my family and friends great appreciation for the job that British forces are doing in the South. It is incredible, and I mean incredible, what they have done and how they have behaved in relation to the population there.

[MadIvan]

When Saddam has killed everyone but himself, will he do it?

If he did kill himself, it would be the nicest thing he had ever done for anyone.

Regards, Ivan

[vbmoneyspender]

Saddam threatens deserters with death

Isn't this equivalent to Saddam threatening deserters that unless they do what he says, they will have to spend the rest of eternity with him in hell?

[Allan]

If I recall correctly, Mussolini was hung by the heels
from a lamppost after being killed

Mussolini and his entourage were captured
fleeing to Switzerland with German soldiers
on the banks of Lago di Como.
Mussolini was disguised in a German uniform
and was lying down on the car seat
with a cap over his face.
His companions said he was drunk.
("Ubraico. Vino.")
The cap was removed and he was instantly recognized.
After a summary trial
he and his mistress were shot
then taken back to Milan
where they were hung upside down in a petrol station
in Piazza Loretto
Huge crowds assembled to spit on them.

[LouisianaJoanof Arc]

Thanks for the history lesson!!!!

[Borderline]

Hehhehe

   Saddam Threatens death if you run. Coalition Forces CAUSE your death if you don't

   Take your pick

[virgil]

I think we are going to be seeing more and more bizarre stuff coming from Baghdad in the next few days. The video of Saddam on his walkabout, the news conferences with the lying Iraqi officials who would not be allowed to speak anyway if Saddam were in power, the dried up bones in Basra. Its getting strange like you would expect when entering an old torture chamber

[UCFRoadWarrior]

The Iraqis dont have enough weapons and bullets to kill all the deserters and surrenderers.

This war is turning into a blow-out football game......Iraq is down 94-0 and they keep calling timeouts late in the game hoping to come back

[Freeper Lady]

Here's the pics:

http://www.gvn.net/~lowe/mussolini/

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[TheDon]

"Saddam Hussein's family have been threatening people with death to stop the regime from collapsing in its final hours"

The end is quite near. The only question is: how will he go down. A Mussolini or a Hitler moment? Or perhaps, he is already burning in h@ll!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

The title says: Saddam threatens deserters with death

The first sentence of the article says: Senior intelligence officials have told Tony Blair's War Cabinet that Saddam Hussein's family have been threatening people with death...

So which is it, Saddam or his family? I'm betting that Saddam's family is doing the threatening while Saddam is roasting his nuts in hell right now.

[Destro]

So what?? Officers in the US and British military are authorised to shoot cowards, deserters and those that do not follow orders either.

[Wil H]

Mussolini was strung up on a meat hook.

[Allan]

Thanks for the link.