Compliments of Digital Globe.
Posted on 04/19/2003 3:46:57 PM PDT by knak
London, Iraq Press, April 19, 2003 – Republican Guard commanders turned their guns against Saddam Hussein and his top aides shortly before Baghdad fell to U.S. marines, according to a prominent exiled Iraqi writer and journalist.
Saad Bazzaz, editor-in-chief of the respected London-based Arabic daily Azzaman newspaper, told Iraq Press that members of the Republican Guard command killed Saddam Hussein, his two sons, Uday and Qusay, along with other senior Iraqi leaders.
The killing took place shortly before the fall of Baghdad. The commanders, Saddam's most trusted military leaders, wanted to spare the country further suffering and destruction, Bazzaz said.
The scenario Bazzaz provides is the latest about Saddam Hussein, whose fate has sparked contradictory rumors.
Bazzaz's viewpoint seems plausible. The veteran Iraqi journalist is among the best placed in Iraqi opposition for knowledge on the inner circle of the deposed regime of Saddam Hussein.
Bazzaz traveled to Iraq shortly after U.S. and British troops entered the southern city of Basra, which he is using as a center for the distribution of a special issue of Azzaman.
In a report from Basra, Reuters news agency quoted residents as saying that they prefer a copy of Azzaman to food and water. About 50,000 copies of the independent newspaper are distributed in Iraq now and Bazzaz hopes to increase the circulation to 200,000.
Bazzaz said he believes that Republican Guard commanders also killed Taha Yassin Ramadan, the vice president while Izzat Ibrahim, Saddam's deputy on the once all-powerful Revolutionary Command Council is still at large.
"The guard commanders wanted to spare the capital a massacre as the regime was on the brink of collapse. They feared Saddam would take yet another uncalculated move as he was approaching his last moment," Bazzaz said.
Two half-brothers of the ousted leader - Watban Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti and Barzan - have already been arrested by U.S. forces.
Both had close information on the inner workings of the regime and may provide the missing clue on Saddam's fate during questioning.
Nonetheless, U.S. troops say they are scouring Iraq for the missing leader – the Ace of Spades in a pack of cards issued to help the military identify fugitive Iraqi leaders.
What? And then opt to ditch the bodies and forego the reward monies? I guess anything's possible but this story stretches credulity more than quite a bit, it seems to me.
Ought to be easy enough to produce the BODIES then, right???? So, where are the bodies?
See this:
The Deal [CIA Used 'Human Shields' in concert with Republican Guard Commanders to take Baghdad]
The killing took place shortly before the fall of Baghdad. The commanders, Saddam's most trusted military leaders, wanted to spare the country further suffering and destruction, Bazzaz said.
Hmmm, but wouldn't they have informed the Minister of Information?
Compliments of Digital Globe.
Somehow I doubt that.
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