Aziz Phoned Friend To Fix Surrender (Heart Attacks)

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 4-26-2003 | Alex Spillius

[blam]

Aziz phoned friend to fix surrender

By Alex Spillius in Baghdad
(Filed: 26/04/2003)

The demeanour of 20 members of a prominent Baghdad family locked firmly behind the iron gates of a suburban mansion yesterday afternoon was positively funereal. But there had not been a death in the family, there had been a surrender.

Late on Thursday evening their leading light, the former foreign minister Tariq Aziz, had given himself up to American forces.

The man who had once been the smooth-talking public face of Iraq to millions in the West had suffered two recent heart attacks. Now he decided to end his seclusion in his sister-in-law's house in the wealthy neighbourhood of Zaiyouna, where he moved shortly after the war began.

He apparently made several satellite phone calls to a friend in America asking him to approach the US military and demanding medical treatment in return for his submission. A neighbour, Mohammed Hillal, described a quick, almost silent operation in which no shots were fired. He said several American military armoured vehicles arrived in the street of sumptuous ochre homes with gardens filled with date palms around 11.30pm. He saw troops in night-vision goggles. "Then they brought a GMC Jeep with black windows and a white BMW and some people got into them," Mr Hillal said.

As the family mourned Aziz's departure to an uncertain future and possible prosecution, US Central Command in Qatar hailed the highest profile capture of a member of Saddam Hussein's regime so far and hoped that it would lead them to Saddam.

A leading member of the Iraqi National Congress, the opposition group which has led the Americans to five people on the list of the 55 most-wanted regime members, said: "His surrender gives confidence to the Iraqi people that the regime is not coming back. But from the point of view of the power structure here he was by now largely irrelevant. He turned himself in because the game was up. I doubt he knows much that isn't known, and I doubt he knows much about weapons of mass destruction."

The ease with which Aziz was able to conceal himself without detection in a relative's house suggests other leading Ba'athists may have done the same, including Saddam and his sons. There are only around 30,000 American troops in a city of six million Iraqis. The patrols mainly stick to the main roads. The Americans are not going to stumble upon fugitive members of the regime.

Perhaps the best hope from Aziz's capitulation is that it will encourage others from the list to follow suit.

On the streets of the capital his arrest was welcomed with enthusiasm not jubilation. "This is another proof that Saddam is finished. If Aziz surrenders to the Americans, who is still with Saddam?" said Mohammad Hareth, selling cigarettes on a street corner.

[aristeides]

The patrols mainly stick to the main roads. The Americans are not going to stumble upon fugitive members of the regime.

But Iraqis will know where they are. And they may be enticed by the offer of a reward.

[aristeides]

I wonder if Saddam did something to cause those heart attacks.

[Ben Hecks]

"Then they brought a GMC Jeep with black windows and a white BMW and some people got into them"

Dang! We never had neat stuff like this in our motor pool. Next thing we'll see is stretched Hummers.

[blam]

"I wonder if Saddam did something to cause those heart attacks."

Probably the gormet food and cigars. He doesn't have long either way.

[SamiGirl]

"He apparently made several satellite phone calls to a friend in America..."

Wonder who that friend in America is: Ramsey Clark, Jimmy Carter?

[EternalVigilance]

Excellent question.

[GraniteStateConservative]

He was in his sister-in-law's house? WTF? We couldn't find him in his sister-in-law's house? No secret underground bunkers? Why had we not searched this place back on April 9th?

[GraniteStateConservative]

The Americans are not going to stumble upon fugitive members of the regime.

If we have a fugitive in the US, don't we first check the family residences? This just makes no sense to me.

[Newbomb Turk]

Wonder who that friend in America is: Ramsey Clark, Jimmy Carter

Ted Koppel ? His favorie Nightline buddy from Gulf War I.

[doug from upland]

Maybe it was Scotty Ritter.

[Arkinsaw]

Wonder who that friend in America is:

Willard?

[auggy]

""He apparently made several satellite phone calls to a friend in America..." Wonder who that friend in America is: Ramsey Clark, Jimmy Carter?"

Bet it's a commie or I meant Democrat.

[Shannon]

My guess would be Slick.

[whadizit]

"Why had we not searched this place....?"

My thoughts exactly! This "mansion" in an elite area one would think would be the lst area searched! Why don't we go through those homes thoroughly one by one?

Geez!

[Pokey78]

Hear that Elizabeth! I'm comin' to join you, honey!

[blam]

LOL. It's the big one!

[Russell Scott]

Aziz should have been replaced by Baghdad Bob a long time ago. Bob was much more entertaining. Aziz still needs to spend the rest of his life in prison. He put too much of a smiley face on the monstrous beast. The exception would be if he has incredible indicting information against UN officals and guys like Galloway.

[blam]

"The exception would be if he has incredible indicting information against UN officals and guys like Galloway."

...and our downed airman from GW1!

[Mo1]

He suffered 2 heart attacks so he came back to give himself up?