Saddam being held in Qatar: report

YahooNews ^

[Happy2BMe]

LONDON (AFP) - Deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) is being held at a US military base in Qatar, rather than in Iraq

Following his capture by US forces in December last year, Saddam was first moved to a US aircraft carrier in the Gulf for interrogation, a British newspaper reported, without citing its sources.

He was then -- at a time not specified by the report -- transferred to Qatar under great secrecy, with even the state's royal family not informed of his presence.

Major violence in Iraq over recent days which has seen more than 100 Iraqis killed as well as 20 coalition troops, meant Qatar was now seen as a far safer place to keep the ousted leader, the paper added.

In December, Qatar's government dismissed earlier news reports that Saddam had been moved to the emirate, while Iraq's interim Governing Council insisted that he was still being held in Baghdad.

At the end of the last month, Saddam's wife left Syria for Qatar, according to a Jordanian lawyer who says she retained him to represent her husband.

[Happy2BMe]

Timing of this is interesting.

[Happy2BMe]

Saddam being moved ping.

Tue Apr 6, 7:19 PM ET
Toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) poses for a picture in an undisclosed location in this undated picture. Deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is being held at a US military base in Qatar, rather than in Iraq (news - web sites).(AFP/HO/File)

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[speedy]

AFP hoping to tip off its friends so Saddam can be rescued.

[Shermy]

The source is Robert Fisk at the Independent. Therefore treat it with great caution.

[Boundless]

> AFP hoping to tip off its friends so Saddam can be rescued.

I'd like to think it's a setup, and the "prison" is a
well prepared trap. Perhaps Fisk can at least be a
useful idiot here.

[xzins]

Reminds me of Scott talking to his father, Dr. Evil, in one of the Austin Powers movies. Evil has just captured Austin but is preparing some extravagant death for him.

Scott says (very liberally paraphrased from memory) something like, "Kill him. Just kill him. You always try this, and he always escapes. Give me a gun. I'll shoot him now."

[BulletBobCo]

What to make of these reports about the red cross visits?
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=123&art_id=qw1080620289977B262&set_id=1

[Sodbuster]

paraphrased from memory.

Dr Evil: You just don't get it do you?

[xzins]

A dead saddam tells no lies.

:>)

[Alia]

Yes, it is interesting timing.

[Alia]

"Treating this news with caution" is good advice. However, the Iraqi elections WILL be held as scheduled. The New Democracy and Justice in Iraqi WILL have Saddam on trial. He must go to that trial. Alive. The people of Iraqi deserve this justice in seeing Saddam on trial for his life. Of course, even this, even his death will not erase what they've endured under his boot. But it will mark a very, very significant start in the real-time lives of liberated Iraq.

I look at this differently. Yassin is dead. Hamas threatens "earthquakes". Various papers in Iraq begin publishing hard-core anti-American propoganda. Coalition halts those newspapers. Major insurgent activity against US and Coalition forces. Saddam is being held on a US aircraft carrier. Those carriers might be needed to be pressed into active service. Now, let's watch where the insurgent and "uprising" action goes.

[MeekOneGOP]

Hey, Saddam ! Here's your next permanent home!:

[B4Ranch]

It's getting crowded!