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BRANSON: MY PLOT TO STOP IRAQ WAR (Nelson Mandela Rescue Mission)
Daily Mirror (U.K.) ^ | 18 2004 | Richard Smith

Posted on 12/18/2004 11:27:47 AM PST by nickcarraway

SIR Richard Branson tried to prevent the Iraq war in a secret deal with Nelson Mandela.

The Virgin boss hoped to send the former leader of South Africa to meet Saddam Hussein and persuade him to go into exile.

He even got United Nations chief Kofi Annan's approval for the plan, despite fears that Saddam might kidnap Mandela.

A private jet was ready to fly the Nobel Peace Prize winner to Iraq. Branson offered to join him on the peace mission. But coalition forces invaded Iraq just before they went.

Branson opposed invasion plans and believed if they could offer Saddam an escape route, bloodshed would be avoided.

He said: "I kept thinking you have to give somebody like Saddam a way out otherwise he's like a cornered animal - they have to fight.

"I thought the only person who could persuade him to step down was Mandela."

The plan was for Mandela and Saddam to fly out of Baghdad together.

Branson said: "Mandela wanted us to get Kofi Annan's blessing, which we got. We were arranging for Mandela to go to Iraq to meet Saddam and had a plane standing by in Jo'burg from March 17.

"Two days later, as we were planning to fly in, the bombing started, so it didn't come to anything."

Branson is close friends with Mandela and spent weeks trying to set up the meeting with Saddam.

Four Virgin executives were given secret instructions to help make the peace plan a success.

Virgin director Will Whitehorn said: "Richard put a tremendous amount of work into it because he believed it was the right thing to do.

"Kofi Annan was initially cautious about the idea and was worried Mandela would be taken hostage by Saddam.

"He eventually changed his mind and gave us the go-ahead. Nelson was prepared to give it a go, he thought at his age, he was expendable.

"Richard told Nelson he would go along with him if it was felt appropriate. He wasn't worried about his own safety, it wouldn't have been the most dangerous thing he's done. But the decision was being left up to Nelson.

"The plan was to try to persuade Saddam to stand down as president of the country, given the inevitability of the invasion.

"Richard was convinced Saddam was like a rabbit trapped in the headlights. But Richard thought Saddam didn't himself believe the Allies would invade.

"Richard met Saddam briefly in 1990 when he flew out to Baghdad with Sir Edward Heath to bring home 43 injured and sick hostages before the first conflict.

"He was convinced Bush would go to war in Iraq but he was always sceptical about the weapons of mass destruction. He was saddened when the plan was overtaken by events"

Branson said of the war: "It was perhaps the worst foreign policy decision since Suez. You shouldn't have to maim or kill 200,000 people to get rid of one individual."

The invasion has inspired him to set up a group of non-political figures called the Elders to help avert future conflicts.

He added: "It's in its infancy but Mandela has agreed to be the founding father."


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: airlines; annan; billionaire; branson; bush; cesr; elders; exile; hussein; iraq; kofiannan; lefties; mandela; norman; peace; politics; pompousasses; prequel; richardbranson; rogernorman; saddamhussein; secretplan; southafrica; spaceshiptwo; theelders; tonyblair; un; unitednations; virgin; virginatlantic; virgingalactic; war
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1 posted on 12/18/2004 11:27:48 AM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

"The Elders"??
Pretentious Bastards. I wonder who they'll get to design their flowing robes and diadems?


2 posted on 12/18/2004 11:32:29 AM PST by Incandesia (Please don't eat the Newbie)
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To: nickcarraway

I seriesly doubt that Saddam sitting in some posh santuary with $billions would be content not to make major mischief, no thanks, the trial somehow seems much more appropriate, IMNSHO.


3 posted on 12/18/2004 11:35:17 AM PST by Mister Baredog (PLEASE be sure you have a flag up on your FReeper homepage.!!!)
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To: nickcarraway
"Kofi Annan was initially cautious about the idea and was worried Mandela would be taken hostage by Saddam. "


What? I thought Kofi was sure of Saddam's innocence.
Why would he think that!?
4 posted on 12/18/2004 11:36:42 AM PST by dAnconia (The government cannot grant rights,but it can protect them. Or violate them.)
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To: Incandesia

Where do I sign up? I want to be one of the Elders.


5 posted on 12/18/2004 11:36:57 AM PST by mhx
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To: nickcarraway

Somebody needs to send this Branson twit a copy of Laura Ingraham's 'Shut Up And Sing' part II: Just Shut Up and Sell Music and Plane Tickets.

This do-gooder is blaming us for interfering with his Jimmy Carteresqe private escapade that would have put him in a glowing position to defeat Tony Blair next year.....

He needs to read "Failure of a Mission" by his fellow Brit Neville Chamberlain. And then he needs to get out of politics. But he won't.

I say we Abstain from buying anything Virgin!


6 posted on 12/18/2004 11:37:46 AM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance (REMEMBER THE ALGOREAMO--relentlessly hammer on the TRUTH, like the Dems demand recounts)
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To: nickcarraway
Branson needs to stick to what he does best, running Virgin Atlantic and spending millions in publicity stunts.
7 posted on 12/18/2004 11:37:51 AM PST by COEXERJ145
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To: nickcarraway
Malarkey and turkey droppings. Just more talk about knowing the future. Sadaam is no longer in power and the Islamofascists are getting their tails corkscrewed. Now thats a future I can live with.
8 posted on 12/18/2004 11:38:44 AM PST by crazyhorse691 (We won. We don't need to be forgiving. Let the heads roll!!!!!!!!!)
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To: nickcarraway
Who was it that said, "hydrogen and stupidity are the two most abundant elements in the universe?"

5.56mm

9 posted on 12/18/2004 11:39:26 AM PST by M Kehoe
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To: Incandesia

This is what happens when you take religion out of society. Something must come to fill the void. Unfortunately in THIS country, it's become judges. My Dad used to call the Supreme Court the "New High Priests." Wow. This is incredible. Keep reading it over and over.


10 posted on 12/18/2004 11:40:43 AM PST by Hildy ( To work is to dance, to live is to worship, to breathe is to love.)
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To: nickcarraway

"You shouldn't have to maim or kill 200,000 people to get rid of one individual."
If one tries to get rid of THE WAY OF LIFE, as personified and symbolized by one individual, then 200,000 might be woefully inadequate.


11 posted on 12/18/2004 11:45:07 AM PST by GSlob
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To: Blurblogger
This do-gooder is blaming us for interfering with his.....position to defeat Tony Blair next year

There is always a motive to their madness, isn't there? This arrogant bastard won't stop at No.10 Downing St., Sir Richard Branson wants to be "Dick, the Emperor of Europe".

12 posted on 12/18/2004 11:46:18 AM PST by elbucko (Feral Republican)
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To: nickcarraway
If Saddam had flown, he would have left the structure of his oppressive Baathist regime in place. We are having a hard enough time dealing with the remnants after they have been crushed.

With Saddam removed, it would have been "New Tyrant, just like the Old Tyrant", only with closer ties to Syria and able to renege on former commitments.
13 posted on 12/18/2004 11:49:32 AM PST by gridlock (ELIMINATE PERVERSE INCENTIVES)
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To: nickcarraway

Nelson Mandela is a self proclaimed Marxist.

 

Richard Branson is either a fellow Marxist

or another useful idiot in support of

International Marxism.


14 posted on 12/18/2004 11:51:53 AM PST by Uri’el-2012 (Y'shua == YHvH is my Salvation (Psalm 118-14))
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To: Incandesia

It's, potentially, against the law.

These seditious, billionare bastards. Government needs to show them who's in charge. IMO


15 posted on 12/18/2004 11:52:57 AM PST by Finalapproach29er (You can drive from coast to coast and never pass through a single county won by Kerry.)
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To: nickcarraway
Branson said: "Mandela wanted us to get Kofi Annan's blessing, which we got."

Shows the ineptitude of the UN when they must rely on a rich business man and political prisoner to do their job. Utterly pathetic!
16 posted on 12/18/2004 11:56:27 AM PST by God luvs America (When the silent majority speaks the earth trembles!)
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To: nickcarraway
What do you know? No America bashing. I was amazed to read the whole column and not find out that America "The Great Satan" wasn't blamed.
17 posted on 12/18/2004 12:01:58 PM PST by coffee260
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To: elbucko
There is always a motive to their madness, isn't there? This arrogant bastard won't stop at No.10 Downing St., Sir Richard Branson wants to be "Dick, the Emperor of Europe".

well before he becomes that, I will do an "Oswald" on him and yell at camera's that I'm just a "patsy"... Note that I oppose unnecessary violence.
18 posted on 12/18/2004 12:03:08 PM PST by William of Orange (Does anybody know what time it is? Time to bomb Saddam!)
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To: XeniaSt

He's a useful idiot ~ Bump!


19 posted on 12/18/2004 12:07:59 PM PST by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: nickcarraway

Need to put all three of them on a plane together and then shoot it down!!


20 posted on 12/18/2004 12:13:47 PM PST by lolhelp
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