Posted on 03/02/2005 6:24:25 PM PST by NCjim
THE eldest son of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was plotting to overthrow his father just as US troops advanced on Baghdad in March 2003, journalist Peter Arnett claimed in Playboy magazine.
Uday Hussein, known for his ruthlessness and flashy lifestyle, had won the support of the leadership of his father's Fedayeen militia to overthrow Saddam's 35-year rule, according to an advance copy of the April edition of Playboy obtained by AFP.
The controversial reporter, who was fired by the US Cable News Network in 2003 after suggesting the US war plan in Iraq had failed, made the claim following an 18-month investigation in which he says he gained access to Uday Hussein's inner circle.
The article cited a letter from Saddam Fedayeen commander General Maki Humudat, dated March 26, 2003, in which he swore allegiance to a new Iraqi government under the control of Fedayeen chief Uday Hussein.
"According to your direction and command to form a new government under the leadership of your Excellency (Uday), we have informed all the senior officers of the Saddam Fedayeen of your desire to appoint them as your candidates for office in your government," the letter said.
Uday had planned to announce his seizure of the crumbling reins of power later the same day, but was thwarted when US jets bombed his Youth TV studios in Baghdad, according to Arnett.
The ambitious heir had even formed a shadow government on the outskirts of his father's capital Baghdad, that was disguised under the cover of his powerful Iraqi National Olympic Committee and funded by murky oil deals, he said.
According to Arnett, the oldest son of the Iraqi dictator had long been chafing under his father's iron fisted rule and blamed his father for the punishing international sanctions on the country.
"Though it has not been reported until now, Uday Hussein was the biggest proponent of regime change inside Iraq," Arnett wrote.
"During the previous 10 years, he had slowly assembled the elements of power; military; military; and political management, designed to overthrow his tyrannical father," said the reporter who was in Baghdad as US troops approached following the launch of the March 19, 2003 US-led attack.
But, according to the journalist, Uday's coup plan came too late as US-led forces were just days away from the Iraqi capital.
He and his younger brother, Qusay, were forced to flee Baghdad along with their father as the Baath party military machine collapsed ahead of the US seizure of the city in early April.
Uday and Qusay were killed in a blistering battle in the northern city of Mosul on July 22, 2003, while Saddam Hussein was captured alive in his home town of Tikrit in December later that year.
Oh, yes, Mr. Arnett. Everything in Iraq would have been blissful under "Good King Uday." If only those terrible Americans hadn't interfered...(Saddam would have gracefully stepped aside as his faithful son seized power and commenced a thousand year reign of peace and happiness. Yeah, right.)
Good boys, indeed. Just merely misunderstood...
I wonder if Petah still believes the war plan in Iraq has failed? Anybody at Playboy ask him?
Uday was a monster of cruelty and brutality that was not even rivaled by his father. Thank goodness he is dead.
Uday overthrowing Saddam would have been much like Kim Jong-il overthrowing his father - it would have been trading one dictator for another far worse.
I am personally glad that the situation was handled in the manner which it was.
This is great! Saddam's own son was gonna stab him in the back. It's hard to know which of these three creeps was the lowest form of life. |
Well seem like the general sentiment is that this is bullshit. But I will pose a question and provide the answer.
Q. What do you get when you put a kid in a man's pants?
A. Baggy pants.
What's even better is that he had turned people who were supposed to be loyal to Saddam. I hope someone gives a copy of this article, along with an Arabic translation, to Saddam in his cell. We're likely to get all kinds of information.
Who cares?
"I hope someone gives a copy of this article, along with an Arabic translation, to Saddam in his cell."
I read somewhere that Saddam speaks English - at least for now. He will probably lose that ability shortly.
Gee, if we'd just waited we could have had that awful Saddam thrown out and a new, benevolent government led by the guy who had a woman coated with honey and fed to starving dogs. Quite an improvement.
Saddam groomed them from the time they were boys in the fine arts of torture and sadism and worse. Thank God we never had to see the exponential increase in terror that the rise of power of one of them would have brought to the area. Good thing Pres Bush had the ba!!s to step up.
Arnett? I thought he was fired by MSNBC for INSISTING the coalition effort had failed, even as the bombs were falling on Baghdad. Did CNN pick him up after that?
He was...unless CNN hired him afterward and fired him for the same reason (unlikely, given that Jordan was in bed with Saddam)
Me too. I actually went back to the first paragraph to see if I missed where it said WHICH "US cable news network". The significance of the caps only filtered in after about 30 seconds.
Now there is a creditable source. Did he tell him that over a glass of baby milk?
I would believe it until Baghdad Bob confirms it.
That doesn't mean we wanted an Uday regime. He can stay dead as far as I'm concerned.
The guy ordering dissidents sent feet first into the plastic shredders and ordering the Kurds bombed with chemical weapons would have had a different name....and probably even MORE WMD.
They were of the highest caliber.
"Though it has not been reported until now, Uday Hussein was the biggest proponent of regime change inside Iraq," Arnett wrote
Right Peter. Replacing Hussein with the Beast would have been just peachy. Oh, if only we'd done that instead...
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