Report Says Hussein Was Open To Exile Before 2003 Invasion ($1 billion and information on WMD's)

Washington Post ^ | September 27, 2007 | Karen DeYoung and Michael Abramowitz

[bobsunshine]

Less than a month before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein signaled that he was willing to go into exile as long as he could take with him $1 billion and information on weapons of mass destruction, according to a report of a Feb. 22, 2003, meeting between President Bush and his Spanish counterpart published by a Spanish newspaper yesterday.

The meeting at Bush's Texas ranch was a planning session for a final diplomatic push at the United Nations. The White House was preparing to introduce a tough new Security Council resolution to pressure Hussein, but most council members saw it as a ploy to gain their authorization for war.

Spain's prime minister at the time, Jose Maria Aznar, expressed hope that war might be avoided -- or at least supported by a U.N. majority -- and Bush said that outcome would be "the best solution for us" and "would also save us $50 billion," referring to the initial U.S. estimate of what the Iraq war would cost. But Bush made it clear in the meeting that he expected to "be in Baghdad at the end of March."

[bobsunshine]

There is more to this story than the Post is stating. The memo in Spanish is translated by machine. BUT here at Barcepundit, is the proper translation:

Key Point from Barcepundit (h/t MacRanger):

"Editor and Publisher has a machine translation, which is quite atrocious. If you can read Spanish, the full text is here....."

"If anything, the transcript proves precisely the opposing point that critics want to make. The conversation shows both Bush and Aznar trying to avoid war; that they were concerned of its human toll, and that Saddam wanted to flee with money... and WMD information. I guess all the people who are trumpeting this will stop saying now that Bush lied and mislead us on the WMD issue. Won't hold my breath, though.

At one point Bush explicitely says: "Yo no quiero la guerra. Sé lo que son las guerras. Sé la destrucción y la muerte que traen consigo. Yo soy el que tiene que consolar a las madres y a las viudas de los muertos. Por supuesto, para nosotros esa sería la mejor solución. Además, nos ahorraría 50.000 millones de dólares" ["I don't want war. I know what war is like. I know the death and destruction they bring. I am the one who has to comfort the mothers and wives of the dead. Of course, for us [a diplomatic solution] would be the best one. Also, it would save 50 billion dollars" -- again, my emphasis and translation]"

http://barcepundit-english.blogspot.com/2007/09/much-is-being-made-of-scoop-by-pro.html

[RolandBurnam]

50 billion. haha. With the last appropriation bill its going to be over 600 billion. War just doesn’t work economically without the whole ‘spoils of war’ thing to finance it.

[Slapshot68]

“There is more to this story than the Post is stating”

Well, there’s a shocker. ;)

[avacado]

National Geographics’ DVD “Inside Shock-n-Awe” goes over much of this.

[driftdiver]

This story has to be wrong. How could there be information on WMD when we all know that didn’t exist.

/sarc

[WBL 1952]

MSNBC / Washington Post report taken with a grain of salt.

[big'ol_freeper]

He was permanently exiled.

[Tribune7]

go into exile as long as he could take with him $1 billion and information on weapons of mass destruction,

But but but but there were no weapons of mass destruction, right???????

[massgopguy]

So he wanted us to let him go to another Muslim madhouse where WMDs could be manufactured for Terrorism. We were right to invade.

[ctdonath2]

For $1B and sole possession of all incriminating evidence, pretty much anyone would do anything. I’d be happy to take that, go build a nice tropical island, and enjoy spending $27,000/day for the next hundred years.

[rineaux]

“Yo no quiero la guerra. Sé lo que son las guerras. Sé la destrucción y la muerte que traen consigo. Yo soy el que tiene que consolar a las madres y a las viudas de los muertos. Por supuesto, para nosotros esa sería la mejor solución. Además, nos ahorraría 50.000 millones de dólares” [”I don’t want war. I know what war is like. I know the death and destruction they bring. I am the one who has to comfort the mothers and wives of the dead. Of course, for us [a diplomatic solution] would be the best one. Also, it would save 50 billion dollars” — again, my emphasis and translation]”

Is that you Baxter? You know I don’t speak spanish

[MNJohnnie]

With the last appropriation bill its going to be over 600 billion.

Source for this claim please? Seems you are lumping in ALL the war appropriations and blaming it all on Iraq. That is intellectually dishonest.

[avacado]

"So he wanted us to let him go to another Muslim madhouse where WMDs could be manufactured for Terrorism. We were right to invade."

Actually Bush told him to leave and gave him a countdown. Saddam wasn't too thrilled with being told to leave and I think that is what made Saddam stay.

[Blue Turtle]

The US Military saved us 1 Billion dollars!

[Ancient Drive]

Well this proves there were WMDs in the works. Now who would have graciously moved and locked away that evidence? Syria or or Syria? Recently, nuclear materials were headed somewhere inside of Syria. bah we’ve become a bunch of wimps.

[SomeReasonableDude]

It’s hard to find accurate figures for obvious reasons - much of the budget is reappropriated down the line, part of emergency spending or classified.

From what I’ve read, the war cost somewhere between $3-7 billion. The occupation/counterinsurgency is pushing $166 billion in mostly supplemental appropriations, but that isn’t taking into account reconstruction costs.

Honestly, it’s a mess. I’ve tried to research a figure for myself, but it is an accounting nightmare.

[JerseyDvl]

Any person that has a problem with us NOT negotiating with terrorists, does not understand our policy in this regard.
WE DO NOT pay blood money to despots, murderers, and terrorists!
Doing so would not only set a horrible precedent but it would only embolden the other “evil” leaders that seek ill-gotten rewards.

[MNJohnnie]

And of course we only have THIS sources word on all this. Anyone think this is a serious credible source?

El Pais, a leading Spanish daily and a critic of the war, said the transcript of the conversation was prepared by Spain's ambassador to the United States, Javier Ruperez, who was at the meeting in Crawford. The newspaper did not say how it obtained the memo

Let see the memo may not exist, the memo may be being misquoted. The reporter may be cheery picking the facts and putting their own spin on it. The supposed claim may of been just a rumor. Saddam may of made the offer just as a delaying tactic etc etc etc etc

How many times are “conservatives” going to be suckered with these anonymous, unsourced claims by people with a transparent propaganda agenda? How many of these lies are “conservatives” going to buy into before they stop having this knee jerk faith in the Drive By media?

Let see, there was the “Bush is going wobbly on Iraq”, Bush is going to shut down Gitmo”, Downing Street Memo? Rathergate? The lies about Abu Grabe? The claims the US was “bogged won and cut off in Iraq” during the invasion. That US troops were unread to fight in Afghanistan? etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc

What is it going to take to get “conservative” to wake up to the fact that THESE people are your enemies. They are NOT to be trusted.Neither in what they claim nor in how they deliberately misquote their opponents to give the illusion of veracity.

[balch3]

this should be treated as enemy propoganda. During WWII those responsible would be in jail.

[Kevmo]

Interesting. BMFLR.