Saddam agrees to send top aide to discuss possible exile

World Tribune ^ | 1/14/2003 | World Tribune Staff

[ex-Texan]

Saddam agrees to send top aide to discuss possible exile

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM

CAIRO — Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has for the first time signaled openness to an Arab plan for his exile in an effort to prevent a U.S.-led war against Iraq.

Arab diplomatic sources said Saddam has agreed to send a senior aide to discuss "personal issues." The sources said the aide could arrive in Cairo over the weekend for talks on a plan to organize asylum in a Middle East country.

On Monday, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said Saddam would never leave Iraq

Saddam's envoy was identified as Ali Hassan Al Majid, a senior member of the Iraqi Revolutionary Council. Majid, known as "Chemical Ali," has been accused of ordering Iraqi chemical weapons attacks on Kurds in northern Iraq in the 1980s, Middle East Newsline reported.

The sources said Saddam has not accepted the Arab plan, promoted by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. But they said the Iraqi president has agreed to explore the prospect that he, his family and aides would find safe haven in an Arab capital along with Western guarantees that he would not be prosecuted by any foreign government or international court.

On Tuesday, the London-based A-Sharq Al Awsat reported that Saddam plans to send a message through Al Majid that the Iraqi president would not consider any plan for exile. The newspaper quoted an Iraqi official as saying that Al Majid's visit is meant to update Mubarak on the situation in Iraq and the activities of United Nations weapons inspectors.

"Saddam Hussein will never leave his country, but will stay there until the last Iraqi shot is fired," Aziz told the London-based British Broadcasting Corp. "The danger will be greater for Iraq if the president leaves."

But the sources said Saddam agreed that Al Majid would discuss what they termed "personal issues" with his Egyptian hosts. The sources said Al Majid, Saddam's cousin, was chosen over Iraq's prime minister or foreign minister.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who said any exile plan must be approved by the United States, is expected to meet Al Majid. Diplomatic sources said this will be the first high-level contact between Baghdad and Cairo since the visit by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri to Egypt in November.

[ex-Texan]

Breaking News on World Tribune a few minutes ago ... Drudge has headlines up ... More disinformation? Perhaps but Blix is changing his tune and nows says Saddam has to do some serious 'splaining.

[Redleg Duke]

Yeah! Right! The only folks believing this are whistling in the dark while walking past the graveyard!

[Semper Paratus]

Sadaam may try to put in a trusted crony to run Iraq while he takes a powder "to save his country from suffering".

In about 6 months the Sadaameister will return.

[Howlin]

He would never even consider this, IMO.

[demlosers]

A total change of government is needed. Keeping the same terror apparatus won't do.

[justshe]

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[dfwgator]

As Tom (of Tom and Jerry) would say, "Don't You Believe It!!"

[Dog Gone]

World Tribune "Take it with a boulder of salt" Alert.

[SwinneySwitch]

Sadamn will never go into exile. He'll try to fight 'till the last Iraqi is dead! He is like Hitler, if they lose, it's the peoples fault; not his!

[Mr. Mojo]

"Take it with a boulder of salt" Alert.

Exactly....The World Tribune makes Newsmax, WND, and Debka look like reliable sources.

[FreeAtlanta]

This would kill the left wingers who want Bush to be a war monger. Bush said he wants regime change. If Saddam and gang go into excile, he has achieved it without a shot! That would be pretty cool, and another slap in the face of the hate America's strength crowd.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

It really irritates me the way the news reports on these anti-war rallies. CNN Headline News, in particular, kept showing the big sign with a drawing of President Bush and the words 'War Monger' underneath it. Don't they realize we have not declared war on Iraq? And that our President is doing everything possible to give Saddam the chance to avoid war? Either they don't realize it or it bursts their little protest bubble, so they choose to ignore that.

And I realize I'm only the ten millionth person to ask this, but where the heck were they during Clinton's little wars? Maybe they should hold up signs saying 'War is not the answer as long as the guy in charge has anything but a (D) after his name'.

[arthur003]

Saddam will leave very soon. There is no way he will relinquish ,his stolen multi-billions, his broads and his booze. Watch he will say chicken soon.

[ChemistCat]

I'm hoping you're right.

I think though if he was free of the burden of government (she says sardonically) his terrorist activities will become more overt, not less.

[johnb838]

Agreed. Middle-easterners are weenies. He'll talk tough but he'll catch the last plane out of town. The Aziz comments are worthless -- we've been down this road enough times already.

If it were'nt for the oil this would be about like taking down Noriega was. In fact I was kinda hoping Noriega and Saddam could be roomates.

[princess leah]

We need to get a "taste tester" in for 'ol Saddam and be willing to take a hit for the good of the country...someone who is dying from an incurable disease and would want $1 million in a swiss bank account for relatives to remember him/her by and then put Ricin in his food and say it was fine and then give it to him before kicking off! No EXILE, just EXIT!

[Domestic Church]

Saddam's envoy was identified as Ali Hassan Al Majid, a senior member of the Iraqi Revolutionary Council. Majid, known as "Chemical Ali"

This leads me to wonder if Saddam is doing this as a ruse for other personal issues/threats against Egypt.

[tessalu]

Who knows what is really true? But from all that I see, it is time for Saddam to tuck tail and run.

[Stefan Stackhouse]

This is what I thought would happen. Within two weeks he'll be living the good life in a villa somewhere, and the world will breath a collective sigh of relief.

And all because we have a President who really knows how to make a truly credible threat.