Saddam has 3 hours to live once war begins

U.S. Special Forces have been inside Iraq for months and plan to capture or kill Iraqi President Saddam Hussein within three hours of an assault on Baghdad.

Undercover U.S. agents, CIA operatives and Special Forces teams are already in place in and around the Iraqi capital, reports the Sydney Daily Telegraph.

A government source in a pro-U.S. Middle Eastern country told the paper the plan to ''take out Saddam'' is designed to minimize infrastructure damage, increase the likelihood of Iraqi forces surrendering and save billions of dollars by avoiding a lengthy campaign.

- Ordered members of his depleted air force to form a ''kamikaze'' suicide unit which will pilot Iraqi fighter jets Sept.-11-style into enemy targets;

- Added two new units to his forces – the Fidayee Saddam Army and the Special Protection Army. They join the regular army, the Republican Guard, the Special Republican Guard and the Alquds Liberation Army;

- Sent senior officers of his Special Republican Guard to monitor the regular army for any sign of revolt;

- Ordered the arrest of key officers in the air force suspected of treachery. They have been sent to the notorious Abu Graib Prison in Baghdad. Three air force officers – two captains and a lieutenant – who refused to join the kamikaze units were shot last week during the traditional Al Adha feast;

- Established a bio-chemical weapons training base at Al Naserieya, in southern Iraq for use as a last resort against coalition troops; and

- Drew up plans for a scorched earth policy involving the destruction of dams, bridges and oil wells.

Much of the insight into Saddam's plans comes from a former senior officer in an elite Iraqi Army unit who led an uprising against Saddam during the last Gulf War, Captain William Warda, who was granted political asylum in Australia by U.N. edict.

Speaking yesterday, Captain Warda, who is now a senior official in the Iraqi Military Council, said the council was using a complex web of agents inside Saddam's regime to monitor the dictator and his military plans.

''We have received this information from agents still inside Iraq and others who have escaped through Jordan,'' he told The Daily Telegraph.

Saddam is so distrustful of his regular army he has starved it of resources, supplying only minimal stores of ammunition, fuel and food.

Saddam has created a Special Protection Army to protect him from assassination. It is made up of his closest allies, including relatives, tribal loyalists from his birthplace of Tikrit and criminals who face jail should Saddam be toppled. Numbering several hundred, this unit will fight to the death.

The Fidayee Army was formed by Saddam's son Qusay to crush any signs of revolt. The Alquds Liberation Army is made up of retired army officers and Arabs from outside Iraq who have volunteered to fight the ''infidels''.

There has been speculation that a war against Iraq could be all but over within 48 hours, but that hinges on a swift operation to eliminate Saddam.

"Well one would hope that they bugged Dan Rather's entourage and have a good fix on Mr Hussein as we speak."

Interesting thought, and it got Me to thinking.

I do not like Dan Rather, his liberal bias has always been obvious to Me, but You might have something there.

Right after 9-11, I remember him making television appearances, and I believe I saw Him on Oreilly. He was very patriotic at the time, and I remember Him saying something to the effect of "if I can help, sign Me up" (speaking of the horrors of the terrorist attacks, and He would do anything for His country)
Anybody else remember this?
Plus, I bet He had a real change of heart concerning national security, after He was personally targeted, via anthrax.

and wouldnt it be just like our zen-master, aka President Bush, to sieze that opportunity? after all, no way in hell saddam would be very suspiscious of Rather, nor would Any of Us for that matter.

As far as the Iraqi's checking Dan and His crew for electronics, I am sure Our military has technology We, as of yet, have no idea about. Say, surgically implanted gps systems, or something like that? An undetectable way of finding the location of saddam, which is no doubt where He will stay, I doubt He is moving around much.

Again, I am no fan of Rather's, but if Dan was offered to help out his country in this way, He would probably do it, if for nothing else, His ratings, book sales, etc.. would skyrocket...and, like all liberals, He would forget his convictions for cash. Or maybe He would do it, once learning of evidence that saddam was linked to the anthrax attacks, which I would not be surprised if the administration knows Who did them, but can't reveal the info, for security reasons. (which I have NO problem with)

Just a thought...maybe a far fetched one, but I have learned to NEVER underestimate the cunning of our great President.

I believe You are right about that, I believe He did say that, or something similar.
But I also believe that was before His personal anthrax letter.
That could even make Dan Rather re-think that position.
Or maybe not...Im not saying I am sure He would help out His country, but I do believe it would benefit Him financially, and since He is a liberal, that always trumps thier beliefs.

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