(Senior) Officials: U.S. Talking Surrender With Iraqi Military Personnel

CNN.com ^ | March 12, 2003 11:46 AM | CNN Correspondant John King from the White House

[ewing]

Officials: United States talking surrender with Iraqi Military Personnel

Surrender Talks

United States officials said Wednesday that surrender negotiations have secretly begun with key Iraqi military officials in hopes that some military units will not fight United States and coalition forces if there is war.

The Pentagon is not handling these communications, officials said, but instead other elements of the United State government are handling them.

One senior official has said that some parts of the Iraqi military already may have agreed not to fight.

[Southack]

"They were supposed to be secret and CNN shouted it to the whole world? I wonder how long these military leaders have before Saddam starts sending his goons after them."

No, the *real* question is whether any of the so-called "peace" protesters will march against Hussein killing his own men!

[Humidston]

Agreed. I join you.

What if Bush hasn't used his threats of "bluster" to scare them into surrender without a shot fired. Talk about finesse!

[Uncle Kermie]

Secret no more!

[gulfcoast6]

Are those the white flags gotten on the 'flag drive'? I knew that they were asking the citizens to donate the white flags, regardless of how old they were.

[Dirk McQuickly]

The way things are going, it may as well be our surrender.

[savedbygrace]

When something works, I watch and try to emulate it closely...even if it's just in "lobbying" my husband to put the toilet seat back down and let me have the remote every now and then.

You pay him money under the table?

[anniegetyourgun]

Those who live by the sword.....

[Ditto]

And the reports of Iraq soldiers blending into the civilan populace taking off their uniforms would probably necessitate a lightening strike to Baghdad.

If you think about it, what's so important about Badhdad? It's just a big city. Why not just take over the rest of the country and cut Baghdad off. What are they going to do? Come out and fight us or sit there and starve? After a week or so, you would see white flags sprouting all over the city.

[ewing]

Indeed..

[ewing]

We will never surrender to the UN's wishes here.

The Brits have already reported that we would suspend ourselves from the body and have the UK exercise the Security Coucil veto for us.

[LaineyDee]

I would think there'd have to be special conditions for accepting surrenders in this war.... due to the fact that these people could infect themselves with a biological weapon, ie...ebola, smallpox, etc... before surrendering in the midst of our troops.

[Iscool]

Makes ya wonder what Saddam's Freeper name is....

[ewing]

The Baghdad airport is VERY important.

[ewing]

good point

[mattdono]

Rumsfeld's comments, at a Pentagon news conference broadcast into Iraq, marked the first official indication from the U.S. military that some Iraqi soldiers are cooperating in undermining Saddam

Psy-Ops...Perfect. Even if someone tells Saddam this is a pys-ops ploy, he won't be able to resist killing off any threats. That he thinks there are military leaders in his midst will drive him homicidal.

Of course, I doubt that any of these folks we might turn are part of his loyal forces, but part of his general army which he doesn't trust anyway. Either way, this is an interesting method.

[Ditto]

Good point. Take the airport. But there is no need to spill blood fighting door to door. The city itself really does not mean squat.

[1Old Pro]

Perhaps the elite Republican Guards have been busy preparing to roll out Red carpets at the airport for their eventual liberation. Perhaps only Saddam will be the odd man out.

[1Old Pro]

The report comes from US Officials. They know that Saddam watches CNN. Why not leak some propaganda to scare the beejeebus outta him...

If Saddam wants to get scared he should pop up www.freerepublic.com and understand our resolve to eliminate him and free the people of Iraq.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

PSYOPS, if effective, will be the biggest winner in this war.

I hope the psyops boys can convince to Iraqi military leaders to watch the war on the satellite dish and not get involved.