(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.

[PISANO]

We are living in the "looking glass world of wonderland' where is....... isn't is...... and miliary forces surrender before they are attacked. Where the ONLY superpower in the WORLD requests permission from Angola and Camaroon to protect it's people from further terrorists' attacks.

When a MILITARY response, to articles of surrender that are VIOLATED for straight 12 years, is considered a PREEMPTIVE ATTACK. Where the slogans "JUST GIVE PEACE A CHANCE" and "GW's RUSH TO WAR" are spewed, IGNORING the FACT that those same articles of surrender have been VIOLATED for 12 years with NOTHING BEING DONE.

If all of this was NOT so DAMN GRAVE, it would be laughable.

[LurkedLongEnough]

An Air France jet filled with French military and several thousand white flags took off this morning bound for Baghdad..

Let's hope they were white straitjackets, not just flags.

[Mark17]

I'm guessing he pulled back 65,000 troops in two concentric rings for a siege of Baghdad.

But, aren't fortified positions, with no air cover, about the most useless things around? I think if it comes down to that, artillery and air strikes with pulverize them. Maybe it won't come down to that.

[ewing]

True, all they could really do is maybe set the trenches afire.

[January24th]

Perhaps the Iraqis are even closer to the French than previously imagined...

Actually, they're smarter. They understand that they aren't equipped to fight a superior force and don't wish for any unnecessary bloodshed, just like the U.S.
Howevery, the French know that we could win a war against Iraq quickly and with minimal cost in human lives, but are still afraid to engage because of what it might cost them.

The Iraqis know they're saddled with an idiot madman for their leader.
The French don't.

[ewing]

This is really a 21st Century situation, an Army surrendering before the fight and its not the French!

[isthisnickcool]

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

But Bush is STOOPID!!!!!!!

Signed

Ann Richards, Texas Dems., Al Gore, Joe Lieberman. The list goes on and on. It is too long to type.

[Semper Paratus]

If Saddam wants to get scared he should pop up www.freerepublic.com

SH_Tikrit, signed up 3/12/03

[Green]

Actually, Ann Richards is on record saying not to underestimate George Bush like she did when she was running against him for governor of Texas so I really doubt she can be included in the group that considers him stupid today.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

even if it's just in "lobbying" my husband to put the toilet seat back down

You might as well start practicing peeing standing up.

[1Old Pro]

I think Klintoon is a disrupter as well.

[stanz]

I think there is entirely too much talk going across the wires over our strategy and supposed Iraqi/middle eastern reaction. Why can't things be discreetly done?

[isthisnickcool]

Actually, Ann Richards is on record saying not to underestimate George Bush....

Yes, I know "Ma Richards" said that. But she pretty much started the "Bush is stupid" garbage so she stays on my list. Because she was the first one he outsmarted that said that.

[Domestic Church]

"...infect themselves with a biological weapon, ie...ebola, smallpox, etc... before surrendering..."

And considering some have already tried to surrender and came in contact with our troops, this is a very good point. We know Saddam would do this sort of thing from his past tactics.

There has to be a quarantine strategy for the battle operations.

[AMDG]

Hummis Eating Surrender Camels

[DoughtyOne]

I have no doubt that this is going on, but it grates me to see it reported in public.

[Recovering_Democrat]

I HOPE part of the demands of capitulation are for the surrendering parties to bring forth documentation of French/German participation in Iraqi non-compliance with U.N. resolutions.

[pepsionice]

My guess is that the story is bogus...but it will reach Saddam who will want to bring in the commanders and kill a couple to make examples for the troops. I doubt that the commanders will want to present themselves for any of Saddams meetings. They know what the dimwit will do. We may see entire units that simply refuse orders and stand down in the next week or two on their own. This would really put Saddam, and the French into a bad position. The French and Germans may see the entire war slide away and never have a single bomb dropped.

[hispanarepublicana]

You pay him money under the table?

No. Better.

[mikhailovich]

I've thought for a long time the Iraqi people don't appear to be a fighting breed. Among the Middle East they appear to me somewhat docile, gentle, and non-confrontational.

If the US goes to war, I expect an even larger-scale Iraqi surrender than during the Gulf War.