Iraqi 'secret surrender' negotiations under way

CNN ^ | Thursday, March 13, 2003 | Barbara Starr

[ACHerbst]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials told CNN Wednesday that "secret surrender" negotiations have begun with key Iraqi military officials in hopes some military units will not fight U.S. and coalition forces should there be a war.

Communications with these Iraqi military officials are not being handled by the Pentagon, but instead by other "elements" of the U.S. government, the officials said.

[alloysteel]

This development could clearly change the progress of the occupation of the territory of Iraq. Now if only the elite Republican Guard would take the deal....

They have seen the tape of the 21,000-pound MOAB which was detonated at Eglin AFB a couple days ago. Great device for attitude adjustment.

[Hodar]

U.S. officials told CNN Wednesday that "secret surrender" negotiations have begun with key Iraqi military officials in hopes some military units will not fight U.S. and coalition forces should there be a war.

I wonder, if this headline is true; how many US fighting men will now die in unneccessary battled. Now that Saddam has this 'evidence' people of questionable loyalty will be killed, and replaced with more loyal troops. Now, battles that need not have been fought, may indeed result in our troops dying.

There was a time when the charge of 'treason' meant something, when publically releasing 'Secret' material carried a penalty.

[alloysteel]

Look at the other side of the coin. Saddam becomes suspicious of ALL his field commanders, whether they would remain loyal to him or not, and has them all executed. Adolf Hitler recalled Field Marshal Rommel from the west of France at just about the time of the D-Day landing, depriving the Nazis of their very best military mind, and gave him the "opportunity" to preserve his honor, by self-immolation. This may have tipped the balance just slightly in favor of the success of the Normandy invasion.

With nothing to lose, once Saddam has left the area, surrender is much easier for the successors to the now-executed commanders.

[JoeMerchant]

My first post here (though I have been lurking daily for over four years!!)

After reading everything that has come out in the last weeks regarding news from the Iraqi front and the whirlwind of nonsense coming from the UN, I think the information in this article is true, points to what may happen, and explains a great deal of the diplomacy going on.

From many sources, the Pentagon viewed the success seen in Afgahnistan as largely a result of CIA SOG teams and military special forces teams coordinating efforts on the ground long before war broke out. They have clearly said that those efforts would serve as a model for Iraq.

Next, we get reports of the psy-ops going on in Iraq. Leaflet drops, radio broadcasts, e-mails, phone calls, etc.

Finally, we start getting recent reports of preparations for troop surrenders and defections (and even thoughts of a military coup in one article today). Rumsfeld even mentioned "secret talks" of such in a recent press conference.

If tens of thousands of Iraqi troops surrendered quickly, it may actually be difficult to deal with. But if these same troops would assist us in their own liberation, we kill many birds with one stone. No huge POW issue. Much less fear of Chem/Bio attack. Info on locations of munitions/leaders/WMD/SH/etc. Lower casualties. No UN condemnation for being the aggressor (suck on that Kofi).

So, given this possibility, GWB wouldn't care much about the 18th resolution, or 6 part tests for Sadam, or a Turkish northern front (other to keep the Turks and Kurds from going at it), or the opinions of France, Russia, Germany or China. Really, all GWB cares about is the date that the CIA/SF boys on the inside think they will reach critical mass for turning the tide against SH. If the CIA boys say March 17th, we go then. The rest of this is just a show to provide cover and buy time.

Just a thought.

JM

[null and void]

I wonder, if this headline is true; how many US fighting men will now die in unneccessary battle.

I wonder how many loyal Iraqi generals will be killed because Saddam now thinks he can't trust them...

[null and void]

I'm looking forward to more posts from you in the future.

Welcome to the light...

[Hodar]

Nice post. And very well thought out. For a lurker, you nailed this one pretty good. It's hard to say what is 'Disinformation' and what is leaked 'Secret'. If the press were responsible, they would spread neither (unless instructed to, by the military corps).

From my view, seeing G. Riveria greeting troops coming ashore in Haiti (with full lighting, and fanfare)was a treasonous outrage. If there were an attack, the press not only would have alerted the enemy to when and where, they provided the courtesty of lighting the battlefield for them. A couple of inexpensive mortar shells would have killed and wounded dozens if not hundreds of America's finest. I don't want a repeat of that garbage. The USA was lucky no one was killed that day, no thanks to the press.

[chance33_98]

Maybe they got the french flu.

[Daus]

Enter the guys with the suitcases of cash.....

[wadecollins]

PSYSOP

[max61]

Why would anyone believe anything that is broadcast on CNN?.

---max

[TheRightGuy]

Good analysis.

[cajungirl]

Interesting. Bush may be waiting for Osama's capture and the surrender of the Iraqis without a single soldier firing a weapon. Now would that make Freepers happy? Or would grumbles still be going on?

[eddiespaghetti]

Adolf Hitler recalled Field Marshal Rommel from the west of France at just about the time of the D-Day landing, depriving the Nazis of their very best military mind, and gave him the "opportunity" to preserve his honor, by self-immolation.

IIRC, Rommel lingered in Germany during the first week of June, 1944, to be with his wife on her birthday.

Months later, he was implicated in the August '44 plot to kill Hitler, and was offered the option of shooting himself to spare having his family punished with him.

[JoeMerchant]

For the most part, I agree. I believe little CNN says.

However, I have been thinking alot about this whole "embedded" press corps thing. The pentagon says publically that it is all about the military making cozy with the press and letting by gones be by gones. I'm starting to think that stories like this one, and all of the images and stories to be put out by the press during the war are the result of a very shrewd play by GWB and Co. to orchestrate the flooding of the world media with images of what happens to those that threaten the US. Project power... sure. Project power accross the globe on TV... better.

In this story and ones like it, I think the info is leaked and Rummy makes comments to send a message to Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, N. Korea... countries with vast groups of people not too thrilled with their leadership. Perhaps a new version of the domino theory. Seems Iran is pretty close to going over right now.

JM

[WVNan]

Well for cryin' out loud, where have ye been? We've been waitin' here for four years for you to finally post something. All I can say is, "It's about time"!

[eureka!]

Excellent "thoughts" and welcome aboard to FreeRepublic. Yes, there is much going on--especially on the psyops front-- that dribbles out intentionally. Likewise, in the generic "War on Terror", much is happening that we do not see, as W told us it would.

As to Iraq, it will be very interesting to see how it plays out in the end. It will not, IMHO, be 1991 again though. Then, Saddam had deluded his military into believing that the Mother of All Battles would be fought and the heathens of the west would fail. They did not, in a big way. The leaders and the men in the field know what they are up against and know that resistance will prove futile. I would think that many know about MOAB most recently, and the "genius bombs", JDAMs etc. that we have (factoid: in 1991, 9% of our bombs were guided. 2003: 70% are. I'll let the Iraqi generals do the math).

On the political/home front, I too sense W and the grownups working hard to share our might with the American people and the world. Presstitutes will be on the ground with troops, videos of our brave troops in action will be shown and, ultimately, good will triumph over evil.

Gone are the Clinton days of talk and show. A very strong message will be sent to the world in the coming weeks......

[stig]

Interesting. Bush may be waiting for Osama's capture and the surrender of the Iraqis without a single soldier firing a weapon. Now would that make Freepers happy? Or would grumbles still be going on?

That would make them happy, remember surrender means the US will have to occupy Iraq to guarentee law and order until a government can be formed. The troops would still have to go in to secure the stock piles of chemical and biological weapons.
If the US could pull off occupation without firing a shot that would be one of the most brilliant uses of military force ever.