Quit Baghdad or war this week, Bush tells Saddam

The Sunday Times ^ | March 16, 2003 | Tony Allen-Mills and Jonathan Carr-Brown

[teletech]

I think if I had the UK/US forces at my doorstep and I were told to leave I WOULD LEAVE but my name isn't Saddam Insane. I bet he won't leave. There is a part of me that WANTS him to stay so we can try out all our new "toys" on him!

[KriegerGeist]

Draws a line in the sand and says: "If you cross this line in the sand you die!"

Takes one step back and draws another line and says: "OK, If you cross this line in the sand you die!"

Takes another step back and draws another line and says: "OK, If you cross this line in the sand you die!"

And yet another step back and draws another line: "OK, If you cross this line in the sand you die!"

One more step back and draws another line and says: "OK, this is the last line, and if you cross it you die!"

Yet another step back and another line drawn and says: "OK, this is the last of your last chances, so if you cross this line you die!"

And on it goes....

[thermodynamics]

LET"S GET IT ON!!!!

[AGreatPer]

Turkey, say goodbye to $16 billiion big ones.

Ships are now through the Suiez Canal.

And, I will will never forget my commander asking, "Are there anyone down range?". Ok, his English wan't great but I would follow him anywhere.

The talking heads should be interisting on TV tomorrow.

[rwfromkansas]

"Several states are believed to have offered Saddam possible refuge, including Belarus, Libya and Syria. Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, has indicated that Washington would be ready to allow Saddam to leave if it meant a genuine change of regime."

In other words, there actually has to be a new regime.....no sons, cousins, brothers of Saddam will be allowed to run a puppet regime.

[MississippiMan]

In an effort to curb international suspicion that the war is aimed at securing oil riches, Bush and Blair are expected to agree that the Iraqi oil industry's profits should go into a fund for the country's people.

We and the Brits and whoever else is with us should take the first profits off the top to recoup our costs. I'm sure that won't happen, but it certainly should.

MM

[rwfromkansas]

Bush has always said it had to be exile and true regime change though...no brothers, cousins, sons of Saddam etc.

[FBD]

"Let us hope Saddam has no classical education."

Saddam is a Cretin. One of his scientists,( Dr. Hamza ) wrote in "Saddam's Bombmaker" that Saddam once walked into his laboratory, and on the wall were pictures of famous scientists, including a very large Albert Einstein.
Who are these people? He demanded to know.

He is merely a brutal dictator with fairly keen survival instincts.

[rwfromkansas]

The meeting is only 60 minutes? Wow. It seems maybe something interesting will happen tomorrow....

[DannyTN]

"We will still need Mexican oil no matter what happens in Iraq. "

We need to end our dependance on oil, especially foriegn oil. Oil is fungible, so it really doesn't matter where we get it.

But there is just no sense in Mexico sitting on the sidelines in this thing. They should have been in their supporting what is right, instead of trying to cut a deal.

[section9]

In other words, there actually has to be a new regime.....no sons, cousins, brothers of Saddam will be allowed to run a puppet regime.

I don't think that that's in the cards.

The U.S. and the Brits have said privately that the result of Saddam's flight will be a "walk in" of American, Australian, and UK forces. There is no way we'll let someone connected with Saddam, Uday, and Qusay to take over. To do so would shroud Iraq's WMD program in continued mystery.

But Saddam will not flee. To do so would be against every shred of his tribal honor. To flee Baghdad in the face of an ultimatum from a Bush, not just the Old Man, but from Bush's boy, would be a disgrace beyond measure. He would become a laughingstock among Arab men, as would his progeny. For Hussein, it is better to die than to live in the twilight of his years in eternal disgrace, subject to the browbeating of the internal security apparatus of his "host" country.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[randita]

Clare Short, the international development secretary, was still considering whether to resign after Blair urged her to remain in her post and support the rebuilding of Iraq. An aide said she had been encouraged by America's new Middle East peace plan, which the prime minister helped to initiate.

I was puzzled at the timing of the Middle East comments Bush made the other day. The timing makes sense to me now if his intention was to give a fig leaf to some, like Clare Short, who have spoken rashly and hastily and now that reality has set in, probably rue their remarks.

[rwfromkansas]

Understandable.....that is why you should see posts 65 and 68.

[FBD]

"MOAB Bump

As in:

M.assive O.rdinance A.ir B.urst ?

[FBD]

"But Saddam will not flee. To do so would be against every shred of his tribal honor."

I respectfully disagree with you, Chris.
From everything I've read about him, Saddam is VERY afraid of dying. He is afraid of germs, and doesn't let people come near him, unless it's a photo op.

He knows what lies beyond the grave, for his crimes. A guy with all these look-alikes will find a place to hide. Probably Libya. But we shall see shortly, I guess.

FRegards

[lstanle]

"Does anyone here actually believe he will accept exile? "

I also think it is possible, especially if chirac had a heart to heart talk with his ole buddy and told him that he couldn't protect him any longer, and tell him just what is going to happen to him very soon if he doesn't get out of town.

[tomahawk]

France: You lose.
Germany: You lose.
Russia: You lose.

You are all losers. NO French oil companies in liberated Iraq. NO Russian oil companies in liberated Iraq. NO repayment of Saddam's debt to Russian.

Vlad Putin isn't that smart after all. He has chosen the losing side. Loser.

[SierraWasp]

"I'm sticking with my prediction for the onset of military action."

Anything less would be awfully anti-climactical... again! It's getting too close to "April Fools Day!"

Say! Wait a minute!!!

Does Dubya have as warped a sense of humor as I have? I know he's a poker player, but maybe he could offer a game of Dr. Pepper Poker to Saddam. You know... 10's, 2's and 4's are wild, right? (grin)

"Mr. Saddumb, you'd be a fool ta wait till April 1, this year!!!" "Remember what happened last time. There's no fool like an old fool," etc., etc. Or, "Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me! Hasta La Vista, Baby!"