Saddam 'will fall in 15 days'

Sapa-AFP/News 24 (So. Africa) ^ | 03-30-03

[veronica]

Berlin - The Iraqi regime will fall within the next two weeks, a former aide to President Saddam Hussein, who claims to be in daily contact with senior Iraqi officials, told the German weekly Bild am Sonntag.

"I'm convinced that the regime will fall within the next 15 days," said Hatiham Rashid Wihaib on the 11th day of the US-led war against Iraq.

"Saddam knows that it is only a question of time. That's why he has prepared an exile in luxury," Wihaib added.

The paper did not say where Saddam's exile would be.

Wihaib, Saddam's former protocol chief, who is now 52, settled in London in 1995, according to Bild am Sonntag.

"Saddam Hussein wants to meet up with his family as soon as Baghdad has fallen," he said. "If that's no longer possible, he asked his body guards to shoot him because he does not want to be arrested alive under any circumstances."

The Iraqi leader has said that he wanted to die in his country. - Sapa-AFP

[Libloather]

Vegas odds are now at 5 to 8...

[EggsAckley]

Maybe we'll get lucky and the body guards will shoot him BEFORE the war is over.

[Mister Baredog]

The Iraqi leader has said that he wanted to die in his country

I think he already did!!!

[dawn53]

LOL!

[BunnySlippers]

•

[ReleaseTheHounds]

According to Rummy, "he's not moving much anymore."

If he is alive, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he pursues the exile option -- but it is probably too late, and any hope of avoiding war crimes has probably also gone "out the window." I hope we learn that the first bombing assault did it.

[tirednvirginia]

Maybe his bodyguard already did shoot him. He now appears to be guarding the defense minister instead of Saddam.

[The Great Satan]

"Saddam knows that it is only a question of time. That's why he has prepared an exile in luxury," Wihaib added.

Again, this is the report of one defector, so it may not amount to much. But it's not the first report that Saddam has made financial preparations for exile, nor is there anything a priori far-fetched about the idea. If this is true, then it could explain Bush's willingness to up the ante to a shooting war. And, we still have the safety valve of Putin calling for a "negotiated solution" (possible evidence of a "deeper game" with the Russians). Of course, if we do see Saddam taking exile in the end game -- and I think there have been plenty of signs over the last 18 months that that is our goal -- then that by itself would explain the administration's soft-pedalling of the 9-11 link, the whole Hatfill charade, not to mention the blatant hokiness of the "assassination attempt" that opened hostilities. Once the ambiguity is disambiguated, the exile gambit is off the table -- or at least could only be pursued at the cost of humiliating the United States. And, if there's no exile option, the chances of an ending to this thing which does not involve use of WMD on allied civilians are not good -- not good at all.

[paolop]

I believe that he's dead. Did anyone see the Iraqi ambassador to the UN today on TV? Through all the huff and puff, I believe that he believes (or knows) that Sadam is DEAD.

Just thoughts from a
Former Linguistic analyst

[sam_paine]

I wanna see him take that "waiting airplane" I keep hearing about. Aerial target will be much easier to ID and track.

[SamAdams76]

Saddam is even more nuts than I thought he was if he thinks he can escape Baghdad at the last minute and go into exile like he was the Shah of Iran or something. He is now a war criminal on the par of Adolph Hitler and we will find him wherever he goes. He's doomed.

[mware]

Didn't you just love that comment from Rummy.

He has a interesting sense of humor.

[TRY ONE]

"....he asked his body guards to shoot him...."

Nay, let's just use the wood chipper (feet first so we can hear his screams).........

[ALS]

His family is in hell, let's hope he meets up soon.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

I'm waiting for some Special Ops guy to get a confirmed location so that we can finally see one of these MOABs being called in to action. Give Saddam another "headache."

[oceanview]

well that part is true, he would need a negotiated cease fire to be able to safely leave the country, as opposed to some panic trip into Syria or Iran.

but also consider the flip side: if he is alive, do you really think he is just sitting in a bunker waiting to die? or do you think he still has an ace up his sleeve yet to play?

as a side note, has anyone heard whether we have bombed the baghdad airport? i have never heard whether that airport is destroyed? if we left it intact, that would tell me something.

[Walkin Man]

If Saddamed is not already taking a dirt nap his terrorized former subjects need to do a "Mussolini" on him and his henchmen.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Yeah... Rummy really is a great interview, especially when he feels comfortable like he does with Brit and Tony. The Bush foreign policy team has been really impressive, especially given all the challenges and the media pressure they've been under. Imagine the Clintonoids (Albright, Sandy Berger, Gore, Cohen) handling anything like this set of challenges -- yikes, it sends chills down my spine!

[The Great Satan]

as a side note, has anyone heard whether we have bombed the baghdad airport? i have never heard whether that airport is destroyed? if we left it intact, that would tell me something.

Interesting question. I would think, since we own the skies, that there wouldn't be that much mileage in bombing the airport, anyway. We are going to need it later on, regardless of Saddam's fate.