CIA abandons defection lure for Iraqi leaders

Ananova ^ | 16:22 Monday 31st March 2003 | AP?

[Smogger]

The CIA has stopped trying to persuade Iraqi generals and political leaders to defect after underestimating their "hatred" of America.

A three-month campaign using telephone calls, e-mails and face-to-face appeals has failed to convince any help overthrow Saddam Hussein.

"We misjudged their tenacity," an American intelligence official has told USA Today.

"These guys are driven by a hatred of the US that we may have underestimated."

Potential defectors were promised asylum, money and a position in a post-war Iraqi government.

Some refused to desert until Saddam was captured or killed because they feared retribution.

Others resisted changing sides because they had been rewarded for their loyalty to the regime with promotions, houses and cars.

Iraqi Major General Ali Musa Ramadan said: "Iraqi people are ready to fight. We are ready to defend President Saddam Hussein."

He and his colleagues "laugh and hang up" on Iraqi opposition leaders when they made the offers, he said.

[Cyber Liberty]

Oh well, what are ya gonna do when they laugh at your fair warnings.

Laugh it up, guys.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Again - you aid and abet the aiders and abettors. Not that you are part of the enemy. Who would think it. CIA is going to tell what their strategies are? Only Hitlery's hidden STalinists would do such.

[smith288]

Is this the Enquirer?

[longtermmemmory]

The CIA and the Military need to learn, the moslem's use surrender talks as a trick to buy time and gain information. They never had any intention of surrendering.

Time to start carpet bombing.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

He and his colleagues "laugh and hang up" on Iraqi opposition leaders when they made the offers, he said.

Ha, ha, ha, who's got the last laugh now? You didn't like our generous offer, so die, like the rats you are!

[OldFriend]

Who wrote this Peter Arnett?

[C210N]

Assuming this were true...

... all it would take is for one Saddamite to place a phone call to an Iraqi leader, identifying himself as an American CIA-type, with an offer for . Any slightest hint of interest from the Iraqi leader, he gets killed. This news travels around Baghdad. Problem solved for the Iraqis.

[guitfiddlist]

Good. Wipe'em out. I never did like the idea of them getting away with all their murderous acts, while their conscripts died for their sins. They will find that they have underestimated OUR hatred of THEM in particular.

May the aim of our undercover SOF be true....

[Smogger]

Would you folks stop smoking crack, this is being widely reported. The article is from Gennett News Service. Your really starting to piss me off Freedom'sWorthIt.

http://www.online.ie/news/viewer.adp?article=1981929

http://breaking.examiner.ie/2003/03/31/story93766.html

http://www.qctimes.com/internal.php?story_id=1010134&l=1&t=Nation+%2F+World&c=26,1010134

[finnman69]

So the Iraqi generals turn down offers of women, liquor, cash, protection and defection? Then tough crap for them. They are dead men.

[Smogger]

Who wrote this Peter Arnett?

No Gannet News Service moron.

[Illbay]

ANANOVA, eh?

Last week, they reported that the U.S. was going to "pull back" because of the war plan's "failure."

[Smogger]

ANANOVA, eh?

This is from a wire service.

[Cyber Liberty]

Fer sure.

I just think the bozo who made the comment is soon going to be laughing from previously impossible body locations.

[Poohbah]

The CIA has stopped trying to persuade Iraqi generals and political leaders to defect after underestimating their "hatred" of America.

Guess again, guys: it clearly said "Offer expires 3/31/03, void where taxed or prohbited."

[smith288]

im pissing you off? Big talk over the internet... *sigh*.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

This is the same story (almost word for word) in all these sources. I don't smoke crack, I don't smoke - period, and I don't care if it bothers you that others challenge the stories you choose to post. I have no idea who you are and I have no idea who wrote this story (could not find the name of the reporter, could you?) which was picked up by all the linked News sites you have given.

The point is this. The story is heavily slanted with Iraqi propaganda techniques. If you cannot see that, you have not been reading the reports.

I could rewrite this story in a non-biased but still truthful way (if this is the truth) and prove to you the biased writing you continue to post.

And you are not the first "poster" I have mentioned objecting to the sources of reports.

Ask my friend JH2 about this very fact.

You have a "right" to post from wherever you want to post from. I have a right to not like your sources.

[malakhi]

Would you folks stop smoking crack, this is being widely reported. The article is from Gennett News Service.

Then why not source it through Gannett News Service rather than the questionable Ananova?

[JennysCool]

Sorry Smog, Freedom is right. The CIA just isn't in the habit of confiding policy statements to reporters, no matter how many outlets report the story. Those who talk don't know; and those who know aren't talking.

Think about it rationally: would you jeopardize your career, perhaps your life, for the pure thrill of blabbing to a nosy reporter?