Saddam Adviser Surrenders to U.S. Forces -German TV

Reuters ^ | 4-12-03

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Sat April 12, 2003 10:11 AM ET BERLIN (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, one of 55 people on America's most wanted list of Iraqi leaders, has surrendered to U.S. forces, German public TV station ZDF reported on Saturday. General Amer Hammoudi al-Saadi, who liaised with U.N. weapons inspectors before war broke out, gave himself up to U.S. forces in Baghdad on Saturday, ZDF said.

The station said one of its camera crews had accompanied al-Saadi at his request. His surrender would be the first from the group of 55 the United States wants pursued, killed or captured, ZDF said.

Al-Saadi told ZDF he did not know where Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was. He also insisted Iraq did not possess chemical or biological weapons and denied being a member of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party.

He told ZDF he had stayed at home even after U.S. forces arrived in Baghdad. He said he felt in no way guilty and had therefore voluntarily surrendered to U.S. forces.

The United States is planning to issue decks of playing cards to its troops depicting the 55 most wanted leadership figures. Al-Saadi, number 55, appears on the seven of diamonds card.

[mollynme]

He also insisted Iraq did not possess chemical or biological weapons and denied being a member of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party.

Doesn't sound like he plans on being any help.

[Support Free Republic]

Attention!

Our troops give so much of themselves, and we all benefit from their efforts.

The next time you look at your bank balance, why not find some way to take some money and put it towards supporting the members of our armed services in some way? Maybe find a family who has someone serving, and buy them dinner, or some groceries, or a gift for their children? Maybe find a way to contribute to a fund for the memory of any of those who have fallen? Our armed forces deserve our support in tangible ways.

[Grampa Dave]

Just load him up with Versed IV and Morphine IV and then ask him questions while he is being Video Taped.

[ex-Texan]

He will eventually talk. Maybe he will "escape" and be captured by the Mossad. Who knows ....?

[scooby321]

He will talk or face the Hang Man

[vbmoneyspender]

He'll be helpful. Apparently, he doesn't know it yet, but he has just joined the United States military's witness protection program. If he isn't helpful to us, all we have to do is kick him loose and the Shias that his regime repressed for 25 years will take care of him.

[anniegetyourgun]

These war criminals don't get off that easy.

[MEG33]

I believe he may reconsider.

[Zipporah]

..yeah he doesn't plan on being any help.. for IF he does he implicates himself... He feels NO guilt? Isn't that an intersting comment?

[piasa]

denied being a member of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. <

Yeah, right. That explains the Baath Party uniform.

[MizSterious]

"Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser, one of 55 people on America's most wanted list of Iraqi leaders, has surrendered to U.S. forces, German public TV station ZDF reported on Saturday."

Ping!

[Caipirabob]

If he's not cooperating the first thing you'll hear is about the capture of several high level Iraqi Baath party members due to the information provided by this dead man walking.

He will eventually see the light.

[rvoitier]

He's looking for a book/movie deal.

[maestro]

These guys a SO arrogant!!!!

He now expects to be part or leader in new Iraqi government!

Turn him into a 'statue'......memorial of SH criminal history!

[SandRat]

Al-Saadi told ZDF he did not know where Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was. He also insisted Iraq did not possess chemical or biological weapons and denied being a member of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party.

Yeah right!

Check out history records to find out that the Nazi's were saying the same thing some right through the end of the Nurenburg Trial.

Bottom line; this lame brain will spill his guts and admit to the truth to excape the hangman's noose.

[Cate]

I agree with you. This piece of dog stuff does know a great deal. He's trying to get the best possible outcome for himself. The best he should be hoping for right now is the continuation of possessing the body parts he uses to pee with.

[Sacajaweau]

That sounds like what someone would say to the press. Think of the Ministry of Info clips.

[Minty]

It looks like these criminals are working the frontline very good. To me it looks like they are somehow promoting the unrest, maybe by infiltrating certain sectors and inducing looting. To maybe get the chance to destroy documentation and evidence of their crimes. Doing that they have suceeded in dividing our forces that now have to be hunting them and controlling the people. That to me makes our troops more vulnerable even so does not give them victory they are still strong and very well disciplined. The thugs know they can not overcome, so they go for eroding the public image and they have to certain degree by promoting chaos and violence.

Now they show up and guess what, they are saying that there are no WOMD? Whom are they kidding? They are fighting the war in front of the cameras now, a la OJ Simpson for the Arab world.

At the end I still do not believe it will work for them. Our people have proved to be swift and desicive in their striking. I hope they deal with these thugs appropiately.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Saddam Hussein's science adviser surrenders, insists Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction
HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, April 12, 2003
©2003 Associated Press

URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/04/12/international1034EDT0522.DTL

(04-12) 07:34 PDT BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Saddam Hussein's science adviser surrendered to U.S. military authorities Saturday, insisting that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and the U.S.-led invasion was unjustified.

Lt. Gen. Amer al-Saadi arranged his surrender with the help of Germany's ZDF television network, which filmed him leaving his Baghdad villa with his German wife, Helga, and presenting himself to an American warrant officer, who escorted him away.

Al-Saadi told ZDF that he had no information of what happened to Saddam and repeated his assertion, made often in news conferences before the U.S.-led invasion, that Iraq was free of weapons of mass destruction.

In Doha, Qatar, the U.S. Central Command said it had no information on al-Saadi's reported surrender.

The elegant, British-educated al-Saadi is among 55 regime figures sought by the coalition.

He was among the key figures who worked with U.N. weapons inspectors and often spoke for the Iraqi government in news conferences between the resumption of inspectors in November and their end last month.