Intelligence examines cargo flight from Baghdad to Belarus (Saddam's SAFE HAVEN?)

No disrespect taken. Yes, he can pass for a Latin. I have never been in the DR; but in Mexico, a lot of the folks sport mustaches.

Also, we don't know his height. Most Latins are short. He always looked larger than what ever. These so called leaders around the world are given extra inches to make them appear "tall." They are either stood on a platform (out of sight), or are surrounded by people who are shorter than they are and lie about their height in print.

Most Latins are short? I think your confusing the Mayan ancestory of many Mexicans with other Latinos. The Mayans were short and stocky people. A Dominican friend of mine, who is a retired Colonel from the Dominican Police, is 6'7" and a dead ringer for Saddam. Seriously, though, I hope that there is some resolution to the issue of whether or not this maniac is alive or dead. I would like to see closure on this issue as well as bin Laden. May they rest in pieces.

Interesting and thoughtful analysis (post 40).

However, I thought at the time (and still think) that the public posturing and offer of a free ticket out of Iraq was merely to push Saddam's "macho button" and trick him into staying, until it was too late for him to get out. (We used to refer to such a tactic as using "child psychology" to outfox kids, or using "reverse psychology" to dupe adults.)

A gamble? Certainly, but perhaps with the odds calculated as 70-80% in our favor, that he would take the bait, and go for the "embattled, heroic Arab" option.

I personally believe we took him down with the second strike. Admittedly, up until the 2nd strike, I thought we had nailed him with the 1st strike, but why would we have made the 2nd strike, unless we had credible intelligence that A), Saddam was still alive and B) that he was spotted in the Mansour district.

I believe the Bush administration has had its sights focused on Saddam for a long time. Think back to the pre-9/11 days. Remember how there were "tinfoil hat" rumors circulating that we might be getting ready to move on Iraq? (I believe we were, but redirected toward Afghanistan after 9/11.) There was a huge massing & passing of equipment on Labor Day weekend (immediately prior to 9/11)--well, leave it at that. I didn't post concerning this massive movement at the time (under an earlier screen name), although it was tempting to do so. Freepers were already becoming concerned about "loose lips."

Admittedly, up until the 2nd strike, I thought we had nailed him with the 1st strike, but why would we have made the 2nd strike, unless we had credible intelligence that A), Saddam was still alive and B) that he was spotted in the Mansour district.

The "decapitation strikes" were for PR purposes only -- hence their obvious bogusness. If you go to the trouble of acquiring WMD, you make sure that it's credible that they will be used in event of a decapitation strike. If that were not the case the WMD would be worse than useless. Rather than increasing your security, the WMD would constitute a little sign on your forehead saying "Shoot me with a plain old bullet or blow me up with a JDAM and I'll never be able to to kill millions of your people again." Obviously that isn't how it works -- not for us, or Britain or France or China or Israel or Russia or France or Saddam. And Saddam's noncholance with respect to any purported US "decapititation strikes" was in evidence on April 9, when he gave his validectory speech after agreeing surrender terms with the Russian envoy. He was at more risk from a lone wolf Iraqi sniper in the generally well-disposed crowd than a US bomb attack, and he knew it.

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