Posted on 03/03/2005 2:29:47 PM PST by nickcarraway
Wed Mar 2, 5:40 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The eldest son of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) was plotting to overthrow his father just as US troops advanced on Baghdad in March 2003, journalist Peter Arnett claimed in Playboy Magazine.
Uday Hussein, known for his ruthlessness and flashy lifestyle, had won the support of the leadership of his father's Fedayeen militia to overthrow Saddam's 35-year rule, according to an advance copy of the April edition of Playboy obtained by AFP.
The controversial reporter, who was fired by the US NBC television network in 2003 after suggesting that the US war plan in Iraq (news - web sites) had failed, made the claim following an 18-month investigation in which he says he gained access to Uday Hussein's inner circle.
The article cited a letter from Saddam Fedayeen commander General Maki Humudat, dated March 26, 2003, in which he swore allegiance to a new Iraqi government under the control of Fedayeen chief Uday Hussein.
"According to your direction and command to form a new government under the leadership of your Excellency (Uday), we have informed all the senior officers of the Saddam Fedayeen of your desire to appoint them as your candidates for office in your government," the letter said.
Uday had planned to announce his seizure of the crumbling reins of power later the same day, but was thwarted when US jets bombed his Youth TV studios in Baghdad, according to Arnett.
The ambitious heir had even formed a shadow government on the outskirts of Iraq's capital, Baghdad that was disguised under the cover of his powerful Olympic committee and funded by murky oil deals, he said.
According to Arnett, the oldest son of the Iraqi dictator had long been chafing under his father's iron fisted rule and blamed his father for the punishing international sanctions on the country.
"Though it has not been reported until now, Uday Hussein was the biggest proponent of regime change inside Iraq," Arnett wrote.
"During the previous 10 years, he had slowly assembled the elements of power -- military, military and political management -- designed to overthrow his tyrannical father," said the reporter who was in Baghdad as US troops approached following the launch of the March 19, 2003 US-led attack.
But, according to the journalist, Uday's coup plan came too late as US-led forces were just days away from the Iraqi capital.
He and his younger brother, Qusay, were forced to flee Baghdad along with their father as the Baath party military machine collapsed ahead of the US seizure of the city in early April.
Uday and Qusay were killed in a blistering battle in the northern city of Mosul on July 22, 2003, while Saddam Hussein was captured alive in his home town of Tikrit in December of that year.
Arnett, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his Vietnam War reporting and covered the 1991 Persian Gulf War (news - web sites) for CNN from Baghdad, was fired from NBC at the end of March 2003 after granting a disputed interview to Iraqi state television.
In that interview just days before Baghdad fell, he said the US war plan was failing. "Clearly, the American war planners misjudged the determination of the Iraqi forces," he said.
This is so patently ridiculous what could possibly be the point of it.
More crap from Arnett. This is just made up so that those that hate America, opposed the war, and the resulting purple fingers from the election, can now claim they were still right. This is about as credible as his Tailwind story.
Where is Dan RATher for breaking story? Maybe Whorealdo can tell us. Yawn!
Is Uday the really, extremely ugly corpse, or just the average ugly corpse? Never could tell those boys apart, but the Devil likely has them sorted out by now.
So? Arnett is a commie and Playboy can't sell many mags..made for each other
So, according to Peter Arnett, Uday had to destroy the regime in order to save it.
This is supposed to be news?
And no doubt he had plans to have immediate, open, democratic elections. /sarcasm
Well that must suck! We did it for him and then killed him and his brother. /sarcasm
Arnet Artoo Arnet Artoo Arnet, Arnot. Arsnot,!!! How convenient everybody's dead. What a (to quote O'donnel) "A Liar "
To bad we blew the littl F#$% to smithereeens.
Arnett's half right - with all the pressure we were bringing to bear against Iraq, a coup was not unlikely to be in the works. Uday had to be sick of being shunted to run the Iraqi Olympic Committee, and porblably saw Iraq like a 16-year-old sees his dad's car.
But, as many people have already observed here, replacing Saddam would not be enough. Some of what we have heard about Uday makes Saddam sound like Santa Claus. An Uday Hussein government would neither be an improvement of the Iraqi people's plight nor would it be acceptable for us from a national security standpoint to let it get to that point.
He's also a creepy lying liar!
Ha ha ha. What a pathetic joke.
As if he had any credibility whatsoever, the seditious naturalized U.S. citizen Peter Arnett fictionalizes the Iraqi freedom fighter Uday Hussein, who when he wasn't raping women or shredding his opponents or snorting coke, was pondering the deeper meaning of Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry.
Uday, we hardly knew ye.
Playboy's articles are as bad as 'The Nation's' anymore. Not even worth the 12 bucks a year it's down to.
>Uday and Qusay were killed in a blistering battle in the northern city of Mosul on July 22, 2003
Screw 'em if they can't take a joke!
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