Ya shouldna oughtta done that.
No mercy.
Coming soon: Tha SYNDICATE.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.
Posted on 11/15/2002 4:14:22 PM PST by MadIvan
Iraqi dictator plans escape route in face of US and British offensive
SADDAM HUSSEIN has made secret plans for his family and leading members of his regime to be given political asylum in Libya in the event of a war with America or a successful internal coup in Baghdad.
The extraordinary steps taken by the Iraqi leader to provide an exit strategy for key relatives and associates, which includes paying $3.5 billion (£2.3 billion) into Libyan banks, provide the first evidence that Saddam is now facing up to the prospect of being toppled from power.
Even as he makes public statements of defiance and vows to defend his country against an American invasion, The Times has learnt that Saddam’s secret emissaries have been visiting Libya and Syria to ensure that there is an escape route for his family and top cronies.
The deal with Tripoli does not include providing refuge for Saddam or for Uday, his eldest son. If either were to seek political asylum in Libya, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi would come under intense international pressure, particularly from Washington, to hand them over for war crimes.
Word of Saddam’s deal with the Libyan leader has emerged from diplomatic sources in Tripoli following a visit to the Libyan capital on September 8 by General Ali Hasan al-Majid, a cousin and trusted member of Saddam’s clan.
General al-Majid is known by the Kurds of northern Iraq as “Chemical Ali” because he was in charge of the Iraqi forces which launched a chemical weapons attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988. He was also initially the “Governor” of Kuwait after Iraq’s invasion of the Gulf state in August 1990, and is now one of the Baath Party regional command leaders. He is believed to have travelled to Tripoli to deliver a personal missive from Saddam to the Libyan leader, confirming the arrangements for his family.
The sources said that in return for the $3.5 billion deposited in Libyan bank accounts, Colonel Gaddafi has agreed to give sanctuary to members of Saddam’s family and to about a dozen senior officials of the Baghdad regime, with their families.
The sources said they believed the regime members would include Tariq Aziz, the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Naji Sabri, the Foreign Minister, and Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, deputy chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council. The other officials were believed to be less well known members of the ruling Baath Party’s regional command.
In a separate arrangement, said to have been agreed in October during a visit by senior Iraqi officials to Damascus, an overland escape route was devised. It would involve Saddam’s family members and regime leaders travelling from Tikrit, home of the Saddam clan, to the Syrian border via the Badiyat al-Sham desert which divides Syria from Iraq.
It is not clear whether the sanctuary deal includes Qusay Hussein, the Iraqi leader’s second — and favourite — son.
However, the diplomatic sources said that if Saddam felt his regime was about to collapse, he would do his utmost to see that his family escaped, especially Qusay, as well as Ali, his youngest son, and his grandchildren.
Western intelligence services assume that Saddam will stay “to the bitter end” if Iraq is attacked by a US-led coalition. Two months ago, Abbas Khalaf, Iraq’s Ambassador to Moscow, denied that Saddam would ever abandon his country in time of need. This followed reports in France that Uday Hussein had gone to Moscow to seek a future refuge for him and his father.
Intelligence sources said yesterday that the French reports were not credible. But they confirmed that the evidence of a deal for Saddam’s family to go to Libya fitted in with information gleaned in recent weeks.
The intelligence sources said that individual members of Baghdad’s Baath Party were known to be looking for potential “boltholes” in North African countries. They said that Libya made sense as a place to seek sanctuary, because many of the countries in North Africa were friendly to the West and would probably hand over wanted members of the Iraqi regime.
The relatively uncontroversial list of people to be granted political asylum if Saddam’s regime is toppled may have helped to persuade the Libyan leader to agree to the asylum deal.
Imagine, in particular, how it might resonate in Iraq.
Makes me wonder if it might be a very clever -- and convincing -- plant.
Ya shouldna oughtta done that.
No mercy.
Coming soon: Tha SYNDICATE.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.
5.Inspectors(now Saddam's hostages)let's say 80 or so,are quickly moved and spread out to strategic targets of WMD sites.
6.UN quickly holds emergency meeting and tells USA it should not attack until the hostages are released.
7.US is fired upon again in no-fly-zone while deciding on possible military actions. USA returns fire,and destroys the source of the Iraqi shootdown attempt.
8.Al-Jazeera TV shows the(soon to be world wide) footage of the aftermath of the attack to the "Mudlem" world,along with the DEAD inspectors,(let's say at least 2 or more)one maybe from France,and one Arab one,(who would actually be killed by the Iraqi's and not by our return fire,but made to appear as killed by USA attack....)
9.Al Gore,Hillary,Dashole,and Terry McAuful are hospitalized while trying to kill each other to be the first one to do the first interviews after the incident with: PBS with Bill Moyers,Michael Moore(who can NOW reopen his web-site),CNN,PMSNBC,Today Show,Donahue...etc
10.UN members with inspectors still alive,( but still hostages),are assured by Kofi Ananonnn,that the world will not allow ANY military action until Jimmy Carter,and Jesse Jackson have bargained for and obtained the release of all UN hostage inspectors held in Iraq.
11.Within 24 hours of the first 2 inspectors death's,the head lawyer for Bill Clinton(Bill McBride)files a lawsuit with the USSC,claiming that the 2 presidential term limit rule means if ya sit out one term after doing 2,you can then run for POTUS again...(but only for 2 more turns...then repeat...)
12....and last.(and I apologize for the long rant..)..thousands of illegal immigrants ,(who are now lifelong DEM voters because they) are given employment,as the DNC's printing presses cannot keep up with their faithful follower's demand's of bumper stickers,yard signs,billboards,tee-shirts,etc of the DNC's 2004 presidential theme of:"WE TOLD YOU SO!!..BUSH MUST GO"...
.....(ps....if I could remember how to type the "turn off the sarcasm thingee,"....I would place it here...sorry!!)
Ahhh...it's Friday night ...you're excused.
Alternate explanation, Saddam style: money laundering, pure and simple. We bomb. Saddam takes a hike. His money is safe, having gone through those Libyan banks and through other banks and into Saddam's (probably Swiss) accounts. Saddam retires fat and happy in the Caribbian (Cuba maybe).
If the Democrats ever find out that Saddam has this kind of cash, they'll name him to replace McAuliffe. Chicago would probably grant him asylum and Bill and Hillary would convert to Islam.
I can see the Bush admin. allowing the wives and little children to accept sanctuary. Not, of course, the sons or Lieutenants of Saddam.
For all we know, the US is already negotiating with Qaddafi as to exactly who he can take for that money.
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