Man shouting "Save Me!" enters UN compound in Iraq

Associated Press | January 25, 2005

[FairOpinion]

Did anybody else see the article that said Iraqi officials said his notebook he was carrying was empty? In all the pictures I've seen so far, he's got the notebook up inside his jacket hanging on to it hard. Like he doesn't want anyone to take it from him.

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Yes, I saw that. You didn't really expect them to say that it contained "smoking gun" info about Saddam's WMD programs, did you?

Considering that they handed the poor guy over to the Iraqi "security men" right away, I am willing to bet, nobody took a look at his notebook, they probably just asked Saddam's henchmen afterwards, oh, BTW, what was in the notebook? And of course they were told, it was nothing, just an empty notebook.

Sure, a guy desperately trying to defect, clutching a notebook, would get hold of an empty notebook to hold, sure. And Saddam is related to Mother Theresa.

[keats5]

This story tells a lot.

[knak]

"Save me. Save me," he wailed. Then, a few moments later, he repeated the refrain: "Save me please. Save me please."

Eventually, U.N. security guards escorted him out of the car and into the compound, where he was immediately handed over to Iraqi authorities after determining his notebook was empty. Ueki said the guards turned him over because the incident occurred outside the compound, where "the U.N. has no jurisdiction."

That is from the washington post. I guess they had to turn him over. But it does sound at least possible that inspectors could've gotten something out of his notebook. I've read so many different versions of this story it's hard to tell who got to his notebook first. But I can't see why he'd be clutching on so tightly to an empty book (half hidden under his jacket).

[Amelia]

Ueki said the guards turned him over because the incident occurred outside the compound, where "the U.N. has no jurisdiction."

Looks to me as if they got him INTO the compound, and could have KEPT him in the compound, particularly if he was trying to defect or turn over information.

I also can't believe how little coverage we've seen on this; none that I've noticed since this morning.

I guess murdering and presumed-murdered wives are more important. (/sarcasm)

[swarthyguy]

Poor schmuck. Other posters have remarked on the indifference of the UN inspector and it was noticeable.
What a lesson to other Iraqis.

The camera also had a very brief closeup of the guy's face - a combinaton of defiance, resignation and fear.

[CindyDawg]

Have any of yall been able to get a name or country on the un inspector? I went back thru old posts and couldn't find countries participating but only that SH wanted Arabic. This guy just looks western to me.

[Libertina]

Well, this is an incovenient development for
Hans "Ignorance Is" Blix.
Quote of the MONTH! BTTT

[Lion's Cub]

I happened to see a short clip of this on Fox again tonight, and I noticed something I hadn't seen before.

Please take a good look at that "notebook" in the picture on post #98. It doesn't show up as well here as it did on TV, but that is NOT a "notebook" in the sense that most of us think of.

Notice the plastic binding that "checkerboards" through the cover. This is a low cost printing of some kind of manual or report. It may have a couple blank pages in the back for taking notes during training sessions, but it is definately pre-printed material. It is neither a ringed notebook, nor the threadbound kind. It is most likely a manual or report of some sort.

I'm going back to the theory that this man was trying to defect, and that the man with the knives was sent to assassinate him. The fact that they sent an assassin after him tells me there is probably a good guy or two in the compound or on the inspection team; otherwise, they could have been certain that he'd be turned back over to them.

Apparently, it was just this man's bad luck to meet up with one of the bad guys.

The idea that they had to hand him back over because they were outside the compound is ludicrous. How many seconds would it have taken to drive back through the gate for a friendly cup of coffee?

[FairOpinion]

a UN security officer managed to get him out of the vehicle and handed him over to Iraqi soldiers.

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I can't believe I missed this -- this makes it even worse. I thought it was the Iraqi guards who pulled him out of the vehicle. But it was actually a UN "security officer" and then promptly handed him over to the Iraqi soldiers.

And I keep looking at the picture you posted too. The UN guy in the vehicle just keeps sitting with face front, doesn't even turn to look at the guy begging for help. This is just not natural. Any normal person would at least turn his head towards a guy who just climbed in the car and is repeating "save me, save me". There is something really rotten with the UN.

Also after witnessing this, would any Iraqi scientist tell the UN anything?! You can't trust the UN inspectors any further than you can trust Saddam. Obviously if anyone did tell them anything, they couldn't wait to turn that guy over to the Iraqis so they could "eliminate the leak".

I think we should make sure to bomb Iraq while the inspectors are still there and be sure to "accidentally" bomb their hotel. So sorry, we just lost a few snitches for Saddam. Good riddence.

No matter how you try to analyze this, it just doesn't fit -- the only explanation, which does fit is that the UN inspectors are in collusion with Saddam. And you know what Sherlock Holmes said, once you eliminate the impossible, what's left, however improbable, is the truth -- pardon me for not quoting it exactly, but you get the idea.

[Colorado Doug]

I did not think that news reports could have been right. Interesting that they made a point of reporting that the notebook was empty.

[wonders]

I know it's confusing because there were two separate incidents on the same morning. Go back and read post #24 again.

The first guy, indentified as an Iraqi governement employee, entered the compound carrying three knives. He was turned over to the Iraqi guards.

45 minutes later, the "save me" guy came along. He was taken inside the UN fenced compound. It doesn't say they turned him over to Iraqi soldiers.

[wonders]

oops, never mind! post #43 says he was later handed over to Iraqi authorities.

[Darnright]

>>What I nopticed on FOX is the man seated next to this Iraqi in the UN car. You couldn't see anything but the UN guy's lame hands sitting in his lap. He literallly wouldn't lift a fingetr to help this completely desparate man.<<

I saw the film, and was disgusted to see the UN "man" actually leaning away from that poor Iraqi.

May God have mercy on both their souls.

[FairOpinion]

45 minutes later, the "save me" guy came along. He was taken inside the UN fenced compound. It doesn't say they turned him over to Iraqi soldiers.

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Unfortunately they did turn him over. This thread was started when there wasn't that much info available, but then more articles surfaced, with bits of more info. Here is another one that clearly states, not only that the UN inspectors passively allowed the Iraqi military to get the guy, the UN "security" themselves handed him over to them.

Here is a later article and thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/829772/posts

"After this Iraqi cried, "Save me," the U.N. handed him to Iraq troops, who dragged him away."

[hotpotato]

And I keep looking at the picture you posted too. The UN guy in the vehicle just keeps sitting with face front, doesn't even turn to look at the guy begging for help. This is just not natural. Any normal person would at least turn his head towards a guy who just climbed in the car and is repeating "save me, save me". There is something really rotten with the UN.

Yeah, I keep looking at that photo and it remains exactly the same to me, too.

sheesh

[Republic of Texas]

If he really was a defector, and they gave him back, he most certainly died a horrible death immediately afterwards.

[hotpotato]

That thread is full of the same misinformation and imagination as has been flying around on this one. Try exercising some critical thinking.

Assumptions: the inspector is a mindreader (or psychic, you pick) and knew the guy had valuable information and "didn't want to look at it for fear the inspector would have to act on it."

Assumption: the inspector in the car was in the driver's seat and could have driven to safety with the man (wherever "safety" is... turns out the inspector is *not* in the driver's seat)

Assumption: the _inspectors_ turned the guy over to the Iraqis

Assumption: the inspector wasn't concerned that the guy who suddenly jumped into his vehicle yelling and resisting the Iraqi (or UN.. you pick) guards didn't come with a C4 bodywrap with intent to blow him and everyone within 15 feet into small portions.

Assumption: the guy was yelling in English (the original Foxnews report I saw claimed the guy was yelling in Arabic). Regardless the next assumption is...

Assumption: the inspector *speaks* English.

Assumption: the guy has a "smoking gun"

Assumption: they are in the compound

Assumption: they are outside the compound

Assumption: the guy with the knives was sent in to assassinate the guy with the "smoking gun" (this was is a real gem)

Assumption: the UN security people are prepared to put inspectors and the inspection process at risk for a guy who may or may not be a plant by Saddam to start a mini war by having UN folks offer assylum therefore, justifying Sadam in kicking them all out.

And finally this (a good example of how playing the guessing game suddenly morphs from "a theory" into "THE fact") "I'm going back to the theory that this man was trying to defect, and that the man with the knives was sent to assassinate him. The fact that they sent an assassin after him tells me there is probably a good guy or two in the compound or on the inspection team; otherwise, they could have been certain that he'd be turned back over to them."

What scares me is that some of you may actually sit on juries when you are over 18.

[keats5]

bttt

[keats5]

bttt

[Theo]

This is *NOT* an assumption: the guy with the notebook was yelling "SAVE ME!" I don't understand your hangup with "assumptions." The point is that someone was looking to the UN to save him, and they turned him over to the very people he wanted to be saved from.