Iraqi turned away by U.N.

[kevao]

Interviewing Andrew Card yesterday on Fox News Sunday, Tony Snow referred to an Iraqi who over the weekend jumped into a UN van at a Baghdad facility, clutching a notebook and saying, "Save me." The UN turned him away. Does anyone have any more news about this incident?

[blackdog]

Not any longer.....

[widowithfoursons]

Ya gotta keep up around here. Old news.

[ppaul]

The poor sap gave some info to the UN goons.
They told him to "beat it!"
Then they sigged some Iraqi thugs on him.
Here's the last we'll see of this poor soul who probably just wanted a chance at freedom.....

[PokeyJoe]

The notebook was "blank and empty" according to UN sources cited. I have not ready first hand accounts of the incident, only that the subject was released to Iraqi police.

[Autodidactic]

Hi, Diogenesis posted some pictures of the event here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/829951/posts
'course the media will never show these pictures.....

[kevao]

I've been away for a couple of days. I did a search on FreeRepublic for a thread about this, but came up empty. I'd appreciate it if someone could point me to the relevant thread. Many thanks.

[FairOpinion]

Well, I am glad to hear that Tony Snow mentioned it. I think it shouldn't be allowed to be forgotten, how incompetent and untrustworthy the UN is at best, and a Saddam supporter at worst.

There were a few threads about this in the past couple of days:

Handed Over to his doom:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/829772/posts

Here are some pictures:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/829951/posts

And a couple more threads.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/829912/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/829283/posts

This may be more than what you wanted to know, but I think it is an absolute outrage that the UN turned the guy over to Saddam's henchmen and you hear nothing in the newsmedia about it, except that mention by Tony Snow.

What did Andrew Card say, if anything, in responsse?

[hotpotato]

You might want to check this out:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/830143/posts

Can't say if this is what is behind that commotion but it is something to consider. Not unimaginable to think Saddam would stage the UN event hoping the UN folks would offer assylum to the man providing him an excuse to kick the inspectors out. Other threads about this incident have gone off onto a tangent ready to "blow up the inspectors" without first having all the facts (have based their judgement on brief video clips and conflicting reports). Would be interesting to hear from the inspectors themselves about what actually took place.

[widowithfoursons]

At least this didn't happen in Miami (someone link an Elian photo).

[Gemflint]

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56101

[twigs]

I was very, very upset when I saw this on Fox. Quite angry, actually. Yet, hotpotatoe's post makes me wonder. I would like to think that the UN officials were wise in their actions. Their past, however, does not give me much hope of that. We do have to proceed carefully, yet I don't want us to leave behind anyone who honestly takes risks against Saddam.

[kevao]

Card said nothing, just canned responses. Here is the relevant part of the exchange. The full transcript of the Card interview is available on the Fox News website.

"SNOW: OK. Yesterday, there was an incident where a guy jumps into a U.N. van at the facility in Baghdad and he says, you know, "Save me."

He's got a notebook.

CARD: Clutching his notebook.

SNOW: Clutching his notebook, and the U.N. didn't save him. They turned him over to Iraqi authorities. Now, if you're an Iraqi scientist and you see that, is there any way, under any circumstances, that you'd talk to the U.N.?

CARD: Well, again, the burden is on Saddam Hussein to have compliance.

SNOW: I understand that, but this is one of these cases where the United States has talked about trying to get scientists out of the country, yet you have a guy asking for help, and as far as I can tell, the U.N. didn't help.

CARD: Well, we would like to see the Iraqi people be freed from the burdens that they're carrying because of Saddam Hussein.

SNOW: Were you disappointed when you saw that?

CARD: I was disappointed in that I want Saddam Hussein to create a climate where his people feel comfortable in cooperating with the civilized world."

[pgkdan]

Not unimaginable to think Saddam would stage the UN event hoping the UN folks would offer assylum to the man providing him an excuse to kick the inspectors out.

Who cares??? There is absolutely no good excuse for the Iraqi's to expel the inspectors, that would be an immediate causus belli that even the Axis of Weasles would have to admit. The inspectors are not there at the behest of the Iraqi regime.

There is absolutely no good reason for the UN team to have turned this guy back to Iraq when we know that Saddam has been busy cutting the tongues out of the mouth of anyone who dares to oppose him. This is absolutely inexcusable. These inspectors should be tried for conspiring with Saddam.

[pgkdan]

. Yet, hotpotatoe's post makes me wonder. I would like to think that the UN officials were wise in their actions.

Nonsense! The inspections are a farce and a waste of time. Ending them would be a good thing...having Saddam expel the team would start war immediately.

[kevao]

I thought under the terms of Resolution 1441, the UN inspectors have the right to interview anyone, anytime, and even to provide someone, and his family, safe passage out of the country for an interview. Am I wrong about this?

[My2Cents]

I think the guy who pleaded with the UN to save him was Saddam Hussein.

[NJJ]

I couldn't believe how this fell through the cracks without anyone except FOX repeating it and there being NO follow-ups.

I'm sure the UN team was not prepared for this and I'm outraged that the Iraqi officials were able to drag him away. What the UN inspectors should now do would be to request an interview with that person, as if he may have been a scientist. The Iraqi response or even their ability to deliver the body would be very telling. It grieves me to think of the mental state of that person believing that the UN would save him and then having them allow him to be taken away.

I am perhaps more troubled by the way our media has not allowed this incident to detract from "give peace a chance."

[pgkdan]

Of course not...you're absolutely right and the actions of the inspectors are unconscienable. I've been out of the loop all weekend tending to family matters and this is the first I've heard of this...to say I'm spitting mad is an understatement.

Unless this man was an Iraqi plant, the UN inspectors handed him over to certain torture and death.

[swarthyguy]

He's dead, Jim. Or wishing he was.