UN plan to give Saddam 72 hours to leave Baghdad

Sunday Herald ^ | 3/8/03

[areafiftyone]

SADDAM Hussein and his family are to be given 72 hours on Tuesday to accept an offer of exile, while 50 of Iraq's top military brass will be offered an amnesty in return for full co-operation with the United Nations in a secret plan to be tabled at its New York headquarters. The highly sensitive proposal was tabled by Pakistan during a closed-door meeting of the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council on Friday and was brokered by Saudi Arabia, the Vatican and moderate Arab states. Failure by Saddam to agree to the plan would clear the way for war.

If the proposal, understood to be in the form of a short paragraph, becomes part of a second resolution and is adopted by the Security Council, the UN would oversee the establishment of a post-Saddam government and the UN, not the US, would take stewardship of Iraq's oilfields.

The Iraqi generals and top ranking officers would have to co-operate fully with UN inspectors to oversee the total elimination of any weapons of mass destruction.

Pope John Paul II has dispatched his emissaries to meet all the key parties during the past two weeks. His special envoy and per manent observer at the UN, Archbishop Renato Rafaele Martino, has been discussing the proposal with all the Security Council members.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Pio Laghi, a former Papal Nuncio, met with President George W Bush, while Cardinal Angelo Sodano has met with Tony Blair. Cardinal Roger Etchegaray met with Saddam in Baghdad and discussed the subject of exile, which he said Saddam did not rule out.

American sources have confirmed that the US and Jordan have recently discussed the prospect of using the UN to offer a formal exile and amnesty package to Saddam and his inner circle.

Last month, Saddam rejected informal pleas to choose exile over war. But the US is aware that one of the attractions of an amendment that extends the offer to his family and military leaders is the likelihood it may trigger a coup, leading to his assassination by a member of his inner circle.

It is thought that Saddam's sons, Uday and Qusay, would push for a safe passage out rather than face a cataclysmic end in a Baghdad bunker. 'Uday might be the first to shoot his father if he refused an amnesty,' one senior Jordan official is quoted as saying.

The proposed amendment is still at a low rung on the UN procedural ladder but the non-permanent members believe it represents a last best chance to avert a war. But, from the Security Council's point of view, it offers a compromise that would allow its members to unite and vote for a second resolution.

UN sources have also indicated that a second resolution on Tuesday with the March 17 ultimatum -- incorporating an offer of exile -- would provide an attractive compromise that would let the French to come on board without 'losing face' or appearing to have capitulated to the US.

[TEXOKIE]

"If the proposal, understood to be in the form of a short paragraph, becomes part of a second resolution and is adopted by the Security Council, the UN would oversee the establishment of a post-Saddam government and the UN, not the US, would take stewardship of Iraq's oilfields. "

Again: "THE UN WOULD OVERSEE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A POST SADDAM GOVERNMENT AND THE UN NOT THE US WOULD TAKE STEWARDSHIP OF IRAQ'S OILFIELDS."

God forbid. Our President said we are liberating Iraq and its oilfields for the IRAQI PEOPLE.

I'm thinking the UN weasels are seeing their welcome days in the US are numbered and are now looking for another sugar daddy....well my my....looky over there! A bunch of oil wells just WAITING to be donated to the UN cause!

[Torie]

Clinton had an attention span that was less than my cat's. He bored easily.

[Museum Twenty]

Let me ask: Does it really matter what the UN says? All they can do is make noise, anyway. Let them think what they wish.

You know, we know, that, if we can achieve the desired conclusion without the US/UK/Australia losing soldiers, the real credit goes to W and his adminstration.

I'll gladly let the UN take all the credit they want in exchange for the safety of the troops, the comfort of their families, and the conclusion we desire.

There is a saying "There is no limit to what you can acccomplish if you let others take the credit."

I think W is enough of a man, and of a statesman, to allow others to take credit for his victory.

[jwalsh07]

Sadam fancies himself as the second coming of Saladin, no way is he playing.

But as an aside, how do the UN and Euroists justify Sadaam in Paradise and Milosevic in the Gulag?

[Maceman]

A UN-brokered sanctuary for a brutal dictator who murdered tens of thousands of innocent civilians and operates torture chambers for citizens who disagree with his regime sounds about right for the UN.

Not to mention the billions he will have at his disposal to cause mischief and fund terrorists. OBL only had around $200 million. Think what a free Saddam could do for terrorism with his billions.

This guy has to die.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Please see my reply 78 for the real reason for the UN to consider this and take control of the oil fields.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I think W is enough of a man, and of a statesman, to allow others to take credit for his victory.

Except that this would not victory. Iraqi would simply be trading one corrupt brutal master for another. And the US would be blamed.

No. No. No. We have done it the UN way before. It has always ended up a mess. Take a look at North Korea. Never again.

[Mo1]

It is thought that Saddam's sons, Uday and Qusay, would push for a safe passage out rather than face a cataclysmic end in a Baghdad bunker. 'Uday might be the first to shoot his father if he refused an amnesty,' one senior Jordan official is quoted as saying.

Uday would kill Saddam???

Plus I don't thing he'll take the offer

Also .. why do these countries care if Saddam lives ?

[homeschool mama]

**Can we pretend we are ALL dyslexic and say 27 hours???? **

okey dokey :o)

[F16Fighter]

"Saddam knows if he leaves he's a dead man."

He's a dead man either way. A living, breathing Saddam from his anticipated French lair would still be able to direct a terrorism network with his stolen billions lying in Swiss banks...

And IMO, Bin Laden is already done in secretly to avoid fueling his martyrdom.

[way-right-of-center]

I am glad Bush is forcing a vote no matter what. Forces countries to pick a side. Shrewd move, IMHO. That way, you eliminate the "Hillary Syndrome" which I know I really don't have to explain to anyone here. Someone in that cabinet is making some pretty good moves. Cheney, perhaps?

[way-right-of-center]

yep, true enough

[ModelBreaker]

Whoa, whoa! We're gonna give this to the UN? I don't like this at all. The UN has proven time after time they are totally incompetent. We're just asking for lotsa trouble if this goes down.

I agree. The UN will install an anti-american government. That will eliminate our ability to base in Iraq. With basing in Iraq, we are much less dependent on coalitions in the middle east. With it, we can pressure Iran, the Saudis and Syria to start participating in the War on Terror.

US control in Iraq means a complete change in the correlation of forces in the middle east. UN control means little change. In fact, under UN control, Iraq will probably become the haven of choice for al Quaeda.

The French/Germans/UN do not have our interests at heart. I would bitterly oppose any measure that results in UN (read French/German/Chinese/Russian) control of Iraq when we spent blood and money to make it possible.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

'Uday might be the first to shoot his father if he refused an amnesty,' one senior Jordan official is quoted as saying

Recently I heard one of Sadaam's former officials say that he didn't trust even his sons.

[areafiftyone]

Its like Doctor Evil and his son Scott!

[TexKat]

Saddam knows if he leaves he's a dead man.

So therefore he has no alternative, if he goes hes dead, if he stays hes dead. And presently Saddam is a dead man walking.

[Museum Twenty]

I stipulated that we need to have the outcome we desire.

I don't think W will settle for less than the outcome he wants, including a satisfactory (free) future for the Iraqi people.

However, I think W is perfectly willing to let the UN save face by letting the end game appear as if the UN is not being pushed around by the US.

So long as the UN ends up doing what W wants, I think he would be happy to let them save face.

It takes a lot of character to put the emphasis on the actual results, rather than getting on the public credit. The longer this situation has been going on, the more impressed I am by our President. He is a statesman, not a politician.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

(If the UN gets the oil fields, expect Bill Clinton to become head of the UN. It's always "follow the money".)

Sheesh, what a nightmare THAT would be.

Bill becoming head of the U.N. is a terrible prospect. Even Rush Limbaugh said it was on his radar screen, with a possibility that Hillary might be in the White House.

When does Kofi Anan's term expire? I thought it was 2006? That's two years before Hillary could (conceivably if Bush wins a second term) be elected.

Yikes. (music from JAWS plays in the background)

Okay you guys, this must NEVER happen. We've got to work our butts off, and pray much harder than we work.

[LdSentinal]

I believe the United States is already looking into the possibility that Saddam will exile himself. It won't be Iran, but Syria, Lebanon, and Libya might be his destination. I'm sure the US, UK, and Israeli forces are looking to intercept such a attempt whether it's by air, land, sea, or any combination.

I don't see Saddam doing a Hitler impersonation in some underground bunker. I do, however, see him take a Manuel Noriega approach. He could go to a "friendly" embassy and seek asylum.

[Travis McGee]

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