Could Saddam Hussein be striking a last-minute deal?

Aljazeera ^ | April 9, 2003

[Scoop]

Iraqi president Saddam Hussein may be negotiating an eleventh-hour deal that could see him exiled to a safe country.

Speculation has rife as to whether Saddam Hussein is dead, alive, staying with his government or fleeing. In the last few minutes Lebanese television has reported that he is in the safety of the Russian embassy.

Al Jazeera's correspondent in Moscow reported earlier today that the Russian delegation that came under fire from US forces as it left Baghdad on 7 April may have been dealing with senior representatives of the Iraqi government in guaranteeing a safe exit for Saddam Hussein.

A Russian diplomat wounded in Iraq and his colleague arrive at the Russian embassy in Damascus “This explains the lack of resistance by the Republican Guard and Iraqi forces,” a Russian general told Al-Jazeera on condition of anonymity.

Akram Khouzam, Al-Jazeera’s reporter in Moscow, reports that the general's claim may explain the absence of organised resistance in Iraq, even in the capital itself where communications could not have been disrupted completely.

Baghdad had been expected to put up stiff resistance to the US-led invasion but in the event it appears to have capitulated, with the Iraqi military putting up less opposition than in more poorly defended places such as Umm Qasr and Basra.

Russian intelligence has officially denied reports that diplomats who left Baghdad last week took with them Saddam’s secret archive, saying this allegation was being made to justify the US attack on the diplomatic convoy last week.

However, the Russian general speaking by phone to Al-Jazeera said his claims were based on the cooperation of Saddam and a group of his close officials with the United States during the Iran-Iraq war and encouragement for Saddam to invade Kuwait in 1991.

[kjam22]

Why would Russia want to cut him a deal? He controls no oil. He controls nothing. What would it benefit Russia? This makes no sense.

[Valin]

Right do you want to be shot, hang, poisoned, or fed into a shreader?

[SkiHatGuy]

Or eaten by 4 starving Dobermans?

[Valin]

Come on Saddam! tick tock tick tock, lets go I ain't got all day.

[HarryCaul]

Yeah, I'm sure he can trust the Russians now. What does he have to offer now? No oil. Maybe a little money, but that has limits. Some intel, though I imagine we'll end up with most of that.

Let him run to Russia. They'll use him up and throw him away. He'll have a "bad cold" along the lines of those Soviet leaders in the 80s soon enough.

[djharley67]

Couldn't we "oops" a missile into the Russian Embassy?

[resistance]

Do you suppose billions of dollars as a bribe might motivate someone?

[Izzy Dunne]

Why would Russia want to cut him a deal? He controls no oil. He controls nothing.

One word for you:
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Gefreiter]

I agree with KJam. How the Russians are in any position to guarantee anything is beyond me. And then, what Saddam has to bargain with is also a mystery. Maybe he would order his "elite" Republican Guard to stop absorbing so much US ammo...?

[Support Free Republic]

---

PRETTY IN PINK
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[salmon76]

Announce with a loud speaker in the streets, "Saddam is in the Russian Embassy!". The Iraqi civilians will then take care of things (remember Romania?).

[kjam22]

If he still has access to billions of dollars.??? Russia better have gotten his payment a couple of weeks ago.

And really why take billions from Saddam when playing your cards right with the US would also net you billions and a long term oil deal?

[eureka!]

Here's the deal: Saddam, you just lay scattered about in pieces until the DNA results are in. Then, you'll be bull-dozed over and your soul will rot in Hell. Deal?

[Conspiracy Guy]

Is his corpse negotiating a final resting place? Have they found big enough pieces to bury? He's dead Jim.

[freelight]

I thought the Russians left yesterday: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/887232/posts

I'd hate for us to accidentally hit another embassy--we might start to lose plausible deniability :)

[schaketo]

The bad news is it looks like Saddam Hussein is still alive. The good news: We still get to kill him.

[SENTINEL]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

That's what I was thinking.

If this is the case, Bush's biggest challenge yet soon approaches.

[3AngelaD]

Maybe the Russian sense of irony is so strong that they are thinking about exiling him to Siberia.