Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Did Rumsfeld offer Saddam a deal?
So reports the Arab press:
This strikes me a nonsense. First, it is entirely against the character of either Donald Rumsfeld or George Bush. Second, even if a plea from Saddam would defang the Ba'athists who want to return to power, why would al Qaeda care? Finally, this smells like Sunni propaganda designed to make Americans look weak in Arab eyes.
US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld paid a secret visit to former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and offered him freedom and possible return to public life if he made a televised request to armed groups for a ceasefire with allied forces, a media report said.
Saddam promptly rejected the offer, Ynetnews reported quoting a London based Al Quds Al Arabi daily. The visit came during Rumsfeld’s visit to Iraq about two weeks ago and was known only to a few Iraqi officials in Jordan, the Arab daily reported quoting sources.
Some two weeks ago the British Telegraph had reported that Iraqi gunmen were offered a “deal” to halt all terror attacks in return for a reduced sentence for Saddam, likely to be sentenced to death.
This strikes me a nonsense. First, it is entirely against the character of either Donald Rumsfeld or George Bush. Second, even if a plea from Saddam would defang the Ba'athists who want to return to power, why would al Qaeda care? Finally, this smells like Sunni propaganda designed to make Americans look weak in Arab eyes.
2 Comments:
By 
, at
Tue May 03, 06:49:00 AM:
Agreed, I'm calling bullshit on this one too.
Rob A.
(FWF)
By 
Sluggo, at
Tue May 03, 12:21:00 PM:
I have no doubt you're correct. It also plays to the Democrats and allows both groups to pretend we're in a lot more trouble over there than we are.
