Branson planned Mandela mission to prevent Iraq war

[leftchick]

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1445592004

<snip>

The Virgin chief reportedly wanted to send Mr Mandela to meet with tyrant Saddam Hussein to persuade him to go into exile.

The aim was for the former South African leader to fly out of Baghdad with Saddam in tow.

Multi-millionaire tycoon Sir Richard even got approval for the plan from United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan, despite fears the Nobel Peace Prize winner might be kidnapped. Sir Richard, who was prepared to go to Iraq with Mr Mandela, believed the war could be prevented if Saddam was given an escape route - but coalition forces invaded Iraq before his plan was able to proceed.

Sir Richard said: "I kept thinking, you have to give somebody like Saddam a way out otherwise he’s like a cornered animal - they have to fight. I thought the only person who could persuade him to step down was Mandela.

"Mandela wanted us to get Kofi Annan’s blessing, which we got. We were arranging for Mandela to go to Iraq to meet Saddam and had a plane standing by in Johannesburg from March 17.

"Two days later, as we were planning to fly in, the bombing started, so it didn’t come to anything."

[theophilus]

1. Who knows, it might have worked. It is too bad that our great leader

didn't try such diplomacy. Maybe if he had offered Saddam a fraction of the "capital" that has been expended in this great fiasco a more peaceful end could have been reached. We'll never know.

"What Might Have Been...."


(Of course WAR is exactly what Spurious George and his henchmen craved.)

[Fir]

2. If only, if only, if only

I'm persuaded that nothing was going to delay Bush from his objective(to have war with Iraq).

It is hind sight now and so much is lost already. That we went to a pre-emptive war is insane.

That is what determined stupidity will do for you.

[krkaufman]

10. Yep, even if Saddam and his spawn had left Iraq...

... Bush still would have rationalized going in.

[Ready4Change]

3. Saddam wouldn't have left. Still, I wish this had been tried.

I've respect for Mandela, and from what I've seen Branson is admirable. However, I think it's naive to think they could have pried Saddam out of Iraq. Inside Iraq he was a King, nearly a god. Outside he would have been just another rich, ex-petty dictator. He also would have been outside his extensive personal security structure, which would have made him extremely vulnerable to many entities who (still) want him dead.

However, I wish they had been given time to try this, and other diplomatic methods. Not because I think they had a chance of working. I think it would have given our later actions greater legitimacy, or would have given people time to realize that Saddam was well contained and not an immediate threat.

However, it's all spilt milk.

(Edited for awkward wording.)

[blm]

6. Actually, it was mentioned at the time that serious negotiations were in

the works from a few directions and that there was a very good chance Saddam would comply.

Saddam knew he didn't have the weapons and the miltary to face down the US in a war. The guy was crazy but, never stupid.

[underpants]

4. Not bad for a guy who started by selling records out of his car

Sounds like responsible corporate stewardship and a real world vision.

Good for you Richard wish it had come together.

[blm]

5. Kerry said many times Bush rushed the invasion and stated that plans

were in the works to negotiate regime change PEACEFULLY without a military invasion.

The GOP and the talking heads mocked him.

[WhiteTara]

8. they also mocked the 200 billion dollar war cost

that Kerry kept stating.  Now even the talking heads are using
that figure. What a strategy - mock the messenger until the
truth can't be kept secret anymore and then act as though it
is "old news".

[TexasBushwhacker]

7. But then Iraq would have just plunged into civil war

and Bush would have still invaded because of those mysterious WMD's and of course, to protect American interests in Iraq, spelled O I L. I appreciate Branson trying to do something, but he either doesn't realize, or just isn't saying, the truth. Bush wanted to go to war with Iraq - PERIOD.

[Kinkistyle]

9. We'd STILL be in a freaking Quagmire.

Either way, Saddam is out of power. Getting rid of Saddam was the EASY part - it always WAS.

The reason why we are where we are now is that Saddam's brutal dictatorship kept a lid on the boilerpot that is Iraq and now its our mess to deal with.

[AlCzervik]

11. Wow, who knew? I'm glad he tried, i'm sorry it didn't work

[jobycom]

12. I wonder if Bush would have held back or used the opportunity

to whack Mandela, too. Cheney and Bush Daddy were no friends of Mandela.

[hopein08]

13. Too bad Branson's British...

He's seems to have the right ideas about diplomacy on top of running a good business. Otherwise, he'd make a good president. On the other hand, he wants his daughter to marry Prince William so there's that! LOL!

Plus, his show is more exciting than Trump's:crazy:

[JI7]

14. it wouldn't have mattered

it was never about Saddam himself. but Branson is a good man for trying or considering. his intentions were/are good. and i will look towards his businesses in the future if i ever want to buy something he sells.

[Just Me]

16. Correct. The neoCONs were going to do this no matter what.

I, too, appreciate such intentions.

Perhaps, had this endeavor along with a Papal presence been realized,...the neoCONs would have been delayed,...but, not stopped. The neoCONs would have simply waited and/or removed such obstructions.

Nevertheless,...thoughts count? Now, we must move towards greater cause and ACTION.

[LynnTheDem]

15. NOTHING would have changed.

bush would still have invaded & occupied Iraq, and the Iraqi people would still resist the invasion & occupation.

Nothing whatsoever would have changed.

[Laelth]

17. I have to take issue with the majority position, here.

I think this could have worked. At the very least, it would have exposed America's imperialist designs. It would have demonstrated conclusively that Saddam Hussein's totalitarian government was not the real reason America invaded.

Imagine what the situation would be if Saddam were under UN custody in Belgium right now. Would the US continue to claim that it intended to hold "free" election soon? Would the US risk having Saddam Hussein win a legitimate election? If Saddam won, quite obviously, he would throw out all American troops. He would go to the World Court and bring charges against the leaders of the US for an unjust invasion, given that there were, obviously, no WMDs. The US would have to leave--or risk world war.

Perhaps Bush knew that there was a plan to get Saddam out of Iraq, and perhaps that explains why we rushed to war when we did, poorly armed and without a real plan. Surely Bush would know that his invasion would be useless if Saddam were elected legitimately and American forces were then compelled to leave. Perhaps he would not have attacked at all.

just a thought ...

-Laelth

[OKNancy]

18. Kick

:kick:

[daleo]

19. Bush would have invaded no matter what

That was his intention from the start. Nothing would have changed his mind.