Indications Saddam Was Not in Hiding But a Captive

[Triana]

DEBKAfile Special Report
December 14, 2003, 6:55 PM (GMT+02:00)

A number of questions are raised by the incredibly bedraggled, tired and crushed condition of this once savage, dapper and pampered ruler who was discovered in a hole in the ground on Saturday, December 13:

1. The length and state of his hair indicated he had not seen a barber or even had a shampoo for several weeks.

2. The wild state of his beard indicated he had not shaved for the same period

3. The hole dug in the floor of a cellar in a farm compound near Tikrit was primitive indeed – 6ft across and 8ft across with minimal sanitary arrangements - a far cry from his opulent palaces...


http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=743

Also:

Tuesday, December 2, 2003
LaHood: Hussein's capture imminent

Pantagraph Staff

BLOOMINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood held his thumb and forefinger slightly apart and said, "We're this close" to catching Saddam Hussein.
Once that's accomplished, Iraqi resistance will fall apart, said the five-term Republican congressman from Peoria who serves on the House Intelligence Committee.

A member of The Pantagraph editorial board -- not really expecting an answer -- asked LaHood for more details, saying, "Do you know something we don't?"

"Yes I do," replied LaHood.

http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/120203/new_20031202014.shtml

___

It appears that Bu$hit had Sadaam prisoner and was possibly just waiting for the politically opportune time to "catch" him - ie: when Bu$hit's ratings needed a boost. Too bad the ruse didn't work too well...

[ArkDem]

1. Great sources!!!

Why isn't information like this readily available in the US?

[KittyWampus]

22. Putting The Words "Great Sources" Together With Debka

is kinda surreal...

:)

[ArkDem]

37. Well, some folks have trouble detecting scarcasm....

..

[Blue_Chill]

38. I've found that the little rolly eyes thing helps

:eyes:



see what I mean :)

[pnb]

2. What exactly do your sources "prove"?

That a man on the run for his life would normally be paying a lot of attention to the neatness of his appearance? That he wouldn't want to look the same as he normally does?

And a congressman knew something?

How does this lead to "It appears that Bu$hit had Sadaam prisoner"

[ScotTissue]

3. DEBKA is unofficial Israeli intelligence

So, grain of salt.

[Triana]

4. DEBKA might be unofficial ...

...but U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood's statements do corroborate the report. May be adding stuff that doesn't relate, but it seems related.

What does it 'prove' if true? For one thing, that Bu$h may be lying again and using the 'catch' of an already-imprisoned man to feather his political nest-ie: releasing the 'catch' of SH when it is most politically expedient for Bu$h to pump out the propoganda. That sort of ruse on Bu$h's part, if this is true, is hardly an action that would or should instill any more trust in Bu$h that we'd have in Sadaam himself.

[Tinoire]

7. Unofficial and very often used as a Mossad disinformation site

but several times in the past, they've been right on target with their analyses. Trouble with them is you never know what's true, what's false and what's just plain old disinformation.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. The US didn't have shit

The Iraqis had him and gave him to W alive on a silver platter. Saddam alive was the last thing W wanted. This was a set up but it was the Iraqis who set us up. There are probably a few Iraqis sitting in a tearoom today celebrating and laughing their butts off.

[Tinoire]

8. You know.. that's been something I've wondered about too

Dubya is now STUCK with a live Saddaam and has no idea what to do with him. Saddaam alive is a huge inconvenience for Bush! What's frustrating is that we will never really know what happened. Who really turned him in? How? Why? Under what conditions? And what was Bush doing in Iraq on Thanksgiving?

[blondeatlast]

17. Yep. If Saddam talks, all Hell breaks loose.

The man is a bloodthirsty tyrant, but I hope he sings like a canary.

That would put an end to the BFEE.

[goodhue]

12. now that makes sense

I'd been baffled as to why the military took him alive.

[Skittles]

13. they didn't TAKE him

he was HANDED OVER

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. Considering the fact that FAUX had no clue Sunday morning

and that the news came out of Iran about Saddam's capture, this should tell us alot about who was in control of the situation.

[youngred]

18. Because killing him would be wrong....

and a PR disaster a la Uday and Qusay

[goodhue]

35. well of course it would have been wrong

nonetheless it was what i would have expected

[anakie]

26. perhaps he was given to the US by al-Douri

That he was caught not in his own tribal area but outside of it and in the tribal areas controlled by al-Douri - the supposed 2nd in command.
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2003/s1010534.htm

[Padraig18]

6. "Some times a cigar is just a cigar." ---Sigmund Freud n/t

[Triana]

10. i'm not saying...

...this info is right or wrong, accurate or not, it's just something to possibly consider since SH looked so disheveled and considering the timing - and LaHood's comments. May be nothing to it. I wanted to toss it out on DU to see what the DU analysis is! It would be amusing if the Iraqis had him all along and the joke was on W.

;)

[Padraig18]

15. No prob!

It's worth considering. :)

[NNN0LHI]

9. Sorry. But Debka has as much credibility as Drudge. Ø n/t

[Triana]

11. i'll note that...

...good to know what sources are reliable - thanks

[youngred]

16. where'd he get the gun then?

:eyes:

Bush could have picked a much much MUCH better time to release him.

[Bluerthanblue]

19. has any one confirmed

that the gun was loaded? or working?

What would have been a 'better time'? next november? are we really that stupid and naieve?

... yeah, we likely are-

[Yupster]

25. How's about

the night of the first primary that Dean wins?

How's about the third night of the Democratic convention?

How's about any night that half the people aren't out Christmas shopping.

[youngred]

29. Better times

next october/november
during the dem primaries
during the summer next year

right now it does squat for him

[havocmom]

24. If it was anyone in WH who pulled Saddam out of their hat at this time

it was to get Halliburton off the news. Worked, didn't it?

[youngred]

30. there are other ways of doing that

not many people even know halliburton is connected to the WH, I doubt they'd even notice

[Pathwalker]

20. I thought he was living in a nearby HUT -

& had gone into the hole at the beginning of the raid. They've also said there was a taxi nearby, that they think he was using to drive around Iraq.

Wouldn't it be rather hard to get an entire group of soldiers to play along with such a ruse? I agree that he looked hideous, though. Supposedly the guy(according to Wolf...) had a cleanliness fetish, too - you had to wash your hands before you could see him, etc.

[youngred]

31. how many dozens of times did Wolf have to reiterate that?

I would be very surprised if that's where he was actually staying, more that it was a hideaway

[Solomon]

21. He looked liked he'd been drugged to me. That might explain

why he didn't put up a fight. All they had to do was shoot some gas into that vent.

[cirej2000]

23. They could've thrown in a stun grenade to do that.

I think that they had paid someone off in advance to get there like this article says. Bush was hoping that Saddam would fight it out after he was turned over and he didn't!

Now * is gonna pay when Rummy gets outted in the trial.

Can't wait...hopefully they'll try Saddam before November! Or we might see them turn him over to an Iraqi tribunal...which means no testimony.

We know there were no WMDs after 91, so they've got no other reason to keep him alive! :(

[G_j]

27. they will do everything possible to push off the trial

until after November. You can count on that.

get ready for more frustration..

[Yupster]

36. The trial will be in Iraq

Saddam will be charged with crimes against the Iraqi people.

The trial will be a parade of witnesses who had relatives murdered by Saddam or tortured by Saddam. The court will not want to hear anything about America, and they won't have to listen to anything about America.

[youngred]

32. I would think being caught at all would be stunning

just realizing....now I'm fucked would do that to anyone

[magnoliamouth]

28. EVERYTHING is NOT a secret conspiracy, people!

Good Lord, THIS kind of factLESS-based speculation is why this website is described as "lefty" by some people!

[youngred]

33. come now

the poster who posted has said they didn't know it was a biased source and people have voiced opposite opinions...read thread before responding

[Blue_Chill]

39. BUT HE HAD A BEARD!!!!!!

And his hair looked like shit!!!! How can you be so blind!!!!



hahahaha :D

[Dhalgren]

40. This website is called "lefty"

because it is Lefty. We here at DU are proud Leftists, proud Liberals, proud Progressives - (and we will tell anyone who wants to hear).

Wecome to DU and get used to the lefty thing, because that is what we are.

[Bucky]

34. LaHood is connected w/ a capital C

According to his website, here's his committee assignments:

House Appropriations Committee
..........Agriculture Subcommittee
..........Legislative Subcommittee (Vice Chairman)
..........Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Subcommittee

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
..........Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee (Chairman)
..........Intelligence Policy and National Security Subcommittee (Vice Chairman)


I doubt they were holding Saddam in a cell waiting to "discover" him at an opportune moment. After all, there's been several "opportune moments" come and go over the last couple of months. Why nab him now while the White House spin machine is doing ok on its own?

Obviously LaHood got briefed on the ongoing trackdown of Saddam and then turned around and half spilled the beans to a local newspaper to show off to his buds what a bigshot he is. Thank god no enemy spies read the Pantagraph of central Illinois, or he might have blown the lead on Saddam

. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . ."Hey, guess what? I'm a loose cannon!"