Iranian TV claims Iraq rushed Saddam's execution to thwart alleged US escape plan

[robertpaulsen]

Iranian TV claims Iraq rushed Saddam's execution to thwart alleged US escape plan

David Edwards and Ron Brynaert
Published: Friday January 5, 2007

A report on a 24-hour Arabic-language television channel - based in Tehran and run by the Iranian state radio and TV service - claimed that Saddam Hussein's execution was rushed by the Iraqi government in order to thwart an escape plan, masterminded by the United States.

Al-Alam TV cited an unnamed Iraqi official source who alleges that Hussein had agreed to help quell the Sunni resistance in return for a two-week postponent of his execution, and help to gain passage to Jordan, where a fugitive Iraqi Minister recently escaped.

The source told the television station that Iraqi officials discovered the purported plan at the last minute and "foiled it."

According to Reuters, the US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad (who reportedly will be nominated by Bush for the UN ambassador post vacated by John Bolton) tried to delay Hussein's execution. Khalilzad allegedly "insisted that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki provide certain documents, including a signature from Iraq's president," before hanging the former dictator but was unsuccesful.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Iranian_TV_claims_Iraq_rushed_Saddams_0105.html

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. What Would U.S. Have To Gain By Letting Him Escape?

[robertpaulsen]

4. That's a good question for PNACer Khalilzad.

Assuming, of course, that he is the genesis of the Iranian official's claim. Personally, I think it's ridiculous to think that Hussein would have helped quell the Sunni insurgency in exchange for his safe escape. But given the neo-con's "intelligence" where Iraq policy is concerned, that doesn't mean it didn't happen. It would certainly fit into their long list of dumb moves in that country.

[uncle ray]

5. more than we'll gain by having him dead

[MADem]

6. Nothing. And what would JORDAN lose by harboring him? A huge chunk of their GNP.

We throw more money at them than drunken truckers do at truck stop whores. We have earned their cooperation, because we pay BIG MONEY for it. Just like we do with Egypt.

We'd look like the Barney Fifes of Fucking Mesopotamia if he got away, and we'd have to go after Abdullah if he hid the guy. I mean, come on....that's just silly.

There are protocols in sharia law that permit "evildoers" to go away and sin no more. The Egyptians often use exile over jailtime or even death, if restitution is made and parties agree that it is best. After all, the Koran says that a Muslim who intentionally kills another Muslim shall be put to death (chew that over, it's a chain if it ever were implemented).

If, say, Saddam wasn't hanged, and did help to quell the insurgency, it wouldn't be inconceivable for al-Malaki to commute his death sentence in exchange for his help and allow him to serve life under house arrest in Jordan. Stuff like that happens all the time over that way.

[nebenaube]

7. more chaos to justify our presense.... n/t

[robertpaulsen]

8. And pretence.

Saddam escaped?! He must be trying to retrieve his hidden WMD!

[Imagevision]

9. What Would U.S. Have To Gain By Letting Bin Laden Escape? Bush

as we've seen got to play him again and again. They had him in Tora bora then our troops were ordered to turn the hunt over to the locals, that says it all.

[Fierce]

10. Does it matter?

The more rumors get thrown around, the worse we look. And coming from Iran? Or, I should say, "Iran"? Lovely.

[Taxloss]

2. Hmm.

Given that the Iranian government hated Saddam, and has little love for the USA, you can imagine its confusion and conflicting emotions when the one was hanged by the other.

[Ian David]

3. Maybe they're right. It looks like they were planning to escape on skis. n/t

[malaise]

11. The US handed Saddam to them

do not forget that. Fugg spin.

[robertpaulsen]

12. The US could not take responsibility for Saddam "escaping".

Therefore, the Iraqis rushed the execution rather than going along with Khalilzad's delay. That's my understanding of the rationale. As stupid as the idea is, if true, it would really open a hornet's nest if it occurred while under US control, rather than Iraqi {i.e. Shiite) control. Whether this is Iranian spin or neo-con truth is an open-ended debate.