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Saddam Hussein Offered Exile One Month Before Iraq War

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Laconic:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=484162


Saddam asked Bush for $1bn to go into exile
By DAVID GARDNER - More by this author » Last updated at 23:45pm on 26th September 2007

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Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein is said to have offered to go into exile for $1bn
bush

George Bush was convinced that Saddam was serious about going into exile

Saddam Hussein offered to step down and go into exile one month before the invasion of Iraq, it was claimed last night.

Fearing defeat, Saddam was prepared to go peacefully in return for £500million ($1billion).

The extraordinary offer was revealed yesterday in a transcript of talks in February 2003 between George Bush and the then Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar at the President's Texas ranch.

The White House refused to comment on the report last night.

But, if verified, it is certain to raise questions in Washington and London over whether the costly four-year war could have been averted.

Only yesterday, the Bush administration asked Congress for another £100billion to finance the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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The total war bill for British taxpayers is expected to reach £7billion by next year.

More than 3,800 American service personnel have lost their lives in Iraq, along with 170 Britons and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians.

However, according to the tapes, one month before he launched the invasion Mr Bush appeared convinced that Saddam was serious about going into exile.

"The Eqyptians are speaking to Saddam Hussein," said Mr Bush.

"It seems he's indicated he would be prepared to go into exile if he's allowed to take $1billion and all the information he wants about weapons of mass destruction."

Asked by the Spanish premier whether Saddam - who was executed in December last year - could really leave, the President replied: "Yes, that possibility exists. Or he might even be assassinated."

But he added that whatever happened: "We'll be in Baghdad by the end of March."

Mr Bush went on to refer optimistically to the rebuilding or Iraq.

The transcript - which was published yesterday in the Spanish newspaper El Pais - was said to have been recorded by a diplomat at the meeting in Crawford, Texas, on February 22, 2003.

Mr Bush was dismissive of the then French President Jacques Chirac, saying he "thinks he's Mr Arab".

Referring to his relationship with Downing Street, he said: "I don't mind being the bad cop if Blair is the good cop."

The President added: "Saddam won't change and he'll keep on playing games.

"The time has come to get rid of him. That's the way it is."

Days before the invasion began on March 22, 2003, the United Arab Emirates proposed to a summit of Arab leaders that Saddam and his henchmen should go into exile.

It was the first time the plan had been officially voiced but it was drowned out in the drumbeat of war.

A spokesman for Mr Aznar's foundation had no comment on its authenticity.

Bomb attacks killed 57 people in Iraq yesterday.

swangin and bangin:
nigga deserved to die
he killed so many innocent people for no reason

Laconic:
^I think death was the easy way out for him.  Solitary would suit him just fine I thought.  23 hours of cell time in the dark for the rest of his life.  That's punishment.

But the point of the article is that the whole war could have circumvented but we all know Bush & the neo-cons were going in no matter what.  This just lends more credence to the fact that it wasn't about WMD's, democracy, liberation, etc.  It's funny this was released right now cause the Pentagon just asked for 190 billion dollars over the next fiscal year for Iraq and Afghanistan.

CantCme213:

--- Quote from: swangin and bangin on September 27, 2007, 12:51:19 PM ---nigga deserved to die
he killed so many innocent people for no reason

--- End quote ---

So did/does Bush !

Also , How would u know what saddam did or didnt. Are u from Iraq ?
If not , THEN STFU

CantCme213:
U americans are more happy about saddams dead than the iraqi people.
U guys are jokers man. LOL , like he did all those things to u guys.

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