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Print this page Saddam agreed to exile if he could take $1b - report http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Iraq/10156617.html 09/28/2007 09:44 AM | Los Angeles Times-Washington Post Washington: Less than a month before the US invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussain signalled that he was willing to go into exile as long as he could take with him $1 billion and information on weapons of mass destruction, according to a report of a February 22, 2003, meeting between US President George W. Bush and his Spanish counterpart published by a Spanish newspaper. The meeting at Bush's Texas ranch was a planning session for a final diplomatic push at the United Nations. The White House was preparing to introduce a tough new Security Council resolution to pressure Saddam, but most council members saw it as a ploy to gain their authorisation for war. Spain's prime minister at the time, Jose Maria Aznar, expressed hope that war might be avoided - or at least supported by a UN majority - and Bush said that outcome would be "the best solution for us" and "would also save us $50 billion [about Dh183 billion]", referring to the initial US estimate of what the Iraq war would cost. But Bush made it clear in the meeting that he expected to "be in Baghdad at the end of March". "It's like Chinese water torture," he said of the UN negotiations. "We've got to put an end to it." White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe declined to comment on the report in El Pais, which also posted what it said was a leaked transcript of the meeting on its web site. "We're more focused on the task at hand rather than 2003," Johndroe said. A senior administration official said he doubted the $1 billion claim - an offer reportedly transmitted through Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak - but said he could not be sure. He said the general account of the meeting sounded plausible but did not offer details. In the conversation, Aznar returned to the subject. "Is it true there's a possibility Saddam Hussain might go into exile?" "Yes, it's possible," Bush responded. "It's also possible he could be assassinated." In any case, Bush said, there would be "no guarantee" for Saddam. "He's a thief, a terrorist and a war criminal. Compared to Saddam, [former Yugoslav president Slobodan] Milosevic would be a Mother Teresa." "The only thing that worries me is your optimism," Aznar said. "I'm optimistic because I believe I'm right," Bush replied. "I'm at peace with myself." DEFENCE Tribal police hope to fight Al Qaida Sunni shaikhs in Saddam Hussain's hometown Tikrit and in other regions north of Baghdad have begun forming tribal police units to combat Al Qaida, a senior US general said. Major-General Benjamin Mixon said tribal "awakening" councils, where locals sign up to police their own communities, had begun to spread in his area of command. - Reuters Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
