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Hussein might have gone?

2007-09-27 20:01:08.500726+00 by Dan Lyke 8 comments

Interesting: The Daily Mail reports that transcripts of a February 2003 meeting between George Bush and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar say that Saddam Hussein was willing to step down and go into exile, in exchange for half a billion dollars.

[ related topics: Politics Dictators ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: made: 2007-09-27 22:42:45.198534+00 by: Mark A. Hershberger

I wonder how many other unpleasent people (like a U.S. President, say) we could get rid of for a pittance like that...

#Comment Re: made: 2007-09-27 23:12:16.205637+00 by: spc476

But doesn't that set up a bad precedent? And even if Hussein was to step down, what's keeping the next guy from acting belligerent and getting a nice fat payout from the US as well?

#Comment Re: made: 2007-09-28 00:09:35.910449+00 by: Dan Lyke

Yeah, it sounds like there were some other conditions on there too that'd make the offer as presented (and reported by The Daily Mail via some staffer to the Spanish Prime Minister who... well...) somewhat untenable, however, it seems that:

#Comment Re: made: 2007-09-28 06:19:40.955247+00 by: TheSHAD0W

Are you sure about this? I seem to recall a recent movie about an evil man demanding... One... BILLION... DOLLARS!!!

#Comment Re: made: 2007-09-28 12:50:01.89608+00 by: Dan Lyke

Given that all three of that franchise were released prior to this alleged discussion, the demand may indeed have been made with a pinky at the side of the mouth.

#Comment Re: made: 2007-09-29 20:05:27.550067+00 by: polly

sure! give him the money. let him step down for what? a YEAR? THEN watch him step right up. who is going to stop him?

where is the billion coming from? or will that be in increments of $5000 bonds? we have got the most ridiculous country/government that comes up with some really dumb ideas.

#Comment Re: made: 2007-09-30 01:10:36.938449+00 by: Dan Lyke

Polly, similar things have been done for/to dictators before, many of whom are easily in the Saddam Hussein class. And if you look at some of Africa's worst offenders, we've paid as much to some of the sleazeballs who are still in power.

Compared to the costs of the war, sometimes it's cheap. At the very least it says that there was a basis for negotiation. The terms as presented in that article aren't acceptable, but the possibility was in the air.

#Comment Re: made: 2007-09-30 19:29:47.460693+00 by: polly

..."And if you look at some of Africa's worst offenders, we've paid as much to some of the sleazeballs who are still in power." did we (joe public) know about this? have i not been keeping up with politics closely enough and what is going on in the world? i feel like an ostrich with it's head in the ground...GOOD GRIEF!