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| Iraq |
| Saddam ’seen’ five days ago |
| 2003-10-02 |
| One day he’ll be ’seen’ by the 101st, after which he’ll be ’killed.’ EFL. Saddam Hussein was reportedly seen in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk five days ago and is moving in increasingly smaller circles in order to evade capture, Jalal Talabani, a leading member of Iraq’s governing council, said yesterday. Mr Talabani, who also heads the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of two main groups controlling the Kurdish north of the country, told the Guardian that he had received unconfirmed reports that the ousted Iraqi dictator had sheltered last weekend among a Sunni Arab community on the outskirts of Kirkuk. He said: "Saddam has good relations with those Arabs whom he brought to Kirkuk to ethnically cleanse the city of Kurds and Turkomens." I’m sure he does! Saddam had been moving between the Hawija area and the Kirkuk plain, sheltering among Sunni Arab tribespeople and Ba’ath loyalists who had gone to ground there after the collapse of the regime. Time for a few random checks of some Sunni tribespeoples. Perhaps we can upset Saddam’s itinerary. An officer with US forces stationed in Kirkuk yesterday said he was aware of the reported sighting but declined further speculation. "There have been many reports of Saddam around central Iraq. Some are plausible, others plainly not. We are conducting an ongoing operation for anyone, including the former leader, who presents a danger to stability in the country," he said. US forces in Kirkuk - which comprises a volatile mix of Kurds (the majority), Turko-men and Arabs - have been watching the city closely after reports that Islamic extremists slipping across the border with Iran have been gathering there to join forces with Ba’athists for attacks against US and foreign targets in Iraq. Time to bring down the flypaper and put up the bug-zapper. Mr Talabani, said that since then Kurds had already assisted in the capture of several of the figures on the US 55 most-wanted list, including Taher Yassin Ramadan, the former Iraqi vice-president, Sultan Hashem, the former defence minister, and Uday and Qusay Hussein. Kurdish security officials had also been involved in the capture of many important lower ranking Ba’ath party officials as well as a number of suspected Islamic terrorists. "Saddam cannot hide himself for ever," Mr Talabani said. "We are planning to get him." Time for a little ’Whack-A-Mole’! If Saddam is captured alive, Mr Talabani wants to see him tried in an Iraqi court. "I hope to see the war criminals tried in this country. And those who committed crimes in Kurdistan must be tried in Kurdistan," he said. "It must be our Nuremberg." Okay with me. But he said he opposed the death penalty for anyone found guilty of war crimes. "As a lawyer, I signed the global declaration against capital punishment. I remain committed to that signature." On the broader security issue in Iraq, Mr Talabani urged the US forces to hand over internal security to Iraqis. "It’s impossible for them to do it alone. I think it’s better for the liberation forces to cooperate and coordinate with all Iraqi opposition forces especially those forces who have roots in the society. "The best way is to deliver the responsibility of internal security to the Iraqi forces and Iraqi courts. Give the new minister of the interior authority and we will cooperate with him as will all other Iraqi parties and groups who want stability." Soon, maybe, but these security forces and courts have to prove themselves. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 It is very doubtful that Saddam would travel in Kurdish area. In fact, there is some chance Saddam is already dead. |
| Posted by: mhw 2003-10-2 8:22:14 AM |
| #1 Sadaams playing Marco/Palo with our forces. Sooner or later we'll take a peak at where he is and 'tag' him. ID# 256734. Name: Hussien, Sadaam. CoD: yet to be determined. |
| Posted by: Charles 2003-10-2 2:48:03 AM |