Saddam's Moscow holiday ???

[HFTrogg]

Tarez Aziz stated that the Americans want to invade due to oil.... Gee really ???

Ref the holiday in Moscow, "Sky news" reported that Russia refuses to conment on Saddam being offered refuge in Moscow...

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-12214260,00.html

Pass the suntan lotion, and DKP1. please    

 

[Bravo2sugars]

Other recent media reports have suggested that Saddam, or at least one of his sons, Quasay and Uday, have been asking around places other than Moscow as potential refuges for family members. Libya was mentioned, but I can't see Gaddaffi being stupid enough to risk giving the US an excuse to turn go after him.

The Moscow story is certainly intruiging, there is an element of Whitehall and Washington leaving a route out for Saddam in order to prevent a protracted and costly war. The Russians have certainly got good conections with Iraq and if Saddam did leave power voluntarily and go into exile then Moscow would make sense. Once he becomes a 'guest' of President Putin then it is highly unlikely he would ever leave Russia again.

 

[PartTimePongo]

I can see him being offered a Dacha on the Caspian , and really, would it be so bad, to have Saddam and his offspring banged up oooops errrr offered retirement in that part of the world?

Bung him a couple of Hundred Mil to move, and stop us having to take Iraq at Bayonet point, with all the issues that involves.

I'd far rather be involved in the rebuilding of a nation, to achieve it's potential, than razing it to the ground, for dubious motives.
But that, is just a personal view.

 

[Secret_Squirrel]

What about Saudi Arabia - Jeddah is home to Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada, holder of the VC, WC and Bar; otherwise he could always head off to Harare to live as a guest of Mad Bob Mugabe, like 'Red Terror' Mengistu.

However, don't forget that the Republican Guard and much of the political and administrative infrastructure are composed largely of Tikritis ... people who come from the same city/area as Saddam. If we recall what happened in Germany and Austria after the Second World War, then the chances are that the same people who are running the country now will largely be running it for that five year MilGov they are talking about.

The biggest problem I see is that Saddam is like Tito - get rid of him and the country will collapse. There is no credible opposition, hence the need for the MilGov. But do the Septics really think that they can install a viable puppet government in 5 years?

 

[Aunty Stella]

B2S has hit the nail on the head again.

If the reports are true, the sceptics and the ruskis have given tw*t boy a way out where he can retain considerable wealth (and his life), make lots of noises that only a few will listen to and the "pass away peacefully" in about 3 years.

The sceptics won't be able to retain a "puppet" government there, but lets be honest, any change of regime that eliminates the Insane family is obviously going to be more friendly towards the west (as it will have been us who bought that change around) and therefore a bit easier with the oil.

If they (We) can bring Mr Tw*t down, no-one who takes over is ever going to try and piss us off to the same extent as they will only have to look back in history and think "well, they bought Sadam down, I could be next".

They can be independent, individual, rich and happy as long as they sell us the oil and don’t give terrorists big bombs and wads of cash.

I know that the west supported him in the past etc, etc, but by spouting that, we are all a bit naive. The US gave Stalin the vehicles that he needed to reach Berlin before us, doesn’t mean that we were his buddy after though does it? It served our purpose at the time to support a maniac mass murderer who was probably, in retrospect, worse than Hitler.

We fight for what is right at the time, some of us might not think it is, some of us might honestly see the bigger picture and know that it isn't, some of us might see the bigger picture and know that it is, doesn't matter, Queens shilling and all that.

Who amongst us can honestly say that the Iraqi people (and therefore our petrol) would be worse off under a pseudo western style government than they are under the present fcuking idiot?

Lets not beat around the bush (pun?), this is an oil war with the well being of the Iraqi's a distant second goal, but both could end up benefiting from a regime change.

Lets not forget, we work (or worked the first time round) for the people of our country and our country needs cheap oil. In a fcuked up way, an oil war is a war for the way of life that we lead, we just don't like to see it like that.

Roll on the day when North Sea oil and wind power can generate all that we need. That way we won't have to give a sh1t about the Arabs and the minority in this country that really do (bleeding heart liberals is the required term I believe) can go out there of their own free will and do something about it.

Anyone that disagrees as to whether we as a nation really do give a t0ss about the Arabs, please feel free to start a poll on this site to find out the answer.

Let him go to Moscow with a few billion, at least we shouldn't then have to subject the sprogs (my 1, 4 and 11 year olds included) to a GW3.

 

[Secret_Squirrel]

Ummmm, one slight spanner in the works there with that scenario - prior to the invasion of Kuwait, Iraq's biggest clients for its oil were BP and Caltex (Texaco)!

The Russians are owed billions by the Iraqis for their Mig 29s, T72s etc, and they were also being paid in oil for that. Now that the oil fields in various -stans have been developed, they don't need the black gold so much but they certainly need the greenbacks!

I suspect that Shrub has had a quiet word with Putin and said that if he takes care of Sodd'ems living arrangements then they will honour the debts due to the Russkies.

Face is very important to people in that neck of the woods though and it will be interesting to see whether or not Saddam takes his dosh and runs, or fights on regardless of the odds against him.

Let's face it, the people back in Podunk, Illinois and Much Scratching, Wilts don't give a toss about the rag-heads but they will start getting a bit antsy when the bodybags start rolling home ... and that's when we will see who blinks first.

Personally, I hope that Saddam does take the easy option out as hopefully it will stop the Yanks blowing hell out of our lads ... don't those tw*ts get any training in vehicle recognition?

 

[RLCQMAN]

BEEN THERE ALREADY ONCE GOT THE MEDAL, BOUGHT ONE OF THE HUNDREDS OF T-SHIRTS AVAILABLE AND DON'T FANCY GOING AGAIN. HOWEVER, WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN TO MY BOSSES THAT THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO DO SOME, AND I QUOTE "VERY NEEDED TRAINING". HAVE DONE 17 YEARS NOW AND AM GETTING TIRED OF THE SHITE INVOLVED IN BEING A SOLDIER IRRELEVANT OF THE CURRENT CLIMATE. WHEN WILL WE JUST REALISE THAT WE DO THE JOB EVERY TIME ITS NEEDED WITHOUT ALL THE FUSS INVOLVED
HAVING SAID THAT SADDAM SODDING OFF TO RUSSIA A CRACKING IDEA AND HAVE A NUMBER OF SOLDIERS WILLING TO DO THE BAGGAGE WAGON ESCORT FOR HIM.