Posted on 05/30/2004 7:02:17 AM PDT by nypokerface
When Saddam Hussein was rousted from his spider hole in Dawr, a town near Tikrit, by U.S. soldiers last December, Iraq's fallen dictator was clutching a pistol. He is now in detention at an undisclosed location, being questioned by American authorities and awaiting charges for war atrocities and crimes against humanity. But what ever happened to the pistol?
The sidearm has made its way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sources say that the military had the pistol mounted after the soldiers seized it from Saddam and that it was then presented to the President privately by some of the troops who played a key role in ferreting out the old tyrant. Though it was widely reported at the time that the pistol was loaded when they grabbed Saddam, Bush has told visitors that the gun was empty—and that it is still empty and safe to touch. "He really liked showing it off," says a recent visitor to the White House who has seen the gun. "He was really proud of it."
The pistol's new place of residence is in the small study next to the Oval Office where Bush takes select visitors after pointing out better-known White House pieces like the busts of Winston Churchill and Dwight D. Eisenhower and a watercolor called A Charge to Keep, which gets its name from a Methodist hymn. The study—the one where Bill Clinton held some of his infamous trysts with White House intern Monica Lewinsky—has become a place where Bush keeps the memorabilia that hold special significance for him. Another of the room's mementos: a photograph of special-forces soldiers in Afghanistan praying after burying a piece of the World Trade Center there as a tribute to those who died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
This is somehow evil, right? It must be.
This is my pistol, this is my gun....ping.
AIII! With the treacherous gun so close to the President!?! Doesn't he know that the evil gun might just start shooting at any time?!?! What is the Secret Service thinking!
I like how George,Sr "playfully" shoved Clinton yesterday. I like it. I like it a lot.
Pistol? What ever happened to Saddam?
Since that ancient weasel was captured there has been a complete blackout on news about him. It has been rumored that the CIA is in charge of his investigation, in which case whatever Saddam tells them will be completely lost in the translation unless there's anything that can possibly embarrass Bush before the election.
I'm just happy that bozo Saddam didn't try to use it on our troops.
Remember that you said that in a year.
It would have been much, much better if he had.
That's a great story. Thanks for posting it. That the military thought to hang on to the pistol and get it to the president TELLS IT ALL about how they feel about his leadership.
So does this mean the D.C. handgun ban has been lifted?
rule 1.- all guns are always loaded, all the time. We never base the "safety" of a given weapon on whether or not it's loaded- we stay safe by using safe gun handling procedures.
What?! I missed it. Who, when, where, why, what were the circumstances? Any links?
It was at yesterday's WWII memorial. They seemed to be joking and then all of a sudden Ol' George just shoves Clinton in the chest-it was all in fun, of course but I think the old man could have taken him easily.
I'm sure the ban has an exception for military and law enforcment. The President has the pistol at his duty station in his role as commander in chief.
Besides, I'm sure he'd say that the City Council of Washington can go kiss his ... well you know. Although he'd find a milder way to say it.
Of course he could, you don't see Burger Boy jumping of any perfectly good airplanes do you? I think a bit Aggie has worn off on GHW Bush since his Presidential library was put at A&M.
I'm just happy that bozo Saddam didn't try to use it on our troops.
Remember that you said that in a year.
It would have been much, much better if he had.
You need to explain this comment.
Had Saddam used the pistol, he'd probably be dead now. Contrast that with Iraq possibly letting him go, or his escaping.
Saddam is waiting for his Napoleon moment-when he throws open his cloak and says, "Soldiers of Iraq! Kill me now, or follow me to obliterate the infidel!"
We should have killed him when we had the chance.
We should have killed him when we had the chance.
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