Posted on 05/30/2004 9:16:04 AM PDT by freepatriot32
May 30) -- 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.
Always something new to see or hear. Why stick around for anything less Ern !.........:o)
Stay safe !
Clinton probably already has the same stuff as Uday and Kusay in his personal collection
pong
Actually I always thought that saying about old dogs was wrong. It's actually dumb dogs that you can't teach new tricks to. We all know people in that category.
Do you know who the artist of this painting is, or anything more about the painting? I was surprised how familiar it seems to me.
Back when America was a free country, and the political class trusted soldiers to bring home enemy guns.
Have you ever seen President Bush behave in any manner other than personally humble ? He is unfailingly appreciative of his blessings and for the opportunity to be CinC and always credits the hard work of others. So, if, in fact, he does have that pistol then I'm sure any pride he might have exhibited was for the calibre of our troops and for the humane treatment that murdering dictator received when captured.
Remember Bush is the Commander in Chief. He's merely keeping it at his "duty station" in that role. All gun bans (except the Lautenberg Domestic Violence lifetime ban) make exceptions for police and military when on duty.
Besides the writ of the DC city council does not extend into the White House. What do you suppose the Secret Service would do if Da Mayor sent his minions to collect the weapon and arrest it's owner? Might be interesting to watch and somewhat entertaining as well.
Yep. At least they have Saddam locked up now. In Qatar, the last I heard.
No its a spoil of war. It's part of the enemy's military equipment and as such is a legitimate "prize". Empire has nothing do with it. We weren't trying to incorporate Germany or Germany, Japan and Italy into any American Empire either.
If the FedGov weren't so anal about private citizens, including current and former military personnel, owning firearms of any sort, lots of soldiers would be bringing home captured Iraqi weapons, as they once brought home captured Mausers, Lugers, Nambo's and sundry Japanese swords. I think alot of that is due to the blatantly unconstitutional National Firearms Act, and the widespread adoption of full auto individual weapons after WW-II.
exactly.
I rather think it could end up in the Presidential Library, as have many gifts from Foreign leaders. This one may not exactly have been a voluntary gift but it was from a foregin leader. Think of it more like an appreciation plaque or other gift given to outgoing CO's from the troops. They don't leave those for the next CO. They end up on the wall of someone's den or sometimes their post service employment office.
Those are not "spoils of war" like captured weapons are. Taking them is looting. Not the same thing at all.
Probably not, there are usually exemptions for military personel on duty.
Killed by the gun grabbers. Including some within the Army and other service bureaucracies.
Some of it does end up in Presidential Libraries. I suspect this one will, although you might be right, it might end up in a Museum, hopefully a military one.
Speaking of which, the Churchill bust which is mentioned in the article is I'm pretty certain, the one that was in Algore's office which he just happened to "accidentally" abscond, and which he was forced to return, because Pres. Bush had wanted it for his own office.
The Churchill bust was packed away in Algore's boxes, and was already out of Washington, I meant to add.
The artist is Childe Hassam; you may have seen it hanging on the wall next to the door to the Rose Garden when Clinton was president.
I'm truly grateful that this Administration sees these treasures as belonging to the American people and have quietly gone about bringing them home ... how many, I think we'll never know.
And wasn't it Linda Tripp's job in the new Clinton Administration to catalog all gifts coming into the White House? Her Heinous gave her orders to disregard the cataloging. Again, one of our FReepers (was it Howlin?) caught sight of Shillery presenting a fabulous purse to some dignitary ... one that had been given to Her Heinous that should have been cataloged for the American people.
This is just part of the reasons for my one, consistent prayer for the Clintons ... that the Lord would render the Clintons, and ALL their minions, totally powerless and useless and nameless and faceless and voiceless and homeless and penniless, and that He would strip them bare before the world, such is their evil, leaving only their immortal souls, and it is for these souls I pray ...
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