Saddam kept up weapons illusion

The Australian ^ | January 25, 2008 | Staff

[forkinsocket]

FORMER Iraqi president Saddam Hussein kept up the illusion that he had weapons of mass destruction before 2003 because he did not think the United States would invade, an FBI agent who questioned him said.

In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes to be broadcast on Sunday, FBI agent George Piro describes conversations with Saddam in the months after his capture in December 2003.

Piro said Saddam, who was hanged for crimes against humanity in December 2006, wanted to maintain the image of a strong Iraq to deter Iran, its historic enemy, from hostile action.

"He told me he initially miscalculated ... President (George W) Bush's intentions. He thought the United States would retaliate with the same type of attack as we did in 1998 ... a four-day aerial attack," Piro said.

"He survived that one and he was willing to accept that type of attack," Piro said, according to excerpts of the interview released today.

CBS correspondent Scott Pelley asks Piro: "He didn't believe the US would invade?" Piro answers: "No, not initially."

No Iraqi weapons of mass destruction were found despite the Bush administration's warnings before the March 2003 invasion that Iraq's arsenal of banned weapons presented a threat to its neighbours and US interests.

Once the invasion was certain, Saddam asked his generals if they could hold the invaders for two weeks, Piro said.

[forkinsocket]

.

[Question Liberal Authority]

Saddam Lied! People Died!

[Sacajaweau]

Look....Saddam didn’t trust anyone. There’s no reason to believe that he told the truth anytime he opened his mouth.

[massgopguy]

Saddam needed his people to believe he still had his arsenal. Otherwise he would have been hung long ago.

[angcat]

FORMER Iraqi president Saddam Hussein kept up the illusion that he had weapons of mass destruction before 2003 because he did not think the United States would invade, an FBI agent who questioned him said.

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. Was Saddam the Houdini of the Middle East.

[mountainlyons]

What happened to the WMDs the UN were inspecting? Why did Sadman give a bunch of fighter jets to Iran if he was afraid to be attacked by Iran? What about the banned rockets that he had that that he attacked the invasion with?

I find this FIB guy unbelievable.

[KarlInOhio]

Saddam’s being interrogated by the FBI, CIA and FDIC and he knows that we haven’t found stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons (maybe a leftover shell or three from the Iran-Iraq war or gassing the Kurds, but no stockpiles). If he did have them or their precursors and he hid them, he has no reason to admit that. He still had hopes (delusions?) that we would have to put him back in power because “he was the only one who could control Iraq”. If he had them and admitted it or if he never had them but claimed that he did hide them, he knew he would never get back into power. If he claims that he didn’t have them and we had no evidence that he did, he still thought he had a chance of not getting his neck stretched. Thus his claims provide no useful information.

[Sacajaweau]

Saddam....The other Baghdad Bob.

[pnh102]

I like how the pro-Saddam crowd claims that it was only US intelligence that “screwed up” prior to the start of the Iraq War. If I remember correctly, just about every foreign intelligence service, even those in countries that opposed the war, made the claim that Saddam had WMDs.

[jrd]

I’v always felt the US was so sure he had the WMD because we do doubt gave them to hime to protect his country from IRAN whe Jimmy Carter bungled the mideast!

[hawkaw]

No Iraqi weapons of mass destruction were found despite the Bush administration's ...

Not true as more than 500 WMDs have been found.

Then the MSM moved the goal posts.

What is true is that no stockpiles of WMDs have been found.

[Adder]

If he REALLY didn’t have these weapons, he surely would have given some back channel high sign, like to his buddy Jacques Chirac.
I am not buying this very much...tho the media is going to jump all over it and ooohhh and ahhhhh.

[Never did understand why anyone would believe a liar...]

[Patton@Bastogne]

.


CBS correspondent Scott Pelley asks Piro: "He didn't believe the US would invade?" Piro answers: "No, not initially."


Understandment of the 21st Century: Saddam's "No, not initially" ... (LOL)


A Salute to My President !


Patton-at-Bastogne


.

[NutCrackerBoy]

What Saddam is reported to have said in some interrogations has been public for a long time, including what is reported in this piece.

There is no reason to believe he was being truthful in anything he said to this FBI agent.

[dfwgator]

Saddam didn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. He violated the 1991 Cease Fire. On that basis alone, the invasion of Iraq was justified, WMDs or no.

[TADSLOS]

...according to Saddam. The fountain of virtue and truth. /s/

[Khepri]

What crap. Trucks, Syria. US satellite saw them. Israeli satellite saw them. Two of Saddam’s general confirmed what was on the trucks IIRC.