Iraq Made 11th-Hour Appeal to Avert War, Intermediaries Say

New York Times ^ | 11-05-03

[pierrem15]

At one point, the intermediary said in an interview, the Iraqis pledged to hold elections.

A kinder, gentler Saddam.

Right.

[pfflier]

And we know how Saddam Hussein is (was) a man of his word.

[Billthedrill]

Uh...Saddam did hold elections, remember? Got purt near 99.9% of the votes, too. Popular fellow.

[MJY1288]

"This reads like the script for another Mini Series, that CBS may be considering"

This time it's ABC's turn to be made a fool of, I believe ABC is the one who broke this story

[boomop1]

Calling for the BS meter.

[wimpycat]

Mr. Perle said he found it "puzzling" that the Iraqis would use such a complicated series of contacts to communicate "a quite astonishing proposal" to the Bush administration.

Of course he found it "puzzling". I don't believe those people are capable of doing anything straightforwardly.

[MJY1288]

I think this is actually a SNL skit, it can't be for real :-)

[Brian S]

It will be interesting to hear Richard Perle's expanded "take" on these reports.

Richard was all but the Lord here on FR pre-attack. I trust that hasn't changed?

[sticker]

This whole thing sounds like what Schellenberg pulled off right before WW2, he captured an English agent and a Belgian. Claimed the Germans wanted to prevent a war.

[Shermy]

Iraq made tens, hundreds of "appeals."

France said no to enforcement.

[PhiKapMom]

I wouldn't believe anything the NY Times wrote including it was going to be sunny tomorrow here in Oklahoma. I would have to wait and see for myself.

Don't trust anyone associated with the NY Times or anythiing they write because if someone was ethical, they would have quit under Raines!

[wimpycat]

Not with me it hasn't. I never felt that strongly about him one way or the other.

[weegee]

Almost as popular as Fidel...

[Jeff Chandler]

This was the lead article on ABC radio news all day (not a word about the rat memo). They made it sound as if war could have been avoided because of it.

[Coeur de Lion]

This story has all the distinct characteristics of being manufactured. It seems awfully convenient that every argument which was made by those who were opposed to the war with Iraq are being confirmed by this man. Not just one, not two, not three, but all of them! What are the chances of that?

[Brian S]

I know this will be no conciliation but ABC News broke with this story this afternoon. It was running on all their ABC Radio newscasts and was the lead story on the ABC Evening news w/Jennings.

That thread can be found here...Possible Deal Aborted? Claim: U.S. Government Spurned Peace Talks Before the War With Iraq

[Dog]

In light of the DEM memo.......I wonder if this was leaked to the Times from someone on the Intelligence Committee....I don't think the Pentagon's email's are available to reporters..

This smells like a RAT planted story.

[Fledermaus]

We had enough high ranking officials in Iraq on the CIA payroll before the war we would have known these overtures were false.

[F.J. Mitchell]

You're right, I saw it on Jennings ABC Gnus.

[Drango]

Saddam Hussein wanted to make a deal

I have proof that this is true and correct! My brother dated a girl, who had a cousin, that used to share a room with a foreign exchange student that knew the son-in-law of an Iraqi General. This general once read a memo that can confirm every bit of this story if he hadn't defected to a villa in France where a digruntaled former wife shot him for shacking up with a washed up film star. Every bit could have been confirmed.