Saddam Whereabouts Still a Mystery (STUPID MEDIA ALERT)

Reuters ^ | 12/15/03

[Wolfstar]

LONDON (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein's whereabouts remained a mystery Monday even after his capture, with CNN reporting he had been moved to the Gulf state of Qatar and an Iraqi official insisting he was still in Iraq.

The plot only thickened when the U.S. military declined to say where it was keeping the former dictator, who was still being hidden after eight months hiding himself.

"For security reasons we cannot identify where he is at the moment," Captain Bruce Frame from U.S. Central Command in Florida told Reuters.

U.S.-led troops who toppled Saddam, 66, in April captured him Saturday in a dirt hole near his hometown of Tikrit. The Central Command has its war headquarters in Qatar.

The U.S.-based CNN, monitored in London, said "Saddam Hussein is being held in a U.S. installation in Qatar."

"There is no truth to this news. Saddam is still in Iraq. Saddam will be put on trial in Baghdad in an Iraqi court that will be fair," Muwafaq al-Rubaiye, a member of Iraq's Governing Council, told Dubai-based Al Arabiya television.

A senior Qatari official said: "It is very unlikely that Saddam would be brought to Qatar...I am not aware of any developments on this front."

The U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, declined comment on Saddam's whereabouts.

"He's being held at an undisclosed location where we've made all the provisions to ensure his health is maintained, we keep him safe and we make sure we are getting from him the information that will be necessary for us to continue the mission we've been assigned here," Sanchez told CNN.

"He has been talkative ... cooperative in the sense that he is complying with the instructions and he is answering willingly the questions that are being asked of him. I wouldn't describe 'cooperative' in the sense of freely giving us information yet.

"He is being accorded all the rights of a prisoner of war. We are going to treat him humanely we are going to treat him according to the Geneva Conventions, but his .. status has yet to be determined."

[Wolfstar]

This has to qualify for the Dumber-Than-A-Box-Of-Rocks media award of the year. Do they seriously think the Army is going to risk an assassination attempt on Saddam by telling them were the man is being held?

BTW, does anyone remember which CNN dolt reported yesterday that Hussein was in Qatar? Either that was made up by the reporter, or it was disinformation. Either way, the reporter just burbled and gushed out the "news." Useful idiot.

[OpusatFR]

I would have told them that he's being held at Reuter's Central Office.

That would take care of at least one news outlet.

[sarasota]

Geraldo reported the same thing last night at 9, indicating it had been reported by the "Arab Press". He soon after corrected himself saying that the "AP report" (!) was incorrect.

[Shermy]

Where do you think he is?

[richardtavor]

No, at {Peter Jennings New York Office....

[nothingnew]

I would have told them that he's being held at Reuter's Central Office.

The Baghdad office, of course....Excellent.

FMCDH

[Ditto]

Do they seriously think the Army is going to risk an assassination attempt on Saddam by telling them were the man is being held?

I can't think who would want to harm him now that he's safe behind bars and has so much information to give us?

Who could it be?

[RebelBanker]

Wolf Blitzer said he is at Baghdad International Airport a few minutes ago. Sounds to me like there are a bunch of people guessing wildly, but without any real information.

[Sunshine Sister]

Good thinking!

[WOSG]

Dumb! ... especially given that Saddam's underlings are in Iraq and would love to attack any facility hosting him to help hi bust out.

That's right up there with the reporters asking Norman S. in Gulf War One for more details on his secret battle plans!

[Gabz]

Just when you start thinking they can't get any lamer...............something like this shows up.

SHEESH

[dirtboy]

Wolf Blitzer said he is at Baghdad International Airport a few minutes ago

They should take all the old "Saddam Hussein International Airport" signs and burn them in the courtyard outside Saddam's cell.

[SF Republican]

Sounds to me like there are a bunch of people guessing wildly, but without any real information and this is different than typical newcasters/journalists?

[rabidralph]

Saddam is in Connecticut, receiving home decorating tips from Martha Stewart.

[DugwayDuke]

"Saddam is in Connecticut, receiving home decorating tips from Martha Stewart."

Did you mean to say "hole" rather than "home".

[mplsconservative]

Good one! Maybe Martha could teach him how to make doily-dresses for his pet rats. I can think of a few human RATs that deserve to be wearing doily dresses too.

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

Who cares where Sodom Whoshame is, I want to know...

[m1-lightning]

He's in the brig on the USS "You Wouldn't Figure It Out In A Million Years".

[ladyinred]

If this stupid leftist media of ours finds out, they will tell the world, putting our soldiers and Saddam in danger!

[Beck_isright]

I wish that CENTCOM would say he's first at the CNN bureau, then AP, then Reuters, then ABC, etc. It would solve a lot of problems.