[freekitty]

Screw him. Strong letter to follow.

[ScottFromSpokane]

If he's so rich, why ain't he smart?

[Kurt_D]

Send Mandela to meet Saddam? Aha... Branson is right on the money. It takes a terrorist to convince another terrorist!

[Allah AtBar]

What is stopping them from assisting the Iraqi people now?

[piasa]

The invasion has inspired him to set up a group of non-political figures called the Elders to help avert future conflicts.
He added: "It's in its infancy but Mandela has agreed to be the founding father."

Sounds to me like "The Elders" are the British equivalent to the Democrat "Shadow Government."

It must really smart every time the left on both sides of the Atlantic hear us say "thank God the grownups are in charge."

[piasa]

DECEMBER 2002 : (CESR DIRECTOR ROGER NORMAN CONTACTS SCOTT RITTER ABOUT THE IDEA OF SENDING A DELEGATION TO IRAQ, APPARENTLY INVOLVING FORMER US PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER & SOUTH AFRICAN NELSON MANDELA) [Scott] Ritter says he was contacted in December 2002, by Roger Norman, the director of the Center for Economic and Social Responsibility (CESR), about the idea of sending a high-level delegation to Iraq. Ritter says that the plan was "conceptually designed around the figures of Nelson Mandela and Jimmy Carter." The plan died and Ritter decided to take the initiative.
-----AIM Report: Saddam's Secret Campaign to Stop the War Accuracy in Media ^ | December 23, 2004 | AIM

[Cowboy Bob]

He even got United Nations chief Kofi Annan's approval for the plan, despite fears that Saddam might kidnap Mandela.

I would have paid to see that!

[doug from upland]

Saddam was given a chance to leave the country. He could have taken his billions to probably several countries that would have given him exile. He chose not to do so.