Iraq PM worried Saddam would avoid hanging

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki was concerned that if Saddam Hussein was not hanged quickly he would somehow avoid the gallows, a senior U.S. official in Baghdad was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

The official told The New York Times that Maliki, who rushed to execute Saddam four days after an appeal on his death sentence on crimes against humanity failed, was worried insurgents would stage a mass kidnapping and use it as a bargaining chip to secure the release of the former president.

"His concern was security, and that ... maybe there would be a mass kidnapping to bargain for Saddam Hussein's release," the official said.

"He was concerned that he might somehow get free."
more:http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L03125071.htm


From the NYT's
~snip~
The American official said that Mr. Maliki had never fully explained his urgency in carrying out the death sentence, which was upheld last Tuesday in an appeals court ruling that set off a 30-day countdown for executions to be carried out after a final appeal has been turned down. But the prime minister gave one explanation that appeared to weigh heavily on his mind, the American said, and that was his fear that Mr. Hussein might be the subject of an insurgent attempt to free him if the procedural wrangling over the execution were protracted.

“His concern was security, and that there was a danger that if it continued, maybe there would be a mass kidnapping to bargain for Saddam Hussein’s release,” the official said. “He was concerned that he might somehow get free.”

The American decision to confirm that they had opposed the quick execution came after days of silence from the American Embassy and the United States military command in Baghdad, which appeared to have been shocked, like so many others, by the unofficial video recording that showed the bedlam at the gallows.

With some Iraqi politicians raising fresh demands for Mr. Maliki’s dismissal, the Americans, in offering to have a senior official discuss the matter in a telephone interview with The New York Times, appeared eager to protect the Bush administration from a fresh surge of criticism for its handling of events in Iraq.

more:http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/03/world/middleeast/03iraq.html

[Eugene]

1. This excuse isn't just lame, it's insulting.

They had 4 days to work out a story better than this one.
They're not even trying anymore.

Shrubya, by his own admission, killed 30,000 people to get Saddam.
He was going to let something as small as a mass kidnapping stop him?
I don't think so.

[maddezmom]

2. agree, how much longer do you think Maliki will be in charge?

I'm waiting for the Hecka-va Job comment from Bush and then a resignation from Maliki to spend more time with his family

[Eugene]

5. Maliki will probably stay through the early part of the "surge."

Maliki's departure now will upstage Bush's new strategy.
Maliki will still be around for the State of the Union
but not for the long term, especially if the "surge"
involves taking on Sadr and the Mehdi Army.

[bklyncowgirl]

3. Unnamed official in Times article refused to comment on White House involvement in the decision

This is pretty damning.

When asked if that decision had been made in the White House, the Americans refused to say, noting only that it came some time before the final exchanges on Friday night. Mr. Hussein was hanged at 6:10 a.m. on Saturday, about seven hours after what the officials said was their final attempt to postpone the hanging.

It's clear that orders came from Washington--or Crawford. No surprise here.

[wakeme2008]

4. BULLSHIT with a capital BULL

How many months was he in jail/trial, if ppl wanted him freed they would have "mass kidnapping to bargain for Saddam Hussein’s release"

Oh DUHHHHHHHH

[tanyev]

6. Or maybe the aliens would come and teleport him out of the jail cell.

[magellan]

7. Like the outcome has been in question for three years

Maliki lies nearly as well as Bush** does...which suggests his lame excuse comes straight from the WH.

[DemBones DemBones]

8. Has anyone else wondered if

the man who was hanged was really Saddam? We know he often used lookalikes. Anyone know how his identity was proven?

(Yes, I think a lookalike would say "You've got the wrong guy" if he was on trial for his life, but would it matter? Defendants claim innocence all the time, after all.)