THE US, UN AND IRAQ V

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20031214_64.html

According to ABC News, Bush cancelled his church going this morning to work on his speech and avoid the press and any ill-thought out statements he might make.

Man, God's not gonna like Bush skipping services on a big day like today... :wink:

PDiddie, what is your point?

Are you unable to rise above your partisanship and polemics for anything at all?

Do you just wake up in a bad mood, george, or is your sense of humor permanently impaired?

Today's a day of celebration. We caught Saddam. Haven't you heard?

Try to act happy, for God's sake...

(edited to be a bit less personal...thanks blatham and nimh for rushing to my defense)

george

Yes, he is, as every post of PD's on this page demonstrates (other than the innocuous jibe you point to).

Damn!

Thats amazing. Booyaa! <big smile>

I really hadnt expected that anymore! Howdthey find 'em? That's really good news.

That should make the Americans a lot more popular among Iraqis, for the moment!

So who's the highest man on the 'most wanted' list left now? I mean, would there be anyone with enough authority left to take over 'control' of the insurgents?

Anyone know yet who the "other regime figures" they caught are?

What are they gonna do with him?

(Oh and georgeob1 - try to read all of someone's immediately recent posts on a thread before flaming him like that ... PDiddie's been both happy and factual in his most every post on this news since he was the first to bring it here ... do you have anything useful to say about it, too?)

Well, I was still on the first cup of coffee. If your intent was lighthearted, then I apologize.

A quick scan of the last two pages of this thread had not suggested to me that there was anything lighthearted going on here. On the contrary mean-spirited polemic and propaganda was the rule.

It's tough to predict what, if anything, might change in terms of resistance. That seems likely to hinge on whether the resistance is originating out of a pro-Sadaam loyalty or from a broader anti-western mindset. el Quaeda won't be influenced, I think, nor anything in Afghanistan, so those problems remain ongoing even if we get lucky and find resistance in Iraq diminishing significantly.

So the consequence of Sadaam's capture might be more in the sphere of PR than anywhere else, with a boost for the administration. But as btrflynet suggests above, how long-lasting that will be depends on a lot of other factors too.

The really interesting immediate question for me is...what will they do with him? Maximal PR gain domestically will be Rove's prime consideration. Possibly we'll see a realistic mockup of the jail in Mayberry built for the oval office and george grabbing Sadaam by the scruff and tossing him inside.

Rumsfeld and the Pentagon will have some concerns that Sadaam isn't allowed any sort of a forum where he might relate past dealings and agreements with them (the sort that would give St. Peter pause), so Dianne Sawyer won't be getting access.

The ICC actually has some French people in its organization, so that's out.

Keep him or give him to the Iraqis?

On reflection...I think they will turn him over while ensuring that what happens with Sadaam is exactly what they want to have happen. Win/win.

The fact that Saddam was caught like a rat in a hole, that he did not resist or even kill himself, will take some wind out of the sails of some of his fanatic supporters.

The Baath government of Syria must now contemplate a changed situation.

It is obvious that the U.S. will hold Saddam for eventual disposition at the hands of a new Iraqi government. The prospect of this process, happening before the eyes of the world, will be of profound significance to the governments of other Moslem countries.

It is possible that significant new details concerning the past relations between Saddam's government and France will now emerge. It is also possible that the prospect of such revelations will cause Chirac to suddenly find a reason to publicly rejoice in this event.

...and, it occurs to me that though Rove's team has a group of boys and girls well versed in the techniques of Hollywood (the Leni Rovenstahls), they are disadvantaged in having watched WAY too many viewings of Terminator and Independence Day and not enough Frank Capra.

Here's what I would have done...

Keep Sadaam's beard and hair and dye them white. Christmas is coming. Put him in Macys. On his lap, a fresh-faced rosy-cheeked little fella from Idaho or the south Bronx. The kid's big wide eyes look up. "Santa...I just want my daddy to come home...he's a soldier." The bright lights of the mall pick up a teardrop coursing down Sadaam's cheek. A bright glisten...the ring of a silver bell...cut to the Bush family christmas dinner with Billy Grapham saying grace....slow pan outside to snowfall and flag.

Yes, it is also possible that Bush will have a sex-change in the next few days.

Now mine is admittedly a "possibility" posited without a shred of supporting evidence. If yours isn't I'd like to know whatcha got.

As to positive statements that's predictable without the alluded to skeletons.

Oh, what a gloriously twisted mind you have, blatham. Kudoes!

When the sun comes up tomorrow, other than one less rat in a rat hole, what will change for Joe Iraqi?

craven

I think george was just returning my little dig about the ICC and Rumsfeld. True, it didn't quite make it over the net, but it was a return.

Kara

Kiss.

Bogus implication: that, in principle, Chirac would not rejoice at this event.

Thats one of the most tired (and non-credible) arguments waved at the opponents of the US/UK war: that they are somehow sympathisers of Saddam, or something. "Oh, you cant be happy that Saddam has been caught / has lost power / is dead, because you opposed the war!".

Well, the truth is, of course we are - and some of us (though admittedly not Chirac) opposed him already when you people were still doing business with him. Chirac was never rooting for Saddam - he just didnt agree with your way of dealing with him. How hard is that to get?

blatham,

Too bad, I was hoping for juicy details.

Just read your comment, look for an Iraqi court. The ICC was aped but will nto be used.

Yes, nimh.

Ge, everything will change. I think we all know that. He had enormous symbolic power while he was still unfound, and the fear factor (that he might return) could not be discounted. I think this is the beginning of a sea change.

Amen, you can find quotes by Chirac and Schoder wishing things for Saddam like death and such.