Will Saddam torch Iraq on his way out?

There could be a lot of "ifs" in this discussion. If Saddam lives.. If He leaves.. If he gives the order.. If his military follows the orders..

My own guess would be that if he lives and heads to Algiers (or anywhere else) his senior military leaders he's leaving behind aren't going to be to keen on passing down those departing orders.. They'll have to live with the destruction and any retribution for it. That doesn't seem to be the typical way things work in that region of the world.

If he's boarding a plane and gives the order I'd guess they'll smile at him, nod that they understand, launch the plane and promptly disregard his prior existance while greeting the "new boss" and offering to be as helpful as possible.

Then again, I imagine things could be set up where Sadam wouldn't have to rely on his underlings to get the job done. I wouldn't doubt that things are already rigged so that a mere flip of the swith would do the deed. It would probably make pretty good cover for his escape.

BlaiseDaley
That scenario is exactly what I would predict----he will not depend on anyone to carry out his orders and he will get on an airliner that we might suspect is full of civilians---that will pose another dilmema.

This is of course all conjecture but it might be fun to try and think of all the scenarios that might play out.

The question is not whether Saddam will torch Iraq on his way out but rather whether the people tasked to do the deed will follow orders.
Remember Hitler could not have been successful in his rape of Europe without willing co-conspirators.

Good point.

perception

My guesses are similar to fishin's and au's.

It is not as if guys like Tariq Aziz (sp?) and the other chaps at the varying distances around Sadaam are unthinking as regards their own survival and that of their families, and you can't fit all that many people on one plane. Which brings up the point that any and all aircraft lifting off the ground in Iraq seem sure to be noted, and rather more at risk than someone deep in a desert bunker.

For his forces to organize and enthusiastically torch Kuwait is rather different than doing the same to their own country.

I would also think it likely that the diplomatic channels existing now have carried communications to the people like Aziz (or will shortly) letting it be known there are options for them if Sadaam is held in check or disappeared.

as i understand it this news of "scorched earth policy" came via a "leak" from the White House. to fully respond to such info it is necessary to understand the purpose of the "leak". Just this past week while the White House was in denial of the intent to comment on Trent Lott as Senate Majority Leader there were also the "leaks" coming from the administration that Lott had to go.

There are indeed a lot of 'ifs' in this question. He won't set fire to his own oil wells if he wins the war.

Steve

You Englishmen are so odd. My father was one too. We took him out back and shot him.

Now there's a scenario that I hadn't considered)))))))

steve, would be a good day to head out to Covent Gardens and enjoy the buskers, beats the hell out of reading the news.

Can you just imagine him telling his thugs to go set the fires and
let loose the gas and bio bugs-----I promise I will hold the plane for you))))))))))))

Where ever his is/will be he will be watching it on CNN----but I'm not sure he will be laughing.

Dyslexia

Couldn't agree more but its damp cold and foggy.

Perception

I rather carefully omitted saying I thought an Iraqi victory likely, but if form is a guide, then you have to go with Iraq...they won last time didn't they? Or at least it was Saddam 1 Bush Snr 0

Also I seem to remember an American "war game" earlier in the year had to be re-played because Iraq won. The retired US general in charge of enemy forces didn't play by the rules and sank the American battle fleet.

Steve

You also carefully omitted your logic for your conclusion--Saddam 1-Bush Sr-0. I know my logic will be no match for yours but please humor me.

As for the results of the war game, I'm glad of the outcome---shows that we are willing to learn as opposed to Cornwallis.

[/QUOTE]Saddam 1 Bush Snr 0

You know what they say. "If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.

Perception, I surely would like to believe we're willing to learn but somehow I see ourselves going through something like this all over again in another twenty or thirty years.

Perception

All I meant was that within a year or so of the war's end, President Saddam Hussein was still there and President George H W Bush wasn't.

Don't get me wrong, I hate that sonofabitch (Saddam), but I also hate the lies and duplicity thats going on right now. If Bush would just say

"We can't afford to wait until this man has long range nuclear ballistic missiles. So to eliminate the threat he poses to the region, in particular to Israel, and in the future to ourselves and our allies, and to secure control over vital energy resources on which we all depend, we're gonna zap the geeza now together with his disgusting regime"...that would be ok with me and I suspect a lot of other people who are dubious about the real war aims.