December 19, 2003
 

Politics

With the capture of Saddam Hussein last weekend, it seemed like the coalition against terror campaign in Iraq would be over and the resistance of Baath party cadre and other mercenaries would end soon. Unfortunately, that was in an ideal world. While the capture (widely televised across the world, in complete violation of the Geneva convention rules on PoWs) indicated that Saddam was just a moral force (as opposed to being a command/control centre and arms provider) behind the various attacks on US/UK/Japanese forces in the recent past, the US will continue to probe every possible trail and try to prove that Saddam Hussein has been behind the attacks all along.

The US Government has said that Saddam would be tried according to the wishes of the Iraqis (which presumably includes the administration in place currently). I really do have my doubts. As it is, Saddam is being interrogated at an undisclosed location in Iraq. Rumsfeld announced yesterday that the CIA would be in charge of interrogating him. With the US being in control of the coalition forces, and the number of times the US has stamped its authority over various issues such as preventing criminal proceedings against US military personnel involved in UN/NATO backed exercises, it would not be farfetched to say that the US will do its utmost to prevent Saddam escaping its grip. They have invested too much money, resources and reputations/goodwill to let him be tried by an international tribunal or by the Iraqis. My guess is that the US will try a situation where all they need to prove is that Saddam was responsible for the death of a single US citizen and that should be reason enough for him to be handed over to their custody so he can rot in Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere. Pity Alcatraz has been closed for the last 30 years or so.

The other thing which struck me was the timing of his capture. Just when the Bush administration was under pressure over Halliburton's (VP Dick Cheney being a former CEO of Halliburton) subsidiary overcharging the US government for fuel transportation and supply in Iraq. Speaking of Halliburton, I came across this wonderful cartoon (well its not a cartoon, just imagining what the dialogue could have been).



The capture of Saddam has also quietened the voices of those opposed to the US government's policy of Iraq reconstruction contracts being given only to those who supported the campaign in Iraq.

So this then makes me wonder if the US made sure they had Saddam tucked away somewhere and then released the news just as Bush's stock hit a low with the various problems around him. Who knows, the next time his ratings fall, you could see Osama bin Laden pop up in a cave, surrendering.

Coincidence, or just effective media management by a skillful group of professionals?

In passing, perhaps the US knew it was going to discover Saddam in a hole. Is that why they termed him Ace of Spades?

Rambled @ 6:35 PM

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