[Peace-discuss] Perhaps more than photo fraud

[C. G. Estabrook]

On Thu, 10 Apr 2003, Jim Buell wrote, quoting Robert Fisk:

> >But of the real and somewhat less imposing Saddam, there was no trace.


Today the Tehran Times reports as follows:

"This possibility was confirmed by the Al-Jazeera network, which quoted a
Russian intelligence official as saying that the Iraqi forces and the
invaders had made a deal. The Russian official told Al-Jazeera that the
Iraqi leaders had agreed to show no serious resistance against the
U.S.-British troops in return for a guarantee that Saddam and his close
relatives could leave Iraq unharmed ...

"Suspicions rose on the same day [ten days ago] when U.S. troops, that had
been stopped at the Euphrates, immediately were able to advance toward the
heart of Baghdad without any significant resistance by Iraqi forces.
Nobody asked why Tikrit, that was once called the ideological heart of
Saddam's government and the last possible trench of the Iraqi army, was
never targeted by U.S. and British bombs and missiles. Or why when the
elite Iraqi forces arrived in eastern Iraq from Tikrit, the pace of the
invaders advancing toward central Baghdad immediately increased. Also, it
has been reported that over the past 24 hours, a plane was authorized to
leave Iraq bound for Russia. Who was aboard this plane?..."

more...

http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=4/10/03&Cat=2&Num=017