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Jewish World Review Feb. 12, 2003 / 10 Adar I, 5763

Dick Morris

Dick Morris
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An exile deal for Saddam


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | If Saddam were to leave Iraq with 200,000 U.S. troops breathing down his neck, many Iraqi and American lives might be spared. It is an outcome devoutly to be wished, whether you are for or against the war.

Displacing Saddam is, of course, only the beginning of what we must seek in Iraq. The United States must occupy the country with its massive armed force and scour the land for weapons of mass destruction, labs, atomic scientists and the rest of the apparatus Saddam has used to terrify the world. Then we must gradually yield to an international peacekeeping force that will oversee Iraq's transition to democracy.

All this can be done peacefully once Saddam is on his way to retirement.

But will Saddam quit? It's not that simple anymore. At The Hague waits an international court able, eager and willing to put him on trial for crimes against humanity and to usher him to the prison cell he so richly deserves - right next to Slobodon Milosovec.

Which brings up a key question: Should we offer Saddam a plea bargain - exile in return for no prosecution?

It would save many, many lives and avoid subjecting U.S. troops to the hazards of chemical or biological attack once the shooting starts. We can't be confident that our pre-emptive bombing and threats to prosecute enemy commanders who use such weapons will prevent their use. We really don't know if our countermeasures will work because we can't be sure what goodies Saddam has hidden in his vaults.

The equipment our troops carry and wear has, of course, never been tested against a real biological or chemical attack. (Even after the Gulf War, many argue that we experienced tens of thousands of delayed casualties in disease or altered genetics as a result of weapons that may have been used without our knowledge.)

Yet: If ever anyone deserved to be tried and imprisoned for war crimes, it is Saddam - who has used poison gas and biological weapons as well as torture and secret police to keep power. If we let him go, won't it render enforcement of human-rights laws impotent? Will the good that has been done by arresting Pinochet and Milosovec be undone by the example of a Saddam Hussein going free?

And isn't part of the point of invading Iraq to deter other rogue states from following its path? How do we send that message and let Saddam go free? Can the world handle both Saddam and Osama bin Laden hiding out in adjoining caves?

It's a tough question. I think I come down on the side of those who back a plea bargain. I'm worried about our troops and the risks they will face on the other side of the Kuwaiti-Iraq border.

But the time for this debate is now, not after the war is over. We should have discussed whether to leave Saddam in power before the last Gulf War started. Now it's time to figure out whether to lock him up or let him go if he tries to surrender before the shooting starts.

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JWR contributor Dick Morris is the author of, among others, "Power Plays: Top 20 Winning and Losing Strategies of History's Great Political Leaders" Comment by clicking here.

Up

02/07/03:The Dems give up the House
02/05/03: France: Saddam's ally
02/03/03: War critics will suffer
02/30/03: Even by Clinton standards, it's sheer chutzpah
01/24/03: Rebirth of the balanced budget Republican
01/22/03: Next to Bubba, Dubya's got it good
01/16/03: End racism in affirmative action
01/13/03: The new swing voter
01/10/03: Political e-mailing comes of age
01/07/03: In Dem race: Home field no advantage
12/31/02: Hey, Hillary: Want to appear like a stateswomyn? Stay silent
12/19/02: Kerry in the lead
12/19/02: Lieberman the frontrunner
12/17/02: In defense of Lott
12/02/02: An issue for Bush: Drugs
11/27/02: Women gone wobbly?
11/25/02: The U.N. over a barrel
11/15/02: Gore's suicide
11/15/02 One-party control is an illusion
11/13/02 The House of Extremes
11/08/02 I have egg on my face
11/01/02 Is Bush losing control over events?
10/25/02What is causing Bush's free fall?
10/25/02: Anybody sense a trend?
10/23/02: A deadline for Iraq
10/18/02: Only sure bet of 2002 elections is voter angst
10/16/02: Endangered incumbents
10/11/02: Why multilateralism doesn't work
10/09/02: Hey, Dems: Believe NYTimes polling at your own risk
10/03/02: Dem suicide: Let's count the ways
09/30/02: The Dems just can't stop themselves
09/26/02: The perils of polling
09/19/02: W. boxed in the U.N.
09/19/02: Welfare reform: Keep on keeping on
09/12/02: Are Dems insane on Iraq?
09/09/02: Twin shadows of Election '02
09/05/02: GOP should triangulate
08/28/02: Trust the military
08/22/02: It's not the economy, stupid
08/09/02: As America unites, Gore goes divisive
08/01/02: Bush must focus on big picture
07/23/02: Election 2002: Advantage Dems
07/19/02: Rudy for SEC tough cop
07/17/02: The investor strike
07/15/02: Door open for drug testing students --- go for it, GOP!
07/12/02: Dubya looking out for No. 1?
07/03/02: The DNA war for Bush's soul
06/21/02: Why are conservatives winning?
06/19/02: Learning to love the feds
06/14/02: Hey, journalists and Dems: Dubya is doing just fine
06/12/02: It's terrorism, stupid!
06/10/02: Sanctions are a potent weapon
06/04/02: Al Qaeda's more dangerous new front
05/31/02: Why '04 looks tough for liberal Dems
05/24/02: Democratic self-destruction
05/22/02: The Clinton failures
05/15/02: Pataki positioned to win
05/08/02: A wakeup-call for American Jewry
05/03/02: Give Bush back his focus
05/01/02: Immigration fault li(n)es
04/25/02: It's the war, stupid
04/17/02: Bush goes small bore
04/12/02: Bush must be a gentle partisan
04/10/02: In defense of polling
04/08/02: Focus on Iraq, not the Palestinians
04/01/02: Only Internet will bring real campaign finance reform
03/27/02: Where W's drawn a line in the sand
03/22/02: Enron scandal will not trigger a wave of economic populism
03/20/02: Term-limited --- by war
03/15/02: Europe doesn't have a clue
03/11/02: Bush popularity = GOP win?
03/01/02: Will America be forced to chase its tail in its war on terrorism?
02/27/02: The Arafat/Saddam equilibrium must be destroyed
02/21/02: Campaign finance reform won't hurt GOPers
02/13/02: Dodd scurries for cover
02/11/02: U.S. 'unilateralism'? The Europeans don't have a case
02/06/02: WAR: What women want
02/01/02: They all talk in the end
01/30/01: The odd couple: Chris Dodd and Arthur Andersen
01/22/01: His father's son? Bush better get an 'Act II' fast!
01/18/01: Dubya & the 'vision thing'
01/14/01: The Rumsfeld Doctrine 01/03/01: A President Gore would have been a disaster
01/03/02: Clinton's priority: Political correctness over fighting terror
12/27/01: Terror network grew out of Clinton's inaction, despite warnings
12/24/01: Call 'em back, George
12/18/01: What Bush did right
12/13/01: Libs worry too much
12/11/01: "Open Sesame": Feinstein's proposed bill allows 100,000 non-immigrant students from anti-American countries to our shores
12/07/01: The non-partisan president
12/05/01: Both parties are phony on stimulus debate
11/29/01: When terrorists can enter legally, it's time to change the laws
11/21/01: Go for the jugular!
11/16/01: You are all incumbents
11/14/01: Clinton's failure to mobilize America to confront foreign terror after the 1993 attack led directly to 9-11 disaster
11/12/01: To the generals: Don't worry about losing support
11/08/01: The death of the white liberal
11/07/01: Our leaders are being transformed in a way unprecedented in post-World War II history

© 2002, Dick Morris