US Rejected Sadam's Pre-War Overtures [View All]

[pippin]

"Just days before the invasion of Iraq US representatives rebuffed a last-ditch attempt to avert the war by officials claiming to represent a frantic Iraqi regime, according to reports.

Richard Perle, an influential adviser to the Pentagon, received a secret message from a Lebanese-American businessman indicating that Saddam wanted to make a deal, ABC News and the New York Times reported last night. . . the Iraqis wanted Washington to know that Iraq no longer had weapons of mass destruction and offered to let American troops and experts do an independent search, the New York Times said. . .Iraq offered to hand over a man accused of being involved in the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing who was being held in Baghdad, as part of their overtures to Washington.

. . .The attempts were portrayed by Iraqi officials as having Saddam's endorsement, but it was not clear if American officials viewed them as legitimate. "

Guardian
November 6,2003

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1079001,00.html