Saddam's future--Napoleon or Mussolini?

Uncle Saddam contines to make news. The latest wild acre story is that the US offered Saddam asylum, ala Napoleon, if he would use his influence to stop the insurgency. The Mussolini treatment was offered if he refused. Not surprisingly, a Coalition spokesman quickly tried to quash that notion:

"This appears to be some vain attempt by a lawyer to make it look as if Saddam still has some power or authority over people, which he doesn't,"he said.

But it's clear Saddam has at least some influence over events on the ground, not directly, but through proxy. That was established a few months ago when President Bush himself identified elements of the insurgency he called "Saddamists".

Case in point, we haven't heard jack squat about Saddam's number two man Izzat al-Douri since he supposedly died last year. Reports of his death were premature, just as reports of his capture were premature, but it marks a pattern of deceit that follows some of these ex-regime members. For example, Tariq Aziz should be running out of time about now. Such stuff suggests the regime still has some power.

As to the report, if somehow it's true, and that's certainly not a given, jaws would definitely drop. Perhaps the main question begged would be, "how could Saddam stop the insurgency at all? He's not a member of al Qaeda". Also, how would the Coalition explain his disappearance to the public--that he escaped? Sounds like a PR nightmare.

Furthermore, to even hint of an offer would suggest both a state of desperation on our part and leverage on his, no doubt causing him to increase his courtroom precociousness in an effort to further delay a trial already moving at glacial speed. Wait, that's already happening.

More than likely the story is yet another page out of the OJ playbook, much like the silly request earlier asking for the 'outright release of the kidnapped president'. Let's hope so, because we really don't want to go to the other place.

SADDAM THE HOMOPHOBE 2/13/06

"Degradation and shame upon you, Raouf," Saddam yelled. Later, he called the investigating judges "homosexuals."

This was in between rants about Bush and his dehumanizing detention. Half brother Barzan even graced the court wearing his underwear, then turned his butt to the judge. Quite appropriate, since they've all been showing it from day one.

Meanwhile a few more peasants testified about how they were tortured or something.

A SOLUTION? 2/14/06

Saddam claims to be on a hunger strike and has not eaten for three days. Keep up the good work, dude.

Seriously, he really knows how to manipulate the headlines. Almost every story about the trial spends the first five paragraphs on his antics, leaving the victims' torture tales down where only the heartiest readers venture.