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Chemical Ali in US Custody

We're The Great Old Ones Now

10:34 / 21.08.03

According to CNN, Chemical Ali has been taken into custody. There are no details yet.

If this turns out to be true, the WoMD issue must come to a head - if Ali can't produce weapons, surely there ain't none...?

More news as we have it...

_Boboss

10:55 / 21.08.03

Wasn't chemical ali killed in like the third week of the war? do they mean comical ali, the one not called ali and who was clearly more 'frightened' than he was 'avin a bit of a larf'?

We're The Great Old Ones Now

11:00 / 21.08.03

Well, military officials claim to have him in custody. That's all there is so far.

Can we please keep this thread for a relatively serious assesment of this story as it emerges - assuming that it isn't nonsense?

We're The Great Old Ones Now

11:04 / 21.08.03

Aha:

In April, coalition officials announced that a strike on al-Majid's house killed him and that troops had recovered his body. That day, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, "We believe that the reign of terror of Chemical Ali has come to an end."

But Thursday, U.S. officials said they have taken him into custody.

sleazenation

11:45 / 21.08.03

What next I wonder - Saddam's sons rise from the grave to plead guilty at a trial?

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

13:13 / 21.08.03

I keep wondering how many times the Army gets to announce they have killed or captured the same person. There are a LOT of cases where they announce someone as captured or killed only to do so again right after there is bad news ore a huge setback for US forces.

Funny, that.

sleazenation

15:00 / 21.08.03

And US army officials wonder why their announcements lack credibility...

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

15:41 / 21.08.03

Well, considering the official story was that Mr Hussein was killed in the initial "shock and awe" barrage, but was within hours declared to be alive and well, I'm more than prepared to believe that the guy wasn't killed back when they say he was. In which case, having captured him now is a possibility.
Interestingly enough, (and a lot of this depends on my memory, so I could be wrong), despite having been "officially killed", "Chemical Ali" still appeared on the "Iraq's most wanted" playing cards, printed, as far as I remember, after his being dead was announced.

GreenMann

17:29 / 21.08.03

Maybe they'll send him to Camp XRay and he'll 'confess' to being best of friends with Al Queda.

Linus Dunce

23:39 / 21.08.03

Probably not. If he's "innocent," he won't have anything to give. If he's guilty, he'll likely just bite his his tongue.

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

04:09 / 22.08.03

Wait, you mean they actually care if someone in innocent or guilty in Camp X-Ray? When did THAT happen and does John Ashcroft know about it?

Kit-Cat Club

10:04 / 22.08.03

FWIW, the original announcement about Chemical Ali's death was made by British troops in Basra - perhaps we should amend criticisms of the US army to criticisms of the coalition forces in general, or the UK and US forces...

sleazenation

11:57 / 22.08.03

true Kit kat true - This coalition is losing credibility all the time either through exaggerated claims, (that are apparently fair game in a war... which we aren't in) and through an inability to guard effectively against terrorist attacks.

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