The Times of London has an interesting report that indicates coalition troops may be closing in on Saddam himself.
The Americans say they have captured several of Saddam’s bodyguards, and yesterday it emerged that they believed they had come close to seizing the former Iraqi leader in Mosul shortly after the deaths of his sons last Tuesday.
According to military sources, intelligence intercepted a single satellite phone signal known to belong to Saddam during the bombardment of the building where Uday and Qusay were trapped.
Soldiers searched the nearby villa from which the call was made but Saddam was not there. US officers said the intercept was highly accurate, and they were convinced he had been hiding in the building. Yesterday they said they believed he was still in Mosul.
The hunt for Saddam is certainly heating up, and there are rumors that the coalition is breathing down his neck right now. With luck Iraq’s Public Enemy #1 will be killed or captured soon.
So, your personal opinion, then, Jay: what would you prefer. Caught alive or found dead?
Personally, I’d like to see him captured so that he could be interrogated and tried. At the same time, there are also advantages to having him dead, mainly that he couldn’t rally more support behind him, and it would ensure that the Iraqis knew he would never be coming back.
I have a feeling that he would rather die than be captured, so the chances of him being taken alive are slim unless we find him out in the open.
No matter what, as long as he’s out of the picture, it will be good for the Iraqis and for the rest of the world.