President Bush said in a television interview Thursday that there is some evidence suggesting Saddam Hussein is either dead or "at the very minimum was severely wounded." Bush also said U.S. troops would remain in Iraq "as long as necessary."
Could that take as long as two years? Bush was asked by NBC "Nightly News" anchor Tom Brokaw. "Could - or less," Bush said. "Who knows?" "People say the United States should leave. And we want to leave as soon as we've accomplished our mission," Bush said.
The interview was conducted aboard Air Force One during a trip to Ohio in which the president promoted his tax-cut plan. It was his first extensive interview since the end of major combat in Iraq.
Bush was asked about intelligence on Saddam's purported whereabouts that led to a bombing raid on the first night of the war. "As the intelligence got richer, I got more confidence with the notion that Saddam would, in fact, be there," he said.
Some U.S. officials later suggested that Saddam may have survived that first bombing, if not later attempts that targeted him and his sons.
"There will be a lot of speculation until the truth is known," he said. But he added that it might "explain why dams weren't blown up or oil fields weren't destroyed, even though we found them wired potentially to be blown up."
"There is some evidence that suggests he might be" dead, Bush told Brokaw.
"We would never make that declaration until we are more certain," he added. "But the person who helped direct the attacks believes that Saddam at the very minimum was severely wounded."
Bush was asked whether he believed neighboring Iran would heed U.S. warnings not to interfere in Iraq. "We certainly hope that Iran will allow Iraq to develop into a stable and peaceful society," Bush said. "We have sent word to the Iranians that that's what we expect."
In any event, the United States has "no military plans" to move against either Iran or Syria, the president said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
