Saddam Sings

Apparently Saddam is already talking. News reports this morning say that at least one high-level dead-ender has been apprehended as a result of information obtained from him. It is also being reported that when Saddam was dragged out of his hole Saturday night, he said: “I’m the president of Iraq. I want to negotiate.”
That’s pathetic, sure. But think about it for a moment. Saddam had plenty of time to prepare for the moment of his capture. He obviously has a plan, and the plan involves negotiation. What does Saddam have to negotiate with? Information. If he has been getting his news from CNN, he may well overestimate how desperate the administration is for is for information about his weapons programs and his relationship with al Qaeda. He no doubt follows domestic American politics closely, and knows that if he comes across with the goods, he can guarantee that no anti-war Democrat–a group that includes all of the candidates except Joe Lieberman–has the ghost of a chance of being elected. So he can perhaps be forgiven for thinking that he still has a hand to play, and may yet escape the gallows.
UPDATE: Here’s the Associated Press story:
“Saddam Hussein’s capture is already reaping dividends for the U.S. military, providing intelligence that allowed U.S. soldiers to capture several top regime figures and uncover rebel cells in the capital, a U.S. general said Monday.”
UPDATE: Donald Rumsfeld says that Saddam is “not cooperative in terms of talking.” So the information referred to above presumably came from documents or other materials that were in his possession when he was captured.

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