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Advisor says iraq deal was trap Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters11-09-103555.asp?reg=MIDEAST http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters11-09-103555.asp?reg=MIDEAST U.S. advisor says Iraq peace offer was a trap WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 — A last minute peace deal offered by a top Iraqi official in the run up to the war that toppled Saddam Hussein was a trap designed to discredit U.S. policy, an advisor to the Pentagon said on Sunday. Richard Perle, former chairman of the Defense Policy Advisory Board who had met with a Lebanese businessman who conveyed the Iraqi offer meant to prevent an invasion, said the offer had not been credible. Perle told ABC television's ''This Week With George Stephanopoulos'' that the offer by former chief of intelligence, Gen. Tahir Habbush made through Imad Hage, a prominent Lebanese-American businessman, was one of many approaches for a last-minute peace deal. ''There were a number of governments that were trying to broker something with the Iraqis,'' Perle said. ''So this was not credible, this offline approach, indirect as it was.'' The Bush administration has been accused by Democrats of being overeager to go to war with Iraq, ignoring possible diplomatic avenues to peace including that conveyed through Perle and exaggerating the threat from Iraq. The offer that came to Perle was to allow the United States to inspect for weapons of mass destruction, which the Iraqis said they did not have, and to turn over a top al Qaeda operative who was in Iraqi custody. Perle said it also included oil concessions and he thought it was part of an effort to use that offer to discredit U.S. intentions. ''This was a trap,'' Perle said. ''I think it was clearly a trap. It was intended to discredit the administration's policy, it was intended to discredit our effort to liberate Iraq.'' ABC News reported last week that Hage had met with Iraqi officials, including Habbush, to discuss the peace offer. Hage had also met with Perle in London to convey the information. Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.

Advisor says iraq deal was trap Saddam tried to make peace Saddams deal to avert war { November 7 2003 } Us turned down iraqi deal on eve of war Files Listed: 4

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