Sunday, July 18, 2004

Al-Arabiya TV website has an interesting article about the capture in Tikrit of Sufyan Mahir At-Tikriti (the commander of Saddam's Republican Guards).  The article points out that his capture refutes the conspiracy theories that were peddled after the fall of Baghdad to the effect that Sufyan Mahir At-Tikriti defected to the US forces and was behind the collapse of Baghdad defenses.  This theory appeared in a French magazine and in pro-Saddam publications in Arabic, especially Al-Quds Al-`Arabi.  This conspiracy theory was convenient for Saddamist propaganda because it intended to absolve Saddam and his sons of responsibility.