Prosperity Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 A Saddam Souvenir President Bush keeps the former dictator's pistol at arm's reach By MATTHEW COOPER http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040607-644112,00.html Saturday, May. 29, 2004 When Saddam Hussein was rousted from his spider hole in Dawr, a town near Tikrit, by U.S. soldiers last December, Iraq's fallen dictator was clutching a pistol. He is now in detention at an undisclosed location, being questioned by American authorities and awaiting charges for war atrocities and crimes against humanity. But what ever happened to the pistol? The sidearm has made its way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sources say that the military had the pistol mounted after the soldiers seized it from Saddam and that it was then presented to the President privately by some of the troops who played a key role in ferreting out the old tyrant. Though it was widely reported at the time that the pistol was loaded when they grabbed Saddam, Bush has told visitors that the gun was empty—and that it is still empty and safe to touch. "He really liked showing it off," says a recent visitor to the White House who has seen the gun. "He was really proud of it." The pistol's new place of residence is in the small study next to the Oval Office where Bush takes select visitors after pointing out better-known White House pieces like the busts of Winston Churchill and Dwight D. Eisenhower and a watercolor called A Charge to Keep, which gets its name from a Methodist hymn. The study—the one where Bill Clinton held some of his infamous trysts with White House intern Monica Lewinsky—has become a place where Bush keeps the memorabilia that hold special significance for him. Another of the room's mementos: a photograph of special-forces soldiers in Afghanistan praying after burying a piece of the World Trade Center there as a tribute to those who died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@DCGoldPants Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 People are going to get bent out of shape because it makes this Bush Family v Saddam thing look even more personal. They'll say this is a different time and not some movie. I however, don't care. I doubt it was a special gun to him. He seems to have liked bigger guns. I imagine somebody in that village gave that to him when he hid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooper Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 I hope that think isn't loaded. I mean, our prez can't even eat a pretzel without choking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJWatson3 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 i thought he would've given the pistol to his daddy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chomerics Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 No, we'll probably see it on e-bay in a few years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashback Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Trophies of war as a rule are a little disturbing, but I don't think this particular souvenir or the President's feelings about it are anything to cause concern. There was a concerted effort to find Houssein, it was a quite a victory for Bush when it happened, and this is something that was saved from the scene and presented to the commander in cheif by his troops. Now, if Osama bin Laden's ear ends up on a plaque, that's a little different story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief skin Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 The President is not allowed to accept any gifts, he accepts them as a photo op at the time but he is not allowed, permited, to keep them by law. What the he11 is this?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 I brought back souvenirs from my campaigns no big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooper Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 In other news, our prez can't open an umbrella. http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=bush+umbrella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJWatson3 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 keep him away from the gun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsfan913 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 And y'all still think this wasn't personal?:puke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 I think the Prez accepted the gift on behalf of the US. That's why the gun will probably remain in the White House for good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@DCGoldPants Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 I can't imagine the next Prez will want to be connected to this mess. He'll probably just send the gun to the Archives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMac Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Originally posted by chomerics No, we'll probably see it on e-bay in a few years Can you imagine what that gun would go for on Ebay? The government could fund something nice Im sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Originally posted by AJWatson3 keep him away from the gun! :laugh: AJ, Im still laughing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander PK Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Souvenirs of war are no big deal. My great-grandfather brought home a rifle he took off of a dead Jap when he was fighting in the Pacific. He passed away about 10 years ago, but my grandmother still has the rifle. My grandfather has fired it a few times, and it still works great. Anyways, I don't care if Bush has Saddam's pistol. We have more important things to worry about. Who cares, not a big deal, don't make it one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander PK Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Originally posted by skinsfan913 And y'all still think this wasn't personal?:puke: Nope, still don't think it was personal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander PK Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Originally posted by AJWatson3 keep him away from the gun! I admit, that is a pretty funny picture. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Dave Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 It's not a big deal. Don't officers present their weapons to the victor as a sign of surrender. Didn't they try to kill his dad when he was president. If you are a president of the USA and you learn that a country was trying to kill the previous President, then that country or its leaders will have to be delt with. Not a slap on the wrist offence. Doesn't matter if the presidents are related or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE HAMMER'IN HOG Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Originally posted by G-Train Souvenirs of war are no big deal. My great-grandfather brought home a rifle he took off of a dead Jap when he was fighting in the Pacific. He passed away about 10 years ago, but my grandmother still has the rifle. My grandfather has fired it a few times, and it still works great. Anyways, I don't care if Bush has Saddam's pistol. We have more important things to worry about. Who cares, not a big deal, don't make it one. Exactly, every president has a little memento as a keep sake for a remembrence for his time in office, I believe Clinton has a broken condom hanging from the mantle..:boobies: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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