McDermott questions timing of arrest

WASHINGTON — On Seattle radio yesterday, Rep. Jim McDermott questioned the timing of Saddam Hussein's capture, saying, "I'm sure they could have found him a long time ago if they wanted to."

His comments came during an interview on "The Dave Ross Show" on KIRO-AM .

"I've been surprised they waited, but then I thought, well, politically, it probably doesn't make much sense to find him just yet," he said.

"There's too much by happenstance for it to be just a coincidental thing that it happened on this particular day," he continued.

Later yesterday, the Seattle Democrat said he did not know whether the Pentagon had manufactured the arrest of the Iraqi leader. "I think the fact is that the administration has been desperate to find something (positive), and this came up.

"I don't have any knowledge if they knew about it (Saddam's hideout). I think they (Bush administration) got a Christmas present early."

State Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance quickly launched a statement condemning McDermott's earlier statements. "Once again McDermott has embarrassed this state with his irresponsible ranting."

Despite the capture of the Iraqi leader, McDermott said Americans should remain concerned about the welfare of U.S. troops.

"My worry is that problems will be just as bad tomorrow," said McDermott, who has represented the 7th District since 1988.

"... It is not the end of the problem. The fact that he is in captivity does not change things."

McDermott's comment stands in contrast to other members of the state's delegation, who lauded Saddam's capture.

In September 2002, McDermott made news when he traveled to Iraq and told television interviewers that President Bush would mislead the public to justify an invasion.

It's an incident that continues to reverberate on Capitol Hill.

Two months ago, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, wrote McDermott a personal letter after McDermott denounced a comment by a member of DeLay's office. The staffer said McDermott had attacked the U.S. while he visited Iraq.

Instead of an apology, DeLay wrote: "Your words, had they been spoken in the United States, would have amounted to mean-spirited but predictable mediocre hackery. That they were uttered in Saddam's Iraq, however, perhaps within shouting distance of a torture chamber or mass grave, elevated (or lowered) those remarks to the sickening embarrassment they were."

Alex Fryer: 206-464-8124 or afryer@seattletimes.com. Seattle Times staff reporter J. Patrick Coolican contributed to this report.

Information in this article, originally published December 16, was corrected December 18. A previous version of this story said that U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott questioned the timing of Saddam Hussein's arrest during an interview on KIRO-FM radio. The interview was actually on KIRO-AM radio.