According to the AP, officials in the United Arab Emirates have revealed that Saddam agreed to go into exile in order to avoid war:
Saddam Hussein accepted an 11th-hour offer to flee into exile weeks ahead of the U.S.-led 2003 invasion, but Arab League officials scuttled the proposal, officials in this Gulf state claimed.
The exile initiative was spearheaded by the late president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, at an emergency Arab summit held in Egypt in February 2003, Sheik Zayed’s son said in an interview aired by Al-Arabiya TV during a documentary. The U.S.-led coalition invaded on March 19 that year.
A top government official confirmed the offer on Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Saddam allegedly accepted the offer to try [to] halt the invasion and bring elections to Iraq within six months, claimed the official and Sheik Zayed’s son.
I’m not sure how much of this I believe, but I’ve got some additional commentary at The Reaction — generally, I wonder if this isn’t an attempt to make the U.S. look bad.