U.S. officials blasted the notion yesterday that Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein might blunt White House plans to topple his regime by simply handing over power to his son.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham (D-Fla.) said Iraq needs a regime change — not just a Hussein change.
"Just having his son become the puppet leader of Iraq, with probably the father still pulling the strings in the background, is not ... sufficient," Graham told "Fox News Sunday."
Quoting Arab diplomats in Baghdad, the Sunday Times of London reported that Saddam is considering not running for reelection this year — and would instead put up his son, Qusay Hussein, 36, as a candidate.
Saddam fears a growing threat from the Bush administration, which has branded Iraq as part of the "axis of evil," along with Iran and North Korea.
Saddam is looking for a way to take the pressure off before President Bush moves against his regime, the newspaper reported.
Bush administration officials have called for toppling Saddam to stop Iraq from trying to produce and use weapons of mass destruction.
Kenneth R. Bazinet