US: Aziz Rumour False

sky news ^ | Last Updated: 16:05 UK, Wednesday March 19, 2003

[maquiladora]

US officials have said rumours that Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz had either defected or been shot dead fleeing Baghdad are untrue.

The rumours affected oil prices in New York as the George W. Bush's deadline for Saddam and his sons to flee Iraq appraoched.

A US official said: "These rumours are just not true".

It had been rumoured that Aziz had fled to Kurdish-held northern Iraq.

But an a senior Kurdish source scoffed at the rumour Aziz was being held by Kurdish forces.

Rumours of the imprisonment, flight or death of member of Saddam Hussein's administration are common, but rarely turn out to be true.

Aziz was seen in Iraqi TV coverage of Tuesday's cabinet meeting with Saddam.

[BurbankKarl]

part of the "fog of war" campaign...

[dep]

aziz (on cnn live right now): aziz rumor false.

i think it was a translation problem -- somebody reported he had defected when what was said was that he is defective..

dep

[rolling_stone]

I wonder where the rumor started?

Speaking of going underground, I have not see Tariq Aziz in the news lately, nothing since his visit to the Pope last month, has Sadaam "quieted" him or is he taking a long vacation out of Iraq?

15 posted on 03/18/2003 11:43 PM PST by rolling_stone

[Grampa Dave]

He put a deposit down on a suite in the Vatican, when he visited this past February.

[Hegemony Cricket]

The corrected headline now reads: "Aziz Defecated!"

[t4texas]

I heard he was seen DRIVING a cab toward Jordanian border.

[The Great Satan]

The spokesman added that the United States cannot in any way confirm that Saddam Hussein beats his wife and enjoys sexual congress with farm animals.

[dep]

i dropped a note to debka about aziz appearing live on cnn a little while ago, and their response was -- i am not making this up -- this:

So what? Are you sure it was him?
DEBKA

so debka has sealed its reputation as pre-composted fertilizer so far as i'm concerned.

dep

[JURB]

Sky News is owned by Rupert Murdoch.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Okay, thanks.

[CarmelValleyite]

rumor false? too bad....

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Aziz said he isn't dead but the man lies all of the time.

[m1-lightning]

The rumor was probably added to and spread around originating from this history exceprt:

In May 1995 Saddam sacked his half-brother, Wathban, as Interior Minister and in July demoted his notorious and powerful Defense Minister, Ali Hassan al- Majid, known popularly as `Chemical Ali' because of his role in gassing operations in Kurdistan. These personnel changes were the result of the growth in power of his two sons, Udai and Qusai, who were given effective vice-presidential authority in May 1995. They have been able to remove most of Saddam's loyal followers and it is clear that Saddam feels more secure protected by his immediate family members. In August Major General Hussein Kamil Hassan al-Majid, his Minister of Military Industries and a key henchman, defected to Jordan, together with his wife (one of Saddam's daughters) and his brother, Saddam, who was married to another of the president's daughters, and called for the overthrow of the regime. In response, Saddam promised full co-operation with the UN commission disarming Iraq (UNSCOM) in order to pre-empt any revelations that the defector could make.

Iraq History

[tessalu]

New from Debka

Iraqi Dep. Prime Minister Tareq Aziz earlier claimed by Kurds to have defected turned up in Baghdad Wednesday night. At a news conference, he denied widespread reports he had fled or been shot.

DEBKfile reports: Foreign correspondents who called his office during the news conference were told Aziz was on vacation outside Baghdad. No independent correspondents were allowed to view him live. They were barred admission to conference, Iraqi officials admitting only trusted Gulf reporters.