Posted on 04/21/2003 11:41:14 PM PDT by kattracks
Saddam Hussein's intelligence chief tried to arrange a meeting last week between US representatives and the former Iraqi leader, who an opposition official believes was seen about three days ago, ABC News reported.
Leaders of Iraq's prominent Dulaym tribe told the US network that they had made contact with former CIA officer Bob Baer and others to try to arrange some kind of meeting.
"They told me the chief of Iraqi intelligence was seeking to get in touch with the United States and could I do anything about that," said Baer, who now works for ABC News.
Saddam's intelligence chief, General Tahir Jalil Habbush, went on April 11 to the home of the Dulayn tribal chief in the town of Ar-Ramadi, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Baghdad.
He apparently wanted to make arrangements for a meeting, but US warplanes then bombed the home, killing the chief and 17 family members, the network said.
"We don't know who to trust," Dulawn leader Abdullah Hamid said. "We don't trust them anymore."
Tribe members said Habbush got away, and added that they did not know whether Saddam was still alive.
But the opposition Iraqi National Congress told the network that Saddam was believed alive and had been seen about three days ago.
The INC said "it had information that Hussein was seen about three days ago, at a meeting with senior Baath party officials."
"They are coming together in meetings. We've known several meetings have taken place. They're well-funded and they are well-armed," the network said.
Earlier, INC leader Ahmad Chalabi told the BBC that Saddam was alive and "moving around" Iraq.
Since Bush says Saddam has WMD, and we haven't located them, that seems like a reasonable supposition, doesn't it?
Busy little critter, ain't he? It's about time someone removed him and his private army from the scene.
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