Ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his key associate Ali Hassan al-Majid, are hiding in an area of farmland and small villages on the Tigris river between Baghdad and the city of Samarra, a former high-ranking Iraqi intelligence officer has said.
General Wafiq al-Samarrai, head of Iraqi military intelligence before going into exile, is helping US-led forces in the hunt for Saddam, The Independent reported on Monday.
Al-Samarrai said the toppled leader had been able to escape capture because the area was heavily populated and had thick vegetation. "He is hiding in an area about 60 kilometers long and about 20 kilometers wide according to my information", he told the paper in an interview at his house in Samarra.
Furthermore, Al-Samarrai added that Ali Hassan al-Majid, a senior member of Saddam's inner circle was also there, but moving separately from the former Iraqi president. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
