The Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein has instructed his security officials to kill opposition leaders based in Britain to prevent them from forming an alternative government in the event of an Allied military attack to remove his regime, The Telegraph reported.
According to highly classified information received by British and American intelligence officials in the past week, Saddam has issued a presidential decree allowing the killing of leading members of the Iraqi opposition "by any means necessary."
He is also said to have approached the Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi - who is known to have a network of "sleeper" agents based in Britain and Europe - to help him to target Iraqi dissidents, the British paper said.
Details of the decree, which was transmitted from Saddam's presidential palace compound in Baghdad to Iraqi security officials in Europe and the Middle East last week, have been intercepted by the British intelligence. Saddam's instructions have also been picked up by CIA spy satellites and by agents in the Middle East.
The Telegraph reported that British intelligence officials have now told Scotland Yard's Special Branch to improve security for leaders of the main Iraqi opposition groups, most of which are based in London.(Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
