Iraqi President Saddam Hussein intends to pay Libya billions of dollars to secure political asylum for his family and senior members of the Baghdad regime in the event of a war with the U.S., The Times newspaper reported.
The deal, which would also cover an internal coup d'etat, would see the Iraqi leader pay 3.5 billion dollars into Libyan banks for the safe haven of his family and around a dozen senior officials of the Baghdad regime and their families, the paper said on Saturday.
The Times added that Saddam’s secret emissaries have been visiting Libya and Syria to ensure that there is an escape route for his family and top cronies. The deal with Tripoli does not include providing refuge for Saddam or for Uday, his eldest son.
Word of Saddam’s deal with the Libyan leader has emerged from diplomatic sources in Tripoli following a visit to the Libyan capital on September 8 by General Ali Hasan al-Majid, a cousin and trusted member of Saddam’s clan, the newspaper said. (Albawaba.com)
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