Saddam seeks to hide family in Libya, says paper

3.00pm

LONDON - Iraq's President Saddam Hussein has offered to pay Libya US$3.5 ($7.08) billion for a safe haven for his family members and top Iraqi officials, a British newspaper reported today.

The Times newspaper said unnamed diplomats in Tripoli had provided evidence of the plan, which it described as the first sign Saddam was preparing for the prospect of being ousted by military strikes.

It said Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi would not agree to provide refuge for Saddam himself -- or his eldest son Uday.

"Western intelligence services assume that Saddam will stay 'to the bitter end' if Iraq is attacked by a US-led coalition," the paper wrote.

But it said Libya would shelter other senior officials, and possibly other children and grandchildren of Saddam.

Syria had agreed to provide an overland escape route, allowing the Iraqis to fly on to Libya, the paper said.

It said Saddam loyalist General Ali Hasan al-Majid had travelled to Tripoli to negotiate the deal, which would involve Iraq paying US$3.5 billion into Libyan bank accounts.

- REUTERS

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