Betrayals of cousins, army officials fasten Saddam fall

Saddam Hussein was betrayed by three of his cousins, senior military officers, and a former cabinet minister, in moves that allowed the fall of Baghdad, ex-regime officials have told AFP.

According to these former officials Saddam's cousins ordered troops not to fight against the US-led coalition and issued reports saying that the Iraqi leader was dead.

"The head of the Republican Guard Maher Sufian al-Tikriti, who was considered the shadow of Saddam, told the troops not to fight when US forces entered Baghdad on April 8," one of the sources said on condition of anonymity.

"The verbal order was confirmed by the head of intelligence, Taher Jalil al-Harbush al-Tikriti, as well as military officer Hussein Rashid al-Tikriti whose son headed the office of Saddam's youngest son Qussay," the source said.

At the same time a rumour that Saddam was killed in the bombing of the Baghdad neighbourhood of Al-Mansur on April 7 began to spread among government members.

The information was spread by one cabinet minister, the source said, refusing to identify the former official.

"This minister was then evacuated by American troops along with his family and now lives in a European country," the source said.

The three military officers and their families were also evacuated by US troops aboard a military aircraft following the fall of Baghdad, the source said.

The former officials also told AFP that Saddam had visited the Al-Azamiya district in central Baghdad on April 8 with Qusay.

A videotape broadcast by Abu Dhabi television in April showed Saddam being cheered by a crowd of supporters in Al-Azamiya, but it was reported to have happened on April 9, the day Baghdad fell to US forces.

"During that visit Saddam said he had been betrayed, referring to two US bombardments targetting him," one of the sources said, quoting witnesses present in Al-Azamiya.