Israel had plans to assassinate Saddam Hussein

LONDON, Jan 17: Israel planned to assassinate Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein last month, but cancelled the operation at the last minute because it coincided with US-British air attacks on Iraq it was reported here today, says AFP.

The Sunday Times said that Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, had devised a plan to kill Saddam with guided missiles during a visit to his mistress in northwestern Iraq.

But after months of training by Israeli commandos which were to have been flown into Iraq, the plan was shelved because of the air attacks and because Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon and Defence Minister Yizhak Mordechai refused to give final approval, said the British weekly.

They apparently doubted the accuracy of Mossad's information about Saddam Hussein's whereabouts according to the Sunday Times.