Saddam survived attack on building say British intelligence sources

Richard Norton-Taylor, Oliver Burkeman in Washington, and Rory McCarthy in Camp As Sayliya, Qatar, The Guardian April 9, 2003

Saddam Hussein survived an attack on a building in Baghdad in which he was reported to have been meeting his sons Uday and Qusay on Monday afternoon, British intelligence sources said last night.
"He was probably not in the building when it was bombed," a well-placed source said. The source added it was believed that President Saddam had been in the building earlier.

The American pilot of a B-1 bomber circling nearby was told the Iraqi president had entered the building. Twelve minutes later, the pilot dropped four 2,000lb joint direct attack munition bombs on it.

Intelligence sources declined to say how the information about the Iraqi leader's whereabouts was gleaned, whether from listening devices, special forces, or Iraqi informers on the ground. Pentagon officials had referred to three credible sources of "human intelligence" locating President Saddam in the building, in the upmarket district of Mansur, which is still under Iraqi control.

As fighting continued in Baghdad yesterday, American fire killed three journalists in attacks on the al-Jazeera office and on the Palestine Hotel on the east bank of the Tigris. At least 50 Iraqi fighters were killed, one American officer said, ... [...]
- posted by ARYABHATT @ 7:08 pm