Saddam starts to name names

2003-12-29 12:56

Beirut - Ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein has told coalition forces of the whereabouts of about $40bn he stashed abroad, a member of the US-named Governing Council was quoted as saying Monday.

Iyad Allawi told the Arab dailies Asharq Al-Awsat and Al-Hayat that Saddam, who was captured two weeks ago, "has started to give information on Iraqi money that he invested abroad... which the Iraqi Governing Council estimates at $40bn" placed in Switzerland, Japan, and Germany among others, under fictitious company names."

"Now questioning is focused on his relations with terrorist organisations. He has given the names of people who know the location of hidden arsenals used in terrorist attacks against coalition forces and the Governing Council," Allawi added.

Allawi put the number of "terrorists coming from abroad who are carrying out attacks in Iraq" at more than five thousand.

"Negotiations will be held over the next three months between the Governing Council and the United States to set up a schedule for the withdrawal of coalition forces" said Allawi, who leads the secular Iraqi National Accord movement.

He also thought "Saddam Hussein's trial would not be public since he could name countries and persons whom he gave money."

Alawi called for "normalisation of relations between the Governing Council and Arab countries."

"The Iraqi Governing Council has much more legitimacy than some Arab governments. No one should try to compete with us. Don't push Iraq out of the Arab League," he said.

- AFP