Saddam Hussein

Internet Footage of Saddam’s Execution Criticized
Harsh criticism was heard around the world Tuesday regarding the grainy cell phone video of Saddam Hussein’s execution that is making the rounds on the Internet.

Human Rights Group Says Saddam’s Trial Was Flawed and Unfair
Human Rights Watch issued a report Monday saying that the trial of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was so flawed that the verdict is unfair and the death penalty sentence is "indefensible."

Saddam Asks to Die By Firing Squad if He Is Sentenced to Death
Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein said Wednesday that if he is sentenced to die, he would like to be killed by a firing squad.

Bat Boy Lives: Bat Boy Led U.S. Troops to Saddam . . . Gotcha!
The U.S. Special Forces troops who captured Saddam Hussein were led to his dingy spider hole by Bat Boy -- who literally sniffed out the filth...

Saddam Hussein - The king dethroned
13th December was the day that opened a new chapter not only in the Iraq’s but also the world’s political history. On 13th December 2003 a force of 600 American soldiers captured Saddam Hussein in a raid on an isolated farm near Tikrit...

Saddam's Palace May Help Restore Civic Pride to Basra
A waterside palace built by Saddam Hussein may be restored as a new museum

Decked Out for a Dictator
Tim Dowling looks around the late dictator, Saddam Hussein's luxury boat

Was the Us Public Misled About the Anthrax Attacks?
Dan Gillmor: ABC News should reveal the sources of its false report that the anthrax attacks after 9/11 were tied to Saddam Hussein

Saddam Can't Be Blamed for Halabja's Latest Convulsions
The destruction by atrocity survivors of their own monument shows how deep frustrations with the new regime run. By Jonathan Steele

Firms Accused of Bribing Saddam to Be Investigated By Fraud Office
British companies named in United Nations report - Kickbacks 'enabled Iraqi leader to amass $1.8bn'

Death Sentence for Saddam's Former Deputy
The Iraqi high court today ruled that Saddam Hussein's former vice-president should be hanged despite appeals from UN officials and international human rights groups.

Bush: Saddam Execution Looked Like Revenge Killing
Tensions between the White House and the Iraqi government resurfaced today as the US president, George Bush, criticised the manner of Saddam Hussein's execution.

Film of Saddam Aides' Hanging Shown
Journalists saw video footage of the execution of two of Saddam Hussein's top aides today that showed the former dictator's half-brother having his head severed as he fell from the gallows.

Decapitation During Execution of Saddam's Henchmen Provokes New Wave of Sunni Anger
The execution of two of Saddam Hussein's henchmen and co-defendants tried for mass murder yesterday generated Sunni fury and international criticism when one of the condemned men was accidentally decapitated on the gallows.

Saddam's Top Aides Hanged
Saddam Hussein's half-brother and the former head of Iraq's revolutionary court were hanged before dawn today in Baghdad, two weeks after the execution of the former dictator.

Blair Criticises Manner of Saddam Execution
Prime minister makes his first public comment on the former Iraqi dictator's execution.

New Video Shows Saddam's Body
A secretly filmed video of Saddam Hussein's body has been posted on the internet today, showing the hanged former president's twisted neck and gashed face.

Open Door
The readers' editor on coverage of the execution of Saddam Hussein. By Ian Mayes

Cairo Dismayed at 'primitive' Saddam Death
Saddam Hussein was made into "a martyr" by the manner of his execution, the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, warned today, saying he had urged Washington not to hang him during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

Saddam Hussein Execution Video
Cell phone video of Saddam Hussein being executed.

Blair Backs Inquiry But Distances Himself From Prescott Comments
Tony Blair yesterday distanced himself from the response of his deputy, John Prescott, to the manner of the execution of Saddam Hussein.

Official Who Filmed Unruly Scenes at Saddam's Execution Arrested
- US general says process was Iraq's responsibility - Authorities set to hang ex-dictator's henchmen

Prescott Attacks 'deplorable' Saddam Execution Scene
Verbal abuse at hanging inflames sectarian anger - Government inquiry held in Baghdad over footage

The fate of Saddam Hussein
He was above all laws, and was finally brought down before the law.

Saddam Was Model Prisoner, Says Nurse
Captured tyrant fed birds and rarely complained - Cigar smoking and poetry reading helped pass time

The Power of the Mobile Phone With Its Shaky, Hand-held Video Footage
As TV debated the morals of showing explicit images of what it trumpeted as the Death of a Dictator, the video of Saddam Hussein's execution was already circulating on the internet.

How Saddam Died on the Gallows
Camera footage of the final minutes of Saddam Hussein released yesterday shows him being taunted by Shia hangmen and witnesses, a scene that risks increasing sectarian tension in Iraq.

Bush: Execution is a Milestone
The US president, George Bush, today described Saddam Hussein's execution as a milestone on Iraq's road to democracy, but warned it would not halt the bloodshed and political discord splitting the country.

Joy and Regret for Those Who Endured a Brutal Regime
In the Seventies Haifa Zangana was imprisoned for six months for opposing Saddam Hussein's Baath regime.

For All Those He Murdered, I'm Glad He Has Hanged
The US-led occupation of Iraq has been an almost unmitigated catastrophe. The fact that Saddam is now dead, whatever the manner of his passing, is a rare bit of positive news. By Jason Burke

Family Clues to Iraq's Missing Oil Billions
The dictator is dead, and now the hunt for his illicit fortune is intensifying. Officials from the FBI and US Treasury are focusing their inquiries on ₤2.2bn of illegal oil profits.

The Lessons the West Must Learn From This Tyrant's Death
Western intervention in Iraq has been flawed; our reluctance to act in other parts of the world has been equally catastrophic. By Mary Riddell

The Death of Saddam Hussein
Focus: Saddam's lonely childhood, bloody path to power and final, deadly miscalculation of his foreign enemies are charted by Peter Beaumont, foreign affairs editor.

Last Moments of a Tyrant
Frame By Frame: Saddam Hussein executed at dawn yesterday - Blair silent; world leaders give guarded response - Family announces burial plans - Up to 70 are killed as car and bus bombs explode in Baghdad

Saddam Executed
End of tyrannical era as former dictator is hanged for crimes against humanity.

Saddam Hussein
Obituary: Brutal and opportunist dictator of Iraq, he wreaked havoc on his country, the Middle East and the world.

Saddam Hussein Executed
Saddam Hussein has been executed by hanging in Iraq.

A Thug Who Used Terror and War to Stay in Power
It was late at night on a December evening three years ago when a team of American special forces finally caught up with Saddam Hussein.

Saddam's Last Hours
Former leader sees brothers and leaves will as judge says hanging imminent.

Saddam Urges Iraqis to Unite Against 'invaders'
In what may prove to be the final message from Saddam Hussein before his execution, the ousted dictator has urged Iraqis to unite against the US and Iran.

Saddam to Hang Within 30 Days
Saddam Hussein could be hanged within days after the rejection of his appeal by Iraq's highest court yesterday.

Saddam to Boycott 'comedy' Trial
Saddam Hussein no longer wants to attend his trial for genocide, he told the chief judge in a letter released today, saying he was angry at not being allowed to speak after raising his hand.

Kurdish Survivors Testify As Saddam Trial Resumes
Saddam Hussein sat silently in court today as a Kurdish man described how, aged 12, he survived a firing squad from the former dictator's regime which shot dead his mother and three sisters.

Saddam Trial 'fundamentally Unfair'
Saddam Hussein's trial for crimes against humanity was undermined by so many flaws, including political interference and failures to disclose evidence properly, that his conviction is unsound, the New York-based watchdog Human Rights Watch said today.

Saddam Verdict Unsound, Says Rights Watchdog
The trial of Saddam Hussein was flawed and its verdict unsound, an international human rights organisation said today.

Hanging Saddam Hussein: the Aurora for a New Middle East!
It is high time for America’s Democrats and Republicans to shape in detail a New Middle East. Without murderous tyrants names presidents! Hang Saddam, respecting both, the feeling of the majority of the Iraqis, and the verdict the Iraqi Court of Justice!

Thomas Lubanga's Case May Be More Important Than Saddam Hussein's Hearings for the Development of Globalised Justice
The case of a Congolese warlord may be more important than the Saddam Hussein hearings for the development of globalised justice, writes Ian Black.

Saddam Urges Iraqis to 'shake Hands' Hours After Sentence
Back in the dock just 48 hours after being condemned to death for crimes against humanity, Saddam Hussein made an unlikely appeal for national reconciliation yesterday as his trial for genocide against the Kurds resumed in Baghdad.

If Appeal Fails, Hanging Follows Within 30 Days
Saddam Hussein's execution may be delayed until next year to allow for the appeals process.

Saddam Verdict: Iraq's Shia, Sunnis and Kurds React
Reaction to the verdict was divided along ethnic and sectarian lines, with many once-dominant Sunni Arabs expressing sympathy for Saddam, and long-oppressed Shia and Kurds barely containing their glee, writes Michael Howard.

Endgame for a Dictator: Saddam Sentenced to Hang
Bush hails 'milestone' amid EU doubts over death penalty, legality and timing.

FAQ: Saddam's Trial, the Verdict and Its Timing
The trial, the verdict and its timing.

'Don't Push Me, Boy': Dictator's Final Order As He is Ushered Out
Saddam Hussein refused to stand when his death sentence was read out at noon in a Baghdad court but, more than three years after his fall, he remained a dictator only in his own mind.

White House Hails a 'good Day for Iraqis'
The Bush administration, less than 48 hours before the Congressional mid-term elections begin, hailed the Saddam verdict as "a good day for the Iraqi people".

Open and Shut Case That Came Close to Anarchy
Trial of a dictator that lost the confidence of the international community.

Saddam May Not Be Hanged Until 2007
Saddam Hussein may not executed by hanging until the start of next year.

Saddam Sentenced to Hang
Saddam Hussein was today found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to hang, as the visibly shaken former leader shouted "God is great!"

Saddam Trial: What Happens Next?
The completion of the Dujail trial does not mean that Saddam's days as a defendant are over.

On the Verge of Anarchy: the Trial of Saddam Hussein
Michael Howard looks back on a trial disrupted by violence, hunger strikes and anti-American tirades from the dock.

Curfew As Iraq Braces for Verdict on Saddam
Army patrols stepped up in anticipation of violence after today's predicted death sentence.

Saddam's Trial Farce Stumbles to Climax
Murdered lawyers and witnesses, political meddling, judges dismissed, lies in evidence: the prosecution of the Iraqi dictator has been flawed from the start. With the first verdict due next week, his eventual execution seems almost certain - but will that bring justice for his victims?

Saddam Calls on People to Unite and Oust Invaders
Saddam Hussein, who is on trial for mass murder and genocide, has issued an extraordinary message from his prison cell, urging warring Iraqis to set aside their differences, drive the multinational forces from Iraq, and then forgive those 'who shed the blood of your sons and brothers'.

New Judge Ejects Saddam Again
Saddam Hussein returned to court briefly today before being ejected for the second time by the trial's new chief judge.

Judge in Saddam Trial Axed in Neutrality Row
· Government acts after 'not a dictator' comment · Deputy takes over in latest twist to courtroom drama

Saddam Trial Judge Facing Fresh Bias Allegation
The judge in Saddam Hussein's trial has denied that the former Iraqi president was ever a dictator, a day after denying prosecution claims that he was biased in favour of the defendant.

Saddam No Dictator, Says Judge
Saddam Hussein was not a dictator, the chief judge at his genocide trial said yesterday.

Iraqi Judge Accused of Saddam Bias
The chief prosecutor in Saddam Hussein's trial has accused the presiding judge of bias towards the former Iraqi dictator and demanded that he step down from the bench.

Bush: Saddam Was Not Responsible for 9/11
George Bush last night admitted that Saddam Hussein had no hand in the 9/11 terror attacks, but asked Americans to support a war in Iraq that he said was the defining struggle of our age.

Book Says Cia Tried to Provoke Saddam to War
More than a year before the invasion of Iraq the CIA devised a plan to use Iraqi exile fighters to seize an air base and declare a revolt against Saddam Hussein in the hope that his response would create a pretext for war, according to a book published tomorrow.

Saddam Co-defendants Deny Anfal Genocide
· Survivor describes horror of chemical attack · Army commander says civilians were not targeted

Saddam Refuses to Plead in Kurd Genocide Trial
Saddam Hussein refused to enter a plea on charges of genocide and war crimes against Iraq's Kurds yesterday as the trial of the former dictator and six co-defendants over the infamous Anfal campaign in the 1980s began in Baghdad.

Saddam Refuses to Enter Plea in Genocide Trial
Saddam Hussein today refused to enter a plea as a new trial began in which he is accused of genocide over the killing of tens of thousands of Kurdish villagers in northern Iraq.

Kurds Await Justice As Saddam Trial Begins
Genocide case follows bombing and gassing of villages in 1988 operation.

Saddam Asks to Be Shot, Not 'hanged Like a Criminal'
· Trial resumes after hunger strike over lawyers' deaths · Ousted dictator calls on Iraqis to fight Americans

Saddam Opts for Firing Squad
Saddam Hussein declared today he would like to be executed by firing squad rather than hanged like "a common criminal" if sentenced to death at the end of his trial for genocide.

Saddam in Hospital As Trial Resumes
The trial of Saddam Hussein reopened today in typically chaotic fashion, with the former Iraqi president absent in hospital while his lawyers boycotted the hearing.

Saddam Begins Hunger Strike As Trial Protest
Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi leader, and three co-defendants have begun a hunger strike in protest at the manner in which their trials for crimes against humanity are being conducted and the killing of one of their defence lawyers.

Gunmen Kill Saddam Lawyer
One of Saddam Hussein's defence lawyers was shot dead early this morning after he was abducted from his home by men dressed as police officers, security officials said.

Prosecutors Call for Saddam Death Sentence
The prosecution in Saddam Hussein's trial today demanded the death penalty for the former Iraqi dictator and two of his co-defendants as closing arguments in the eight-month trial began.

Aziz Testifies at Saddam Trial
Tariq Aziz, the former Iraqi foreign minister and international face of Saddam Hussein's regime, made his first public appearance in three years today at the deposed Iraqi leader's trial in Baghdad, hailing Saddam as a "colleague and comrade".

Saddam Co-defendant Widely Loved, Court Hears
Relatives of the seven co-defendants in the trial of Saddam Hussein testified for the first time today, a day after a revised trial process put the burden of proof on the defence.

Saddam Formally Charged But Enters No Plea
Saddam Hussein today refused to enter a plea as the judge leading his trial formally charged Iraq's deposed leader.

Saddam Trial Hears Phone Call Linked to Massacre Claims
Prosecutors in the trial of Saddam Hussein played a recording yesterday said to be of a phone conversation in which the ousted Iraqi leader agreed to 'change the social reality' in the Shia town of Dujail.

Saddam Trial Hears 'retaliation' Tape
Saddam Hussein's trial in Baghdad has heard tapes purporting to show the former dictator approving the uprooting of farms near the town of Dujail in retaliation for a 1982 assassination attempt.

Australian Pm Denies Knowledge of Saddam Bribes
The Australian prime minister, John Howard, today appeared before an inquiry into alleged kickbacks paid to Saddam Hussein's regime by Australia's wheat export body.

Saddam Links Court to 'torturing' Ministry
Saddam Hussein today faced the first cross-examination of his six month-long murder trial, but within minutes turned the tables on prosecutors.

Russia Spied for Saddam in War - Pentagon Report
· Intelligence on US troop movements was passed on · Plans of American central command in Iraqi papers

Fight the Invaders, Saddam Urges Iraqis From Dock
· Former president uses testimony to rally support · Microphone cut after heated clashes with judge

'I Am Still the Head of State'
Saddam Hussein insisted today that he was still Iraq's president and called on Iraqis to stop fighting each other and rise up against US and British troops as he gave evidence for the first time at his trial.

Saddam Admits Link to Killings of Shia Villagers
· Ex-dictator ordered Dujail farms to be destroyed · Actions were not a crime he tells Iraq court

Saddam Trial Hears of Execution Orders
Saddam Hussein's defence lawyers today ended their month-long boycott of his trial, attending proceedings in which prosecutors presented a document said to be signed by Saddam approving the executions of more than 140 Shias in the 1980s.

Saddam 'ends Hunger Strike'
Saddam Hussein has ended a hunger strike he staged in protest at his trial judge for "health reasons", it was reported today.

Saddam Trial at 'crucial Stage'
he trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants entered what Iraqi officials hailed as "a decisive phase" yesterday, as prosecutors put former regime members in the dock and presented documents said to link the ousted dictator to the torture and execution of villagers in Dujail in 1982.

Saddam Creates Uproar in Forced Court Appearance
Saddam Hussein complained bitterly today after being forced to attend his trial, shouting "down with Bush" as he was led into the courtroom...

Saddam Trial Hears of Cigarette-burn Torture
A witness in the trial of Saddam Hussein described today how the former Iraqi leader's half-brother stubbed a cigarette out on his head during an interrogation session, while another said he was made to watch his sister being tortured.

Saddam to Boycott Trial
Saddam Hussein and his entire defence team will boycott the former dictator's trial when it resumes on Wednesday, his chief lawyer said today.

Judge Orders Saddam Ejected From Court
· Defence team walks out as Dujail testimony resumes · Discipline established, chief prosecutor claims

Saddam Judge in Ba'athist Row
There was fresh confusion in the trial of Saddam Hussein yesterday when a senior official said the new chief judge was a member of Saddam's banned Ba'ath party and should be barred from office.

Pressure on Saddam Judge to Stay in Job
The chief judge in Saddam Hussein's trial was under mounting pressure yesterday to review his planned resignation. Rizgar Mohammed Amin wrote last week saying he could no longer continue. The letter followed repeated criticism, including from Iraqi government officials, that he was giving too much...

Boredom Sets in Over Saddam Trial 'soap Opera'
Ex-dictator's courtroom antics fail to keep up ratings across the Arab world.

Dutch Dealer Gets 15 Years for Chemical Sales to Saddam
A Dutch businessman was yesterday jailed for 15 years after a court in The Hague found him guilty of complicity in war crimes for selling chemicals to Iraq that Saddam Hussein's regime used in lethal gas attacks on Kurdish villages.

US Rejects Beating Claims As Saddam Says Wounds Took Eight Months to Heal
Saddam Hussein said yesterday that US denials that he had been mistreated during his two years in custody were lies.

Saddam Accuses Us Jailers of Beating Him
Saddam Hussein accused his American jailers of torturing him, claiming he had been beaten on every part of his body, after a day in which two witnesses described torture, beatings and executions at the hands of Saddam's officials.

'I Am Saddam's Tailor'
Saddam Hussein's dapper appearance at his televised trial has made his tailor famous throughout the Middle East. Recep Cesur tells Ian Traynor about designing for the dictator.

This Faltering Trial Has Put Saddam Back in Charge
His appearance in the dock is doing little to bring reconciliation or truth. It's not even certain that justice will be done.

Trial Continues After Saddam Refuses to Appear in Court
Saddam Hussein's trial on crimes against humanity was delayed for several hours yesterday after the former president refused to hear new witnesses, but the judge ordered it to proceed without him.

Woman Witness Tells Saddam Trial of Beatings, Torture and Sexual Humiliation
· Victim asks to be shielded by screen in court · Evidence fails to establish link to Iraqi leaders

Hidden Witness Gives Evidence As Saddam Trial Resumes
The trial of Saddam Hussein resumed as the first unidentified witness gave evidence against the former Iraqi dictator today.

Saddam: 'i'm Not Afraid of Execution'
· Angry defendants berate court as defence walks out · Tearful witness describes horrors of torture chamber

Saddam: I Don't Fear Execution
· Court told of torture under Iraqi dictator · Saddam taunts former prisoner · Defence team walks out of court

Saddam's Lawyers Walk Out of Court
Saddam Hussein's defence team today walked out of court in protest against the legality of the trial.

Saddam's Trial Will Not Be Fair, Says United Nations
· Violence against lawyers mars hearing, says official · Plot to attack court foiled as tribunal resumes today

Shia Anger at Chief Judge As Saddam Trial Starts and Stops Again After 3 Hours
Shia politicians expressed anger yesterday as the trial of Saddam Hussein was adjourned for another week, after three hours of procedural wrangling and testimony from the first prosecution witness.

Saddam Confronts Trial Judge
A combative Saddam Hussein today picked up his trial for crimes against humanity where he had left it off, making a series of heated outbursts against the chief trial judge. Evidence of the former dictator's antagonistic attitude towards the court - put on full display when the hearing...

Saddam Hussein Trial Reopens
The trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants for crimes against humanity today resumed in Baghdad after a 40-day break in proceedings. The former dictator was brought into the court in Baghdad's fortified green zone shortly after 11.30am local time (8.30am GMT) and was the last of...

Saddam Trial to Go Ahead Despite Murder Plot
· Eight arrested over plan to kill investigative judge · Discovery follows death of two defence lawyers

Saddam's Former Deputy Reported Dead As Sunnis Start to Sign Up for Iraq Poll
Saddam Hussein's former deputy, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who helped orchestrate the Ba'athist coup in 1968 that brought him to power, died yesterday, according to Arab media reports.

Saddam's Legal Team Stops Work After Lawyer is Shot Dead
Defence lawyers for Saddam Hussein broke off all contact with the Iraqi court authorities yesterday after a second member of the legal team was shot dead on Tuesday.

BBC Drama to Tell Saddam Hussein's Story
BBC2 is developing a major fact-based drama about the rise and fall of Saddam Hussein, focusing on how the Iraqi dictator and his inner circle of family and trusted lieutenants managed to seize power and hold it for so long. By Jason Deans.

Saddam lawyers to boycott court
The trial, which opened on October 19 in Baghdad, was adjourned after just one day until November 28.

Lawyer's Killing Prompts Call for Boycott of Saddam's Trial
Iraq's bar association urged lawyers yesterday to stop working with the special court trying Saddam Hussein until the murder of a member of the defence team is solved.

Lawyer for Saddam Co-defendant Kidnapped
A lawyer representing one of Saddam Hussein's co-defendants in their mass-murder trial was kidnapped from his office in Baghdad last night. Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi, who was in court for the opening of the case on Wednesday, is defending Awad Hamed al-Bandar, one of seven Ba'ath party officials...

Saddam trial defense lawyer found dead
Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi was abducted from his office yesterday evening, a day after he participated in the first session of the trial, acting as the lawyer of one Saddam's seven co-defendants.

Saddam's Trial is Merely a Political Sideshow
The success of the new constitution will depend on whether Sunnis feel cheated by the referendum.

Defiant Saddam
Asks Judge who are you?--- Special story from Vipin Agnihotri

'I Am the President of Iraq. I Do Not Recognise This Court'
Arguments and scuffling as defiant Saddam appears on mass murder charge.

Saddam Defiant As Trial Opens
Saddam Hussein pleaded not guilty today as he appeared in a Baghdad court on charges of crimes against humanity, arguing with the judge and repeatedly refusing to confirm his name.

Judgment Day For Saddam
Once feared by many, still loved by some, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein gets his day in court today in the first of what is likely to be several trials on atrocities he allegedly committed during his decades in power.

TRIAL OF SADDAM: Disproportionate Retribution
The grand spectacle of occupation justice begins in Baghdad today. What could have been the mother of all trials will likely be a carnival sideshow. It is not justice that is at stake in the trial of Saddam; it is the greater truth of America's complicity in the crimes of a brutal tyrant.

A Chance for Justice, But Will It Be Seized?
Saddam Hussein's trial before a special tribunal in Baghdad is being portrayed as a watershed moment for the Iraqi people and the global legal system. But critical questions about the conduct of the trial, political interference and the decision to hold it in Iraq rather than under UN or international auspices are likely to dog the proceedings and may cast doubt on their legitimacy.

Trial of the Century? Not for Iraqis
Saddam Hussein's trial starts tomorrow, trailing words such as momentous and historic, a courtroom drama with a gallows in the wings.

British Qc for Saddam
Saddam Hussein's family have chosen one of Britain's best-known barristers to defend the former Iraqi dictator at his trial for mass murder which is due to start in Baghdad next week.

Trial of Saddam Likely to Be Postponed
The trial of Saddam Hussein, scheduled to open on October 19, will almost certainly have to be postponed, a senior British official said yesterday.

Saddam Questioned Over Gulf War Uprising
Dictator called to account over crushing of Shia rebellion.

Saddam Trial Date to Be Set 'in Days'
Saddam Hussein and three of his former associates will soon stand trial for the massacre, nearly 25 years ago, of about 150 Iraqis in the village of Dujail, the chief judge on the country's special tribunal said yesterday.

Saddam May Sue Over Sun Pictures
A leading London media lawyer is to advise on Saddam Hussein's prospects of success in a high court human rights claim over photographs of him in his underpants which appeared on the front page of the Sun.

Jordan Bans Saddam Novel
Critics judge it boring, but some in the Middle East consider Get Out of Here, Curse You!, the latest novel by Saddam Hussein, dangerous.

Chatty Saddam Forgives Bush, Guards Claim
He admires Ronald Reagan, respects Bill Clinton and bears no grudge against George Bush senior or junior. But he cannot abide Froot Loops.

Saddam Quizzed on Massacre
Tribunal releases video of former Iraqi leader as US poll shows declining support for war.

Weapons Cache Left By Fleeing Saddam Diplomats
When Iraq's first post-Saddam ambassador to the UK surveyed his country's embassy in London, the locked safes must have been an intriguing discovery.

Saddam Trial to Open With Village Massacre
A little-known massacre at a village where residents tried to assassinate Saddam Hussein in 1982 will be the focus of the first case in the trial of the former Iraqi president, it emerged yesterday.

Saddam's Morale 'low' As Trial Date Nears
Saddam Hussein's morale has collapsed as reality has dawned of the gravity of the charges against him, the head of Iraq's special tribunal said yesterday.

Saddam on Trial 'in Two Months'
The trial of Saddam Hussein could begin within two months, Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, said yesterday.

Saddam Trial 'within Two Months'
Iraq's new president, Jalal Talabani, said today that he hoped the country's toppled dictator Saddam Hussein could go on trial within the next two months.

The Extraordinary Pleas of Saddam's Right-hand Man
Dramatic letters from Saddam's deputy insist on his innocence and claim he is being held illegally.

Kurd Chief Who Taught Mercy to Saddam's Men
Jailed militia leader counselled ex-foes.

UN Inspector Paints Bleak Picture of Saddam's Jail
Dramatic details of conditions at Camp Cropper, the top-secret Baghdad prison where Saddam Hussein is being held, have been revealed by a senior UN weapons inspector.

Bush Backs Inquiry Into Sun's Photos of Saddam Photographs
George Bush yesterday intervened in the furore surrounding the photographs of Saddam Hussein in his underpants leaked to the Sun newspaper, saying he supported the "aggressive" investigation to find out how they got into the public domain.

Iraqi President Will Not Sign Death Warrant for Saddam
Iraq's new rulers split yesterday over whether to execute Saddam Hussein if he is convicted of war crimes, with President Jalal Talabani facing calls to resign if he refuses to sign a death warrant.

Saddam 'upset' at Kurd's Election
Saddam Hussein watched the televised election of Iraq's new president from his jail cell yesterday and was "clearly upset", a senior official said.

Saddam to Watch Kurdish Leader Become Iraqi President
Iraq will get its first democratically elected president today if Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani is approved by the national assembly.

Gunmen Kill Saddam Tribunal Judge
Gunmen have killed a judge and a lawyer working for the Iraqi tribunal which will try Saddam Hussein and his senior officials, raising concern that insurgents have infiltrated what is supposed to be a secret court.

Syria Hands Over Saddam's Adviser
The Syrian government, under intense pressure from the US and others in the international community, made its first significant concession yesterday by handing over to the interim Iraqi government Saddam Hussein's half-brother and former head of the Iraqi secret police, Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan al-Tikriti.

UN Oil-for-food Chief Took Saddam Bribes
The United Nations suffered grave damage to its international reputation yesterday after it emerged that the official who headed the oil-for-food programme for Iraq sought and obtained bribes from Saddam Hussein's regime.

Dutch Court to Free 'saddam's Chemical Fixer'
An appeal judge in The Hague has ordered the release of a Dutch businessman accused of supplying the chemicals to Saddam Hussein that enabled him to gas the Kurds.

US Gives Up Search for Saddam's Wmd
Iraq Survey Group concludes dictator destroyed weapons years before invasion.

Former Us Attorney General Joins Saddam Defence Team
Ramsey Clark, a former US attorney general, has joined Saddam Hussein's legal team to contest before a special tribunal charges of committing wholesale atrocities.

The Trial Of Saddam
On the first anniversary of the capture of Saddam Hussein, the Beast of Baghdad has never been tried. His testimony has never been allowed to reach the light of public scrutiny and, likely, never will.

Bomber Kills 13 As Violence Marks Anniversary of Saddam's Capture
The anniversary of Saddam Hussein's capture was marked with a day of violence when a suicide car bomber struck in Baghdad yesterday killing at least 13 people.

Wise Words for Shias at Saddam Folly
Clerics use dictator's unfinished mosque to encourage voting.

Senate Doubles Estimate of Theft By Saddam From Oil-for-food Scheme
US senate investigators said yesterday that Saddam Hussein creamed off $21.3bn (£11.3bn) from the UN oil-for-food programme, twice as much as previously estimated. Speaking before the start of a Senate hearing yesterday, Senator Norm Coleman said: "This is like an onion; we just keep...

Missing Evidence Could Foil Saddam Prosecution, Claims Report
Crucial evidence for the forthcoming trials of Saddam Hussein is likely to have been lost or seriously tainted because US-led forces have failed to safeguard official documents and the remains of victims in mass graves, says Human Rights Watch.

Saddam Aide in Exile Heads List of Most Wanted Rebels
A former Baathist based in Syria has been identified as the Mr Big behind terrorism.

France's Saddam Deals Revealed
Dramatic new details of France's secret dealings with Saddam Hussein's regime have emerged as part of a fresh corruption investigation into alleged illicit oil deals. Three executives of France's largest oil corporation have been charged in Paris over claims that they funnelled millions...

Focus: Facing Defeat, Saddam Clung to His Fantasies
The Iraq Survey Group report paints a remarkable picture of the ex-dictator and reveals why he went to such lengths to maintain the fiction of WMD. By Peter Beaumont.

Saddam 'used Oil Revenues to Buy Influence at Un'
Claims that French and Russian figures received payments provide Bush and Blair with crumbs of comfort.

Doubts Raised on Saddam Theory in 2001
The Bush administration knew as early as mid-2001 that a central plank of its argument about Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction was regarded by its own nuclear experts as probably untrue, it was reported yesterday. The energy department experts said thousands of...

The Need to Wrongfoot Saddam
The weekend's leaked No 10 papers have revealed the depth of official fears about the legality of the Iraq invasion - and the disaster it presaged.

Busload of Bodies Found From Saddam Massacre, Says Allawi
The remains of an entire busload of people, including women and children, have been discovered near Hilla, Iraq's interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, claimed yesterday. The interim government was continuing to uncover many atrocities committed during Saddam Hussein's rule, he told...

Saddam Trial Chief Faces Iraqi Murder Charge
Salem Chalabi, the man organising the trial of Saddam Hussein, was facing a murder charge himself last night after an Iraqi judge issued a warrant for his arrest. Another was issued for his uncle Ahmed Chalabi, the founder of the Iraqi National Congress and a former key ally of the US. He...

Saddam's Day: Gardening, Reading and Eating Muffins
· First account of Iraqi despot's life in jail
·He is in good health but 'demoralised'


Shadow of Saddam Still Falls Over Survivors
Two men who cheated dictator's death squads describe their mixed feelings at being asked to testify against him.

Saddam Paradox Divides Iraqis
After an extraordinary few days which saw the secret return of sovereignty and Saddam in court, Peter Beaumont reports on a nation's conflicting emotions.

Saddam Court Coverage Was 'shambolic'
Members of the world's media have revealed their frustration at restrictions on access to the historic court appearance of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. By Claire Cozens.

'I Am Saddam Hussein, the President of Iraq'
Defiance as former dictator appears in the dock.

Iraqis Get Legal Custody of Saddam
Legal custody of Saddam Hussein and 11 other senior figures from his regime was transferred to the Iraqis today, according to reports. An international official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the defendants were informed individually of their rights as the coalition ceded legal...

Saddam to Be Shown in Public
Saddam Hussein, the dictator thought responsible for the killing of 250,000 people, and the last best justification for the US-British invasion of Iraq, will be shown in public for the first time since his capture either today or tomorrow, as the long process of bringing him to account begins...

Red Cross Ultimatum to Us on Saddam
Release him, charge him or break international law, Bush told.

Scientist Jailed By Saddam is Tipped for Pm
Nuclear physicist is reluctant candidate.

America to Hand Over Saddam
Saddam Hussein will be handed over to the Iraqis before the transfer of power at the end of June, the lawyer preparing the former dictator's trial said yesterday. Iraqis will also be given custody of more than 100 other top-level former regime officials, including Tariq Aziz, Saddam's...

Two-year Wait for Saddam Trial
Iraqi officials report delays in setting up tribunal to investigate crimes against humanity.

Saddam Wanted Jihadists Kept at Arm's Length
From his hideout after the fall of Baghdad, Saddam Hussein warned the insurgency against working too closely with "jihadists" who had come to fight the US-led occupation, according to a document reported yesterday. An order signed by the ousted leader, pointing out the dangers of...

Bush Decided to Remove Saddam 'on Day One'
Former aide says US president made up his mind to go to war with Iraq long before 9/11, then ordered his staff to find an excuse.

Soft Treatment Fails to Get Saddam to Talk
Captive dictator has full PoW rights, Pentagon reveals. Saddam Hussein has been formally declared an enemy prisoner of war, but is still resisting pressure to help his American interrogators after three weeks in custody.

Syria Was Conduit for Saddam Arms
A host of companies around the world provided military equipment to Iraq in the run-up to war, sending it mainly through Syria, according to documents discovered in Baghdad. The files, which include signed contracts, shipping manifests and minutes of meetings, appear to show that a...

Saddam 'spills the Beans' on Hidden Millions
Saddam Hussein has started "cooperating" with his American interrogators and has admitted hiding millions of dollars in secret international bank accounts, a senior member of Iraq's governing council said last night. After more than two weeks in US custody, the former dictator has told...

Everyday Tales of Saddam's Cruelty
They were jailed, beaten, tortured or vilified for daring to express views that offended the president. Now eight Iraqis, from poets to political activists, tell Luke Harding what should happen to their tormentor.

200 Seized Thanks to Saddam Documents
The Pentagon's top general, Richard Myers, said yesterday that the intelligence learned from Saddam Hussein's capture had led to the arrest of more than 200 people in a series of sweeps through centres of resistance. Gen Myers, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, said some of...

Henry Mcdonald: Ahern Was Right to Help Us Overthrow Saddam
Bertie Ahern was right to help America overthrow Saddam Hussein. Bertie Ahern is starting to sound like Jurgen the German student from The Fast Show. The Taoiseach, just like the Teutonic figure of fun in the comic sketch, can't help apologising for his nation's conduct during the war.

Saddam Faces Months of Interrogation Before Trial
The capture of the Iraqi leader was the result of painstaking intelligence - but it has not stopped guerrilla attacks. And now the US must break him down.

Saddam's Arrest Fuels Insurgency
Police are increasingly the target as insurgents hit back after Saddam's arrest.

Saddam Should Die, Says Bush
President George Bush called last night for Saddam Hussein to face the death penalty, as fresh violence across Iraq signalled that his capture has by no means stifled the anti-US insurgency. Mr Bush told ABC news: "I think he ought to receive the ultimate penalty ... for what he has done...

Saddam's Arrest is a Mixed Blessing
Enemy leaders who are dead as well as overthrown are a lot less trouble. Under a different kind of empire in an earlier age, there is little doubt what would have happened.

Inside Saddam's Lair
Rory McCarthy in Ad Dawr, where Saddam existed in squalor not far from his former palace.

Saddam: Disbelief Turns to Quiet Satisfaction
Many shocked by leader's lack of resistance.

Saddam the Prisoner
Triumphant Americans declare: 'We got him!'

Saddam Hussein Captured
Saddam Hussein, Iraq's deposed leader, was last night found by US forces at the bottom of a hole near his home town of Tikrit, it was announced today. Without a shot being fired, members of the US army's 4th infantry division and special forces closed in at 8.30pm yesterday local time...

Saddam Hussein 'captured in Iraq'
Prime Minister Tony Blair this morning confirmed that a man captured in a military operation last night is deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The announcement at 11.15am confirmed rumours that Saddam was captured in a basement in his hometown of Tikrit last night as part of a US...

US Forces Deny Capturing Key Saddam Aide
The US military today denied reports that Izzat Ibrahim, the most wanted man in Iraq after Saddam Hussein, had been captured in a raid. "He was definitely not captured in today's mission," Major Doug Vincent of the 173rd Airborne Brigade was quoted by Reuters as saying. Earlier,...

US Forces 'target Key Saddam Aide'
One of Saddam Hussein's top former deputies, Izzat Ibrahim, may have been killed or captured during a US raid in Kirkuk, senior Iraqi officials said today. "There was a major action against a highly suspicious objective last night in Kirkuk and it is very possible that Izzat Ibrahim has...

Wife of Saddam's Henchman Held By Us After Raid
The wife and daughter of Izzat Ibrahim, one of the most wanted deputies of Saddam Hussein, were detained for questioning last night in a move that reflects the anxiety of US forces faced with growing insurgency in Iraq. Commanders have accused Ibrahim, the former vice-chairman of the...

Saddam's Desperate Offers to Stave Off War
Washington dismissed Iraq's peace feelers, including elections and weapons pledge, put forward via diplomatic channels and US hawk Perle.

Saddam's Aide 'behind Surge in Attacks'
Pentagon identifies dictator's confidant as catalyst for attacks which led to UN withdrawal.

Saddam Retains Grip on Baghdad's Imagination
Suzanne Goldenberg finds six months after the dictator's statue fell, the US authority has not extinguished his legacy.

Saddam's nuclear arsenal? A scattering of yellow powder
Dhia Ali makes a throwing motion as he tells how he dumped out the blue barrels of powder. The nine-year-old and his brother, Hussein, weren't looking for weapons of mass destruction when they went into the low brown buildings, known to UN weapons inspectors as Location C, near his home last April.

Saddam 'seen' five days ago
Iraqi leader says former dictator is moving in ever smaller circles. Saddam Hussein was reportedly seen in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk five days ago and is moving in increasingly smaller circles in order to evade capture, Jalal Talabani, a leading member of Iraq's governing council, said yesterday.

Saddam's Defence Minister Gives Himself Up After Talks
Iraqi mediator says surrender to US military followed promise that general would not be prosecuted.

Tape Said to Be By Saddam Denies Role in Najaf Bombing
Two Arabic television channels last night broadcast what they said was a recorded message from Saddam Hussein, denying responsibility for last week's devastating car bomb in Najaf. The voice on the audio tape claimed Saddam had had no part in the bombing, which killed 125 people,...

Chaos reigns as Saddam's plan unfolds
Peter Beaumont reports from Najaf on the threat from an increasingly organised network of anti-US forces bent on plunging Iraq into violence and anarchy.

Why Didn't Blair Prepare for Post-saddam Iraq?
Another day, another soldier dead - and still no end to the chaos in sight. With the latest death of a serviceman in Iraq, the number of British troops killed by hostile fire since George Bush declared major combat operations to be over now exceeds the wartime toll.

US 'using Saddam's spies to combat terrorism'
America admits improved intelligence, rather than more coalition troops, is the key to stopping daily attacks by militants in Iraq.

Capture draws net on Saddam's dwindling band
On April 7 coalition forces announced the killing of Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as as Chemical Ali, as the most significant blow they had inflicted on Saddam Hussein's regime.

Saddam No Longer a Joke for Syrian Satirist
The Syrian Ba'athist regime is struggling to prevent a rising tide of agitation for across-the-board reform and democratisation from turning into a flood. For one of the last fraying Arab versions of the theoretically socialist, one-party state, repression is proving less and less...

Saddam Ordered Chemical Attack, Inspector to Claim
The former UN inspector hired by the Bush administration to find evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction is to report that Iraqi forces were ordered to fire chemical shells at invading coalition troops.

Tribe Gathers to Bury Saddam's Sons
Wrapped in an Iraqi flag, the blood brothers are laid to a dusty rest.

Saddam Has Gone Grey and Got a Beard But Where is He?
The US is planning to create a tribunal of Iraqi judges to try Saddam Hussein for crimes against humanity rather than prosecuting him before an international court. As American forces hunting Saddam issued photofit pictures of what he might look like in disguise and the fugitive dictator...

Saddam Praises Sons As Martyrs on New Tape
Saddam Hussein last night declared that his two sons, Uday and Qusay, had died as martyrs for Iraq when they were killed in a gun battle with US forces last week, and pledged America would be defeated. In an audiotape purportedly from the former Iraqi president broadcast on the Arab...

The last moments of Saddam's grandson
Saddam Hussein's 14-year-old grandson, Mustafa, may have been the last to die in Tuesday's four-hour siege on a house in Mosul, and kept shooting even after Qusay and Uday Hussein, his father and uncle, had been killed, US military officials said yesterday.

Bush Hails End of Saddam's Regime
Death of Saddam's sons seen as key moment.

How US troops cut off Saddam's bloodline - and maybe his lifeline
There are only two people on the planet whose deaths would be more welcome to the White House. But in the absence of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein's bodies, it will gladly settle for Saddam's two sons. For Washington, their death has come in the nick of time.

Lack of safety and power worries Iraqis more than fate of Saddam's sons
Iraqis in Baghdad last night expressed undisguised delight at the news that Saddam Hussein's two sons were dead. "I'm very happy to hear it. Uday had a very bad reputation for the way he treated women," said Umm Merna, a housewife carrying her five-year-old daughter in a suburban street as the sun began to set.

Dead: the Sons of Saddam
Saddam Hussein's sons, two of the most feared figures in his regime, were killed yesterday in a three-hour gun battle after US special forces raided a house in the northern Iraqi town of Mosul where they were hiding. The deaths of Saddam's two fugitive "princes" is the biggest coup for...

Hunt for Saddam Risks Creating New Enemies
US search operations in Tikrit uncover weapons and ammunition, but affront local pride.

Saddam regime will be tried for war crimes, party reveals
Saddam Hussein and his key lieutenants are to face a new war crimes court, one of the parties in Iraq's new power-sharing council announced yesterday.

White House 'lied About Saddam Threat'
A former US intelligence official who served under the Bush administration in the build-up to the Iraq war accused the White House yesterday of lying about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein. The claims came as the Bush administration was fighting to shore up its credibility among a...

Experts Sceptical About Pre-war Saddam Threat
The Commons foreign affairs committee is scheduled to release its Iraq report today, in which MPs have focused on the BBC-Downing Street spat. By Ewen MacAskill and Richard Norton-Taylor.

'Saddam' tape urges guerrillas to fight on
A tape recording purportedly of Saddam Hussein which was broadcast yesterday urged guerrilla fighters in Iraq to continue their resistance to the US-led occupation of the country.

US offers $25m for Saddam's capture
The US last night offered a reward of $25m (£15m) for information that leads to the capture of Saddam Hussein or proves that he is dead.

Hunt for Saddam Hussain
How US has tightened the noose round the neck of the missing dictator. Peter Beaumont on the new role of a secret unit.

DNA Tests After Missiles Strike 'saddam Convoy'
Human remains removed after US Hellfire missiles target source of dictator's satellite phone call.

US Believes Saddam is Still Alive and Active in Iraq
Ten weeks after the end of the war Saddam Hussein and his two sons are probably alive and in Iraq, their presence fuelling resistance to 150,000 US troops, US intelligence officials now believe. The latest thinking on Saddam's location expressed with increasing frankness by US officials...

US forces capture Saddam's secretary
US forces claimed their most senior Iraqi captive yet yesterday, taking into custody Saddam Hussein's personal secretary and No 4 on the most-wanted list from the former regime.

US Soldiers Ring Saddam Strongholds
Reinforcements brought in as resistance grows.

Saddam daughters to claim asylum
Two of Saddam Hussein's daughters plan to claim asylum in Britain after the collpase of their father's regime, it was claimed last night.

Fighting Continues in Saddam's Heartland
In the weeks since the end of the conflict in Iraq, most American troops have gradually scaled down from combat operations to policing patrols. But in Falluja and a string of smaller towns just west of Baghdad, they believe they are still very much at war. Troops from the US 3rd Armoured...

Saddam loyalists prolong conflict
America's most senior general in Iraq warned yesterday that his troops were still involved in a "war" against organised fighters loyal to Saddam Hussein's fallen regime.

Saddam's Killing Fields Give Up Their Gruesome Secrets
Families' search for their loved ones ends in a gym filled with bodies from mass graves. Ed Vulliamy reports.

Saddam's army and apparatus sacked
Hours after the UN sanctions on Iraq were finally lifted, US officials in Baghdad imposed a new order on the country yesterday, sacking about 400,000 soldiers and security officers.

Saddam's Praise Singer Shot Dead As Revenge Killings Start
Two gunmen shot and killed a senior Ba'ath party official who appeared regularly in uniform on Iraqi state television singing anthems praising Saddam Hussein, the Guardian has learned. It was one of the first known revenge executions since the fall of the regime. Daoud al-Qaisy...

'Voice of Saddam' urges uprising
Saddam Hussein has called on the Iraqi people to rise up against US and British forces, according to an audio tape handed to Australian journalists in Baghdad.

Australian Newspaper Handed 'saddam Tape'
An Australian newspaper claims it has been handed a two-day-old tape recording of Saddam Hussein calling on Iraqis to launch a "secret war" against US and British forces in the country. The Sydney Morning Herald said the tape was handed to its correspondent in Baghdad on Monday and that...

Saddam's son took $1bn from bank day before war
One of Saddam Hussein's sons took almost $1bn (£640m) in cash from Iraq's central bank only hours before the Americans started bombing, the US state department said last night.

Chalabi threatens to lift lid on Saddam links
Ahmad Chalabi, the exiled financier promoted by the Pentagon as a leader of postwar Iraq, claims to have obtained 25 tonnes of intelligence documents detailing Saddam Hussein's relationship with foreign governments and Arab leaders.

'Saddam letter' calls for people's uprising
A handwritten letter, said to be from Saddam Hussein, appeared in an Arabic newspaper yesterday urging Iraqis to rise up against occupying US and British forces.

Home town defies ban on Saddam birthday party
The street corners of Tikrit were decorated with homemade shrines to Saddam Hussein yesterday, small portraits decked with flowers lying on the pavements.

After 13 Years Fighting Saddam, Lord of the Marshes Wants His Country Back
Guerrilla leader who became a legend emerges from hiding.

Saddam 'held talks on alliance with al-Qaeda'
Negotiations about about a possible alliance between Saddam Hussein's regime and al-Qaeda took place in 1998, according to documents found in Baghdad by a British newspaper.

US seizes Saddam's deputy
Tariq Aziz, the most internationally recognised face of the fallen Iraqi regime after Saddam Hussein himself, was in US custody last night after surrendering to American forces, Pentagon officials said.

Saddam's fear of betrayal ruined army, says spy chief
Iraq's former chief of military intelligence has described how previous wars, sanctions and Saddam Hussein's fear of betrayal brought his military to its knees even before the US attacked.

Former Saddam Aide on Wanted List is Captured
US military officials said yesterday they had arrested and started questioning a senior Ba'ath party leader, who is among America's 55 most wanted Iraqis. Samir Abdulaziz al-Najm was first captured by Kurdish forces near Mosul, in northern Iraq. He was handed over to US troops early...

Was Saddam Still Alive As Statue Toppled?
The pot-bellied, olive-uniformed image of Saddam Hussein popped up on Middle Eastern television sets yesterday, along with a slurred, rambling call to arms, confounding US hopes that the Iraqi dictator is dead and fuelling fears he may have gone underground in the hope of fighting back another day...

Saddam's Fall Will Reignite the Revolutionary Debate
The dispute in Iran about Islam's political role will now shake Iraq. When Ayatollah Khomeini was arrested in the Iranian Shi'ite centre of Qom and packed off by the Shah to Ankara on a cargo aircraft, it was a transfer of a revolutionary personality arguably as important as that of Lenin on the famous sealed train.

Power struggle rages in Saddam hometown
Gangs of armed Iraqis loyal to Saddam Hussein's clan are still operating in his hometown, Tikrit, American military officials admitted yesterday.

US Believes Capture of Brother Could Lead to Saddam
The US is hoping to secure vital leads in the hunt for Saddam Hussein, his elusive weapons of mass destruction and hidden funds after the capture in Baghdad yesterday of his half-brother, Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti. American Brigadier-General Vincent Brooks said Barzan had an...

Forces Capture Saddam Half-brother
· Lift sanctions, Bush tells UN
· EU agrees to help rebuild Iraq
· Mosul riots death toll reaches 17

Saddam's Missing Billions and Link to Al-qaida
Experts fear state funds were moved to middlemen who also acted for terror groups.

Pro-Saddam Gangs Challenge Marines' Control of Tikrit
Gangs of Arab tribesmen armed with Kalashnikovs and machine guns were still in control of much of Tikrit last night, a day after US marines apparently liberated the town. Hours after the Pentagon announced the war in Iraq was virtually over, Arab youths established their own checkpoint on...

A moment of pure Hollywood in the town of a thousand Saddams
It is not difficult to find a statue of Saddam Hussein in Tikrit, the town of a thousand Saddams. There is the equine statue of Saddam - sword in hand - in Tikrit's main square. Then there are numerous other Saddams - in linen suits, military uniforms, and wearing Arab headdresses.

Saddam Had Left the Building
The US attempt to target the Iraqi dictator by bombing a Baghdad 'safe house' may have been unsuccessful - but he was almost certainly there, writes Jonathan Steele.

Saddam's Final Stronghold Crumbles
8.30am: US marines in centre of Tikrit
· Troops in Baghdad firefight
· Syria warned by Bush

We have Saddam's DNA, say Americans
The US forces possess confirmed samples of Saddam Hussein's DNA with which they can determine whether he has been killed or is still at large, according to the coalition commander, General Tommy Franks.

Saddam's half-brother captured, Kurd TV says
The net appeared to be closing around leading members of Saddam Hussein's regime yesterday when a half-brother of the Iraqi dictator was reportedly captured near the northern town of Mosul.

Saddam's weapons chief surrenders to US forces
The hunt for Saddam Hussein and his inner circle took a dramatic twist last night with the surrender of the former dictator's chief scientist, who could unlock the secrets of Iraq's chemical weapons programme.

Painful rebirth of Iraq after Saddam
As Saddam's tyranny crumbles, a new nation struggles to be born amid looting, flames and disorder. Two questions now dominate in Washington and Baghdad: what future is there for Iraq? And just who should be in charge of it?

Kurds Moving in on Saddam's Powerbase
Kurdish peshmerga guerrillas were advancing on Tikrit, the powerbase of Saddam Hussein's regime, last night as reports from the city suggested resistance had collapsed except for skirmishing. Jason Burkereports.

Saddam Adviser Surrenders to Us
· Weapons seized in Basra
· Garner: looting will die down
· Saddam and son 'still alive'

Plea for Saddam Police to Help Keep the Peace
The emerging US administration in Baghdad intends to use screened members of Saddam Hussein's municipal police force to keep order in the capital, in a move reminiscent of the allies' use of Japanese troops to maintain peace after Tokyo's surrender at the end of the second world war. US...

Spy agencies compete to find Saddam secrets
US forces in Baghdad have secured the Iraqi interior ministry for the CIA in the hope of finding documents on the ousted regime's human rights abuses and the development of weapons of mass destruction, according to intelligence sources.

Saddam and sons 'almost certainly still in Iraq'
Saddam Hussein is almost certainly still in Iraq although his wife and one of his daughters have fled the country, intelligence sources said yesterday.

Inside Saddam's Palace
Inside the marble-floored opulence of the forbidden city ordinary Iraqis were too frightened even to point at.

Battle at Mosque in Hunt for Saddam
9am: US marine dies in gunfight
· Street fighting in Baghdad
· US-UK warplanes attack Tikrit

The toppling of Saddam - an end to 30 years of brutal rule
It was a slow collapse. The statue of Saddam Hussein, huge and commanding, resisted the crowds tugging on the noose around its neck for two hours. Right arm held steady above their heads, pointing towards the horizon.

Fear vanishes as Saddam's elite flees
It was the moment when the citizens of Baghdad lost their fear. It began hesitantly early yesterday morning, but gathered pace rapidly as word spread that, after a quarter of a century of dictatorial rule, Saddam Hussein's regime could no longer threaten them.

Exiles held after London embassy stormed and Saddam portraits destroyed
Iraqi exiles in London yesterday stormed the building that had in effect been Iraq's embassy in the UK in recent years and ripped down portraits of Saddam Hussein.

US: Saddam Regime is Over
· Statue toppled in central Baghdad
· Crowds cheer US marines
· Forces focus on Tikrit

2pm: Saddam is spotted. 2.48pm: pilots get their orders. 3pm: 60ft crater at target
High above Iraq's western desert on Monday afternoon a US B-1 stealth bomber was refuelling in mid-air on its way to a scheduled series of air strikes when it received urgent orders. They came in the form of a new set of target coordinates, but an air traffic controller made it clear what they meant: kill Saddam Hussein.

Saddam Survived Attack on Building Say British Intelligence Sources
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...

Speculation Mounts Over Saddam's Fate
A warplane has destroyed a house in Baghdad that US officials say they believe was being used by Saddam Hussein and his sons.

At ease in Saddam's palace
· Dramatic tank raid into Baghdad
· US troops hold their ground
· Republican Guard 'smashed'

Saddam should be executed, say exiles
Iraqi exiles likely to form part of a new legal system in Baghdad are urging Washington to allow them to impose the death penalty on Saddam Hussein and his closest associates, an approach that could further strain America's relations with Britain and the United Nations, who would oppose it.

Fresh US force will blaze a trail to Saddam's town
Lead units of the 4th Infantry Division, the American army's most advanced fighting force, were preparing last night to pour into Iraq for an assault on Saddam Hussein's home town.

Fighting erupts as US troops roar into Saddam's capital
American troops entered Baghdad for the first time yesterday in a symbolic move designed to show Iraqi forces that opposition to the coalition's superior firepower was futile.

Saddam exhorts Baghdad to resist and put invaders 'in the fire of hell'
Iraqi television last night showed pictures of Saddam Hussein apparently going for a walkabout in a residential area of Baghdad, being kissed and cheered by astonished passers-by.

Amid the Casualties and Chaos, a Sudden Appearance By Saddam
Sixteen days after the start of the aerial bombardments by a distant American enemy, the ground war arrived in Baghdad in brutal close-up yesterday. After swearing for days that they would fight to the death to defend their country from foreign invaders, Iraqis at last found the enemy...

Saddam Urges Iraqis to Defend Baghdad
Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator, this morning urged the people of Baghdad to defend their city as advancing US troops seized Baghdad airport - just a 15-minute drive from city centre. "The enemy is trying to enter Baghdad," The Iraqi information minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, said,...

Saddam's latest failure to appear on TV raises speculation about his death
Speculation continued last night as to whether Saddam Hussein could be dead after he failed to appear on Iraqi television for the second day running, amid reports that members of his family had already fled to Syria.

New Saddam Statement Urges Iraqis to Fight
Declaring that "victory is at hand", the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, issued a new statement urging Iraqis to fight on and defend their towns, according to a broadcast today on Iraqi satellite television. The statement, which was monitored in Doha, Qatar, by coalition officials, was...

Arab hopes rest on toppling Saddam and humbling the US
The chastening of America has begun and the likely outcome of the war is coming into view - one regime gone, in Baghdad, another humbled, in Washington. According to those who analyse Arab policy and follow Arab opinion from here, the hopes of Arab governments now centre on this prospect.

Saddam Palace Targeted
Hoon: 'no senior Iraqi defections'
· Powell to fly to Turkey for talks
· UK soldiers condemn 'cowboy' US pilot


Tribal chiefs vow to fight to the death for Saddam
The tribal chieftain in the fawn cloak was decades past his prime, but his fighting spirit was undiminished by age. "If we catch a British man we are going to tear him to pieces with our teeth," he said. Given the experiences of US and British forces in the 11 days since the war began, the threat was not entirely empty.

Saddam: I'll hit UK with terror squads
Saddam's deputy warns that Britain and America are to be targeted by suicide bombers, as US prepares for final assault on Baghdad.

Saddam's chief executioner
Whenever Saddam Hussein finds himself in a crisis, there is usually one man he turns to - General Ali Hassan al-Majid. Yesterday there were reports that Gen Majid, Saddam's cousin and close aide, had brutally suppressed an uprising in Basra.

Fearing Saddam but not trusting the US
It has been a central assumption of American and British plans that war against Saddam Hussein would eventually trigger an uprising of the country's Shia Muslims. Last night, six days into the conflict, came signs that it might be happening in Basra.

US accuses Saddam of chemical attack ploy
The US state department claimed yesterday it had received credible reports that Saddam Hussein's regime was planning to use chemical weapons against Shia Muslims in the south of the country, and then blame it on the United States.

The Enemy is Trapped: Saddam's Message to Iraqis
By the time the camera switched on to the olive green fatigues and black beret favoured by Saddam Hussein in moments of crisis, the Iraqi leader had achieved a milestone. Day five of America's war on Iraq, and he was still alive, and still in command. He sensed it, and the Iraqi people...

Saddam pledges victory over 'enemies of God'
In an address broadcast on Iraqi state television, Saddam Hussein today pledged victory over the "enemies of God".

Saddam Defiant As Us Heads for Baghdad
· US missile hits civilian bus
· Oilfields 'could be booby trapped'
· Iraqi capital under attack

Saddam's fate still uncertain
After three days of furious and anonymous briefing by American and British officials that Saddam Hussein may have been injured or killed on Thursday, it was conceded yesterday that the fate of the Iraqi president remains uncertain.

'This makes us love Saddam, not America'
The last thing that Omar Mohammed Saeed heard was the sound of the American missile plunging through the roof of his dormitory. It was 12.30 at night, and Mr Saeed and his fellow peshmerga fighters had been fast asleep.

Special Forces in Baghdad as Saddam's army crumbles
Iraqi troops pull back to capital for final showdown · Thousands surrender in battle for key city · US holds secret talks with enemy generals.

Saddam 'may Be Injured or Dead'
The Pentagon yesterday fuelled speculation that Saddam Hussein was killed or severely injured during the war's opening exchanges. Sources inside the Pentagon told The Observer that there was a 'credible circumstantial case' for believing that Saddam had 'disappeared in one way or other -...

Saddam: Us Asks If He is Dead or Alive
US officials were yesterday investigating whether President Saddam Hussein had been killed or wounded in Thursday's surprise pre-dawn bombardment of the command bunker in Baghdad. Officials in the US and Britain did nothing to damp down rumours that the Iraqi dictator was dead, which, if...

Striking at Saddam
If US forces had succeeded in killing Saddam Hussein, the principal target of yesterday's hit-and-run raid on Baghdad, there would without doubt have been general rejoicing.

Stay at home to avoid Saddam's fate, Rumsfeld tells Iraqis
The US vowed yesterday to unleash a bombing attack against Iraq of unprecedented scale and intensity and warned Iraqis to stay at home and listen to American radio broadcasts.

Attempt to assassinate Saddam legal - unless he surrenders first
America's decision to directly target Saddam Hussein was deemed legal by experts in international law yesterday, despite the Geneva convention and a presidential ban on assassinating foreign leaders which has been signed by President Bush.

Defiant Saddam Broadcasts Poetic Vow to Crush the Enemy
Looking tired and puffy-faced, his moustache a little greyer than usual, Saddam Hussein appeared on television early yesterday to dispel any idea that he was killed in the American assassination attempt. But the footage raised more questions than it answered, and its authenticity...

Saddam Pledges Victory
Iraqi state television today broadcast an address it claimed was by Saddam Hussein, who denounced the US attack on his country and pledged victory over an "insane" George Bush. He called on his people to join a holy war to defend their country from the "disgraceful crimes" of the US...

US Bombers Target Saddam
· Missiles strike Baghdad
· Bush and Saddam make TV addresses
· Iraq 'claims civilian casualties'

Bid to Assassinate Saddam
·Missile attack on Iraqi leader
· Bush: 'early stages' of invasion
· 170,000 troops on border

Saddam's Track Record Raises Fears of Chemical or Biological Attack
Experts divided on Iraq's ability to use nerve agents.

Irrational, Illogical, Unpredictable - 24 Years On, the World Awaits Saddam's Next Move
State of mind: 'He thinks the US will bomb - then leave him in place'

Bush Gives Saddam and His Sons 48 Hours to Leave Iraq
President George Bush last night gave Saddam Hussein and his sons 48 hours to give up power and go into exile or face invasion by more than a quarter of a million US and British troops massed on Iraq's borders. In a televised address to the nation, Mr Bush urged Iraqi soldiers not to...

'We Blame Saddam for Everything'
Fifteen years after 5,000 died in Iraq's chemical attack on Halabja, Luke Harding finds the town's inhabitants desperate for the removal of Saddam Hussein.

Saddam keeps defence in the family as country moves to war footing
Iraq moved on to a war footing yesterday, signalling that Saddam Hussein believes there is now little or no chance of staving off a US-led invasion.

Mortal fear rules Saddam's inner circle
Saddam Hussein knows it can be lonely at the top. In the grip of a crisis he turns - like any other leader - to his inner circle for advice.

Saddam Funds Fail to Buy Gaza Hearts
Payments to families of suicide bombers and intifada victims bring only indifference.

Straw Spells Out Key Tests for Saddam
Saddam Hussein must to go on Iraqi television and declare that he will give up his weapons of mass destruction, the British government insisted today. If the Iraqi leader did not do this, his country would face war, the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, told backbench Labour MPs...

Saddam aims to drag allies into a new Stalingrad, says British forces' chief
Saddam Hussein is preparing for a "Stalingrad siege" of Baghdad against advancing Allied forces which could be slowed down by the capture of prisoners of war, a displaced population, and the use of chemical weapons against civilians, the commander of UK forces in the Gulf warned yesterday.

Britain sets new tests for Saddam
The British government last night circulated a new compromise at the United Nations setting out a dozen disarmament tests that the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, would have to pass to avoid war.

Straw: keep up pressure on Saddam
Saddam Hussein is on the verge of concluding he has successfully faced down the United Nations, Jack Straw warned tonight.

Saddam Predicts 'victory Against the Tyrant'
· Thousands more troops head to the Gulf
· More missiles destroyed
· Second resolution 'likely next week'

Saddam: (almost) all bets are on
The odds are not looking good for Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi leader has a two-to-one chance of still being in power by the end of June but it is three-to-two that he will be either captured by the US or dead. Those, at least, are the odds offered by online bookmakers Tradesports.

Arab Emirates Leader Calls for Saddam to Quit
An Arab ruler yesterday broke a long-standing taboo of silence by calling for Saddam Hussein to step down to avert a conflict. In a letter to Arab leaders gathered in Egypt for an emergency one-day summit, Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al-Nahayan, President of the United Arab Emirates, proposed...

Saddam's Missile Offer Divides Security Council
As the UN chief weapons inspector prepared to present his latest report on Iraqi disarmament, Saddam Hussein's offer to destroy his proscribed missiles sparked a mixed reaction from security council members. Iraq announced earlier today that it would begin dismantling its Samoud 2...

Blair Dismisses Saddam's 'games'
Tony Blair today dismissed Saddam Hussein's announcement that Iraq will destroy its al-Samoud 2 missile system as an attempt to play "games". The prime minister was speaking in Madrid following talks with his Spanish counterpart, Jose Maria Aznar, and hours before chief weapons inspector...

How £1bn was lost when Thatcher propped up Saddam
For more than a decade, yellowing paper files in a government store have hidden the story of the way £1bn of Whitehall money was thrown away in propping up Saddam Hussein's regime and doing favours for arms firms.

Saddam: I won't destroy missiles
Saddam Hussein last night defied the US chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, when he refused to destroy his Samoud 2 missiles and called instead on US president George Bush to join him in a televised debate.

Saddam may wreak havoc, warns Major
The former prime minister John Major yesterday warned that Saddam Hussein may try to create Armageddon by blowing up the oilfields of Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia if he is attacked by the west.

Saddam Told: Disarm in Three Weeks or It's War
· Blair and Bush force second UN resolution.
· Backbench MPs set to mount rebellion.

No votes for Saddam
Iraqi exiles and opposition parties based in Britain and elsewhere all agree on one point: Saddam Hussein must go. But beyond that one unifying issue, agreement is hard to find.

Saddam Decree Bans Weapons - While His Acolytes Call for Blood
Members indulge in anti-US rhetoric before rubberstamping leader's climbdown.

Iraq Envoy Delivers Saddam Note to Pope
Iraq played the religious card yesterday in its efforts to rally European support against a US-led attack, sending Tariq Aziz, Saddam Hussein's deputy prime minister, with a "message of peace" for Italy and the Vatican. Mr Aziz, a Chaldean Christian, will meet the Pope, Italian government...

Scot scoops world with Saddam show
Two months ago it existed only in the mind of a maverick Scottish journalist. Now Arab Television (ATV) has given the world 'Benn meets Saddam' and is being touted as the next al-Jazeera.

The choice for Iraq's rag-tag army: be killed by the US or by Saddam
For Private Abass Shomail the war in Iraq ended before it had even begun. Two days ago Abass slipped away from his sentry post and started running in darkness across the muddy frontline. He stumbled past the newly dug trenches designed to protect Iraq's conscript army from American bombardment.

Powell's evidence against Saddam: does it add up?
Experts find some allegations on chemicals and nuclear weapons 'striking and significant'. Powell: "Saddam Hussein has never accounted for vast amounts of chemical weaponry:

South Africa to Send Special Envoy to Saddam
South Africa announced yesterday it is to mount a special mission to Baghdad in a last-ditch attempt to persuade Saddam Hussein to prevent war by revealing his alleged weapons of mass destruction. The mission, which will leave "within days", will sweeten the deal with a promise that...

Saddam gives Benn TV interview
Saddam Hussein went over the heads of hostile world leaders for a direct appeal to a global television audience last night, granting a rare audience to the veteran former Labour MP Tony Benn.

How Saddam hides illegal weapon sites
Saddam Hussein is using an elaborate network of deception to frustrate the United Nations' weapons inspectors and conceal Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, according to new intelligence documents released by Downing Street.

US Bombers to Start War With Onslaught on Saddam Palace
British and American forces planning war against Iraq have revealed details of their plans to topple Saddam Hussein, which will start with a devastating bombing campaign ahead of a massive ground attack by thousands of troops from Kuwait. Defence and intelligence officials have told The...

Saddam gets six more weeks
Tony Blair and George Bush yesterday agreed to give the UN weapons inspectors and the intelligence agencies as long as six weeks to persuade a sceptical France and Arab countries to come on board for military action against Iraq.

Is Saddam hiding something? Blix gives his verdict on Iraqi weapons
In 60 days the UN inspectors charged with hunting down Iraq's chemical and biological weapons have carried out 300 inspections to more than 230 different sites, including universities, military bases, presidential sites and private homes.

Where they stand on war against Saddam
France has moved from insisting that a second security council resolution would be needed to saying this week that it would be opposed to such a resolution being tabled until the arms inspectors finished their job.

Iraq's Neighbours Urge Saddam to Avoid Conflict
Political leaders from Iraq's neighbours last night ended a conference in Istanbul with a call to Saddam Hussein to cooperate fully with UN arms inspectors to avoid a "devastating" new war. But they avoided any public call for the Iraqi leader to step down. The foreign ministers, warning...

No Way Out for Saddam - Blair
Tony Blair today refused to rule out using nuclear weapons in a conflict against Iraq, as MPs grilled the prime minister for two and a half hours on the subject of Saddam Hussein. The prime minister said Britain and the US would deal with the threat from Iraq by "any way necessary"...

US Offers Immunity to Saddam
Rumsfeld and Powell back exile plan. The United States last night offered Saddam Hussein immunity from prosecution if his departure from Baghdad would avert war.

Arab nations tell Saddam: go now and we avoid war
The Saudi government is canvassing a plan to give Saddam Hussein a last-ditch chance to go into exile if the United Nations security council passes a new resolution authorising war against Iraq, western and Arab diplomats have confirmed.

Saddam vow to repel Mongol hordes of US
The Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, yesterday compared US-led forces being massed for a possible invasion of Iraq to the Mongol hordes and vowed that they will be slaughtered on the perimeter of Baghdad.

We Are Ready for War, Saddam Tells Iraqis
· 'We will repel US aggression'
· Speech marks Gulf war anniversary
· No mention of UN warhead find

UN Inspectors Search Saddam's Palace
UN weapons inspectors in Iraq spent four hours today searching a presidential palace in the heart of Baghdad. It was their second visit to a residence of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein since inspections resumed last year. The inspectors left without speaking to reporters, but a...

Saddam Makes an Exhibition of Himself
Rory McCarthy visits a museum dedicated to the Iraqi president.

Saddam accuses UN team of spying
Saddam Hussein yesterday accused UN inspectors of carrying out "intelligence work" and pursuing "hidden agendas" inside Iraq rather than searching for nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

'War-ready' Saddam Accuses Un of Spying
The Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, today made a defiant speech on Iraqi television declaring that he was ready for war. In a pre-recorded address on Iraq's Army Day, he accused the UN inspectors of being spies, called his enemies the "friends and helpers of Satan" and said he was...

Saddam's troublesome marsh dwellers left high and dry by drainage
Across the barren scrubland either side of the road to Chibayish the land is grey, cracked and dry. The village, once an island surrounded by marshes, is empty and in ruins.

Rumsfeld 'offered Help to Saddam'
Declassified papers leave the White House hawk exposed over his role during the Iran-Iraq war.

Saddam Readies Iraq for Total War
Civilians stockpile food as army plays wargames.

Will Saddam Really Risk a Fight?
As the US military machine gears up for war, Saddam Hussein must decide whether he is really prepared to lead his country into a conflict he knows it cannot win. Ed Vulliamy reports.

Saddam lied about weapons, says Straw
The government today indicated that it believes Iraq has made a "material breach" of the UN resolution requiring it to declare its weapons of mass destruction.

Germany was 'key supplier' of Saddam supplier
Iraq has identified Germany as the country whose companies did most to help Baghdad in its drive to acquire weapons of mass destruction, said a German newspaper yesterday.

Opposition Groups Plan Post-saddam Iraq
Iraqi opposition groups meeting in London today said they had reached agreement on how to run the country in the event of a "regime change". Hundreds of delegates from 50 ethnic, religious and political groups met over the weekend for talks on an Iraq without Saddam Hussein...

Planning for life after Saddam: 50 opposition groups - and the US
They came, deep in discussion, often arm-in-arm, along the narrow corridor to the conference arena: a beturbanned Shia cleric in flowing brown robes debating Saddam's war crimes with a sharp-suited former general of the Republican Guard;

Bush Approves $92m to Train Iraqi Militia to Take on Saddam
President George Bush has formally approved $92m (£60m) to train a pan-Iraqi militia to help fight a war against Saddam Hussein. Over the past few weeks the Pentagon has been scouring countries looking for bases. A Nato airbase in southern Hungary emerged yesterday as the favourite site...

Cautious Saddam pins his hopes on delaying tactics
All the actions of Saddam Hussein over the last few months suggest he is anxious to avoid confrontation. He knows that the US president, George Bush, needs only the slightest excuse to set out on the road to war, and the Iraqi president appears intent on avoiding giving him one.

Saddam Risks War Over Arms Dossier
Bush and Blair are sceptical of Iraqi weapons claim as US hunts for arms breach.

UN Awaits Saddam's Declaration
Speculation intensifies over today's release of details of Iraqi weaponry.

Saddam Distances Himself From Slur on Inspectors
The Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, today moved to distance himself from allegations made by one of his vice presidents that the UN weapons inspection teams were a front for US and Israeli spies. In a holiday greeting to Ba'ath party leaders and the Iraqi military on the first day of Eid...

First Palace Visit is a Propaganda Coup for Saddam
Iraq stepped up its charm offensive towards the United Nations weapons inspectors yesterday by quickly letting them into one of Saddam Hussein's Baghdad palaces when they turned up for a surprise search. Baghdad also promised to provide a full list of its arms capabilities a day ahead of the UN...

UN Teams Inspect Saddam's Palaces
UN weapons inspectors today made their first unannounced visits to Saddam Hussein's presidential palaces, in a test of new powers to inspect for weapons of mass destruction anywhere, any time. Two palaces were searched in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, after the United Nations announced that...

Post-Saddam Iraq mapped out by Allies
· Blair dispatches military envoy to Turkey
· Iraqi opposition groups jostle for power

Eastern Europe arms Saddam
Yugoslavia is the hub for east European arms smugglers and military experts who have been supplying Saddam Hussein with crucial equipment and know-how to help him frustrate a US air campaign against Iraq.

Surrender or die, Allies warn Saddam's soldiers
American military chiefs are planning a 'massive onslaught' on Iraq designed to show Saddam Hussein's soldiers that they must 'surrender or die', British and American defence sources have revealed.

Saddam's Regime Prepares for Escape From Iraq
A senior Iraqi envoy has visited several Arab states to ask for asylum for key members of Saddam Hussein's regime in the event of its overthrow. According to Western diplomatic sources, the envoy - General Ali Hasan al-Majid, known as 'Chemical Ali' to Iraqi Kurds for his role in the...

The Us Will Soon Have to Choose Saddam's Successor
Iraq's would-be leaders and their patrons are divided on the future. The decisions crowding in on us about the future of Iraq are not only military and diplomatic but also political.

Go Ahead Saddam, Make Bush's Day ...
Despite the apparent success of the UN resolution on Iraq, the US will remain on the lookout for any excuse to go to war, writes Simon Tisdall.

Defiant Saddam Accepts Un Team
Crucial date looms as Iraqi leader issues weapons denial.

'Saddam, Tell Me About Your Mum'
Saddam Hussein will not give up his weapons and will lash out with everything he has if cornered. How does Dr Jerrold Post know this? Because the former CIA psychiatrist has spent years studying the inside of the Iraqi leader's head. Julian Borger meets him.

Saddam's Move Could Split Hawks and Doves
Iraq's early acceptance of resolution 1441 is seen as helpful by some and as suspicious by others.

Iraqi Leaders Rally Around Saddam
Saddam Hussein yesterday orchestrated a very public denunciation of last week's United Nations security council resolution demanding the unconditional return of weapons inspectors. At a special session in Baghdad called by the Iraqi leader, parliamentarians queued up to condemn the...

Saddam Urged to Reject Resolution
Iraq's parliament tonight condemned a UN resolution on resuming weapons inspections and a leading member of the body urged its rejection. Salim al-Koubaisi, the head of the foreign relations committee, advised MPs to follow the "wise Iraqi leadership" but recommended the legislators...

Kurd leader says Saddam will comply despite loss of face
A key opponent of Saddam Hussein has welcomed the UN security council resolution, saying it is "in the interests of the Iraqi people and those of the Middle East" to destroy weapons of mass destruction.

World Waits As Saddam Makes a Fateful Choice
The Iraqi leader needs all his guile to handle a UN call to disarm or face an American-led invasion, report Peter Beaumont and Ed Vulliamy. A repeat of his old trickery will ignite calls for fighting to start.

Saddam defiant as the countdown starts
Saddam Hussein yesterday called on the world to rally around Iraq and oppose the "evil wishes" of Britain and the United States in their push for a new UN resolution on arms inspections.

Push Us at Your Peril, Powell Warns Saddam
Secretary of state says US ready for war 'within weeks' if Iraq makes any attempt to obstruct weapons inspectors.

Dear Saddam, my firm would be delighted to do business...
As the reviled leader of a country crippled by sanctions and open to invasion, Saddam Hussein does not automatically spring to mind as a good business prospect.

Saddam Woos Cowed Population
Saddam Hussein has begun a new campaign for the loyalty of the people whose lives he has strictly controlled for more than 20 years, an apparent sign of the increasing US and British pressure on him. Tens of thousands of political prisoners and common criminals were freed from jails ...

Saddam's One Thousand Nights
Iraq is preparing for yet another war and yet another seemingly mortal blow to its eerily resilient economy. According to Fred Horan of Cornell University, Iraq's GNP per capita contracted by one third in the aftermath of its protracted and bloodied war with Iran.

Saddam Sets Free Political Prisoners
Iraqi leader courts support at home and attempts to placate west with widespread prison amnesty.

Saddam Scores 100% in Leadership Ballot
The Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, topped his personal best election performance by securing 100% of the vote in yesterday's referendum, election officials said today. Voters awarded the 65-year-old president another seven year term of office, some marking their yes-or-no ballots with...

One-horse Race Gives Saddam New Term
The Iraqi regime delivered a fresh gesture of defiance to the west yesterday when it staged a nationwide referendum declaring unanimous support for President Saddam Hussein. No alternative candidate dared stand and there was not the faintest hint of criticism of the man who has ruled with...

Saddam Rallies for Votes in Iraqi Election
Saddam Hussein's regime is pushing for a maximum number of votes in today's presidential elections in Iraq - as it is hopes to signal his popularity to the west as the country faces a possible war against US-led forces. Saddam faces no challenger as he seeks another seven-year term - it...

Deflation is a bigger threat than Saddam
Military action by the United States against Iraq seems inevitable. Having won the support of both houses of Congress last week, George W Bush will now step up his pressure for the backing of the United Nations. All the signs are that jaw-jaw will soon be followed by war-war.

US Compiles Case to Charge Saddam With Genocide
President seeks congressional support for attack on Iraq amid peace protests. As further evidence of the Bush administration's preparations for "regime change" in Iraq, the US has begun compiling a dossier with which to prosecute Saddam Hussein for genocide and other crimes against humanity.

Blair: Saddam Must Open Palaces to Un
The Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, must open his presidential palaces to UN weapons inspectors without restriction, Tony Blair said today. Under the current arrangements, the inspectors would be required to give advance notice of visits to the palaces. But in his monthly...

Saddam Set to Let Inspectors in
Iraq muddles US resolve with 'positive' talks in Vienna.

Saddam's chosen son handed twin task of protection and concealment
Saddam Hussein may have delegated authority over chemical and biological weapons to his younger son, Qusai, although the president retains ultimate control over their use.

Saddam 'has Plans to Use Chemical Weapons'
·Blair: he must be stopped
·Dossier a damp squib says rebel MP
· Iraq dismisses dossier as 'baseless'

Bunkers make Saddam a difficult target
Western diplomats yesterday dismissed as negligible the chances of killing the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, through air strikes or some other form of assassination.

B-2 Bombers Poised to Lead War on Saddam
United States will open any war against Iraq with a lengthy bombing campaign, in an effort to isolate Saddam Hussein from his commanders in the field.

US Baptist Group Backs Ousting Saddam By Force
After months of critical comment from church leaders across the world and in the US, the Bush administration has at last won the support of one religious group for its Iraq policy. The 16 million-strong Southern Baptist Convention, the fundamentalist Bible Christians of the southern...

Duncan Smith: Keep Up Pressure on Saddam
The Conservative leader, Iain Duncan Smith today said Saddam Hussein was beginning to 'panic' and that the threat of military action should be maintained.

Bush: Saddam's Trying to Fool Us
George Bush last night issued a defiant response to Saddam Hussein when he declared that the United States would press ahead with its efforts to prevent Iraq from "blackmailing" the world with weapons of mass destruction. As the United Nations chief weapons inspector opened negotiations...

Saddam's Concessions Will Never Be Enough for the Us
Unless it can engineer a war, Bush's administration is political roadkill. To the "man in the street", on whose support Tony Blair and George Bush ultimately depend, it looks like a fair enough offer.

Saddam calls snap meeting of war cabinet
The Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, held a day-long meeting with his inner circle yesterday to decide whether to allow United Nations weapons inspectors back into Iraq.

Saddam's kitchen cabinet keeps quiet
The decisions Saddam Hussein takes over the next few days after holding a rare, day-long meeting with his inner circle are likely to determine his own fate and that of his regime.

Saddam Caves in on Inspectors
Saddam Hussein last night caved in and agreed to the unconditional return of weapons inspectors to Iraq. After a day of fevered speculation at the UN and in Baghdad, the Iraqi foreign minister Naji Sabri handed the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, a letter which he said contained "good...

Counting the Cost of Removing Saddam
A statement from the White House's top economic adviser that the conflict in Iraq would cost the US 'nothing' seems a little naive, writes Mark Tran.

Saudis Put Heat on Saddam
Heat on Iraq as Saudis say US may use bases.

Saddam is Not That Mad, Surely?
The Iraqi leader is not about to self-destruct by attacking the US. It was Geoffrey Hoon who converted and convinced me. Six weeks ago, in this column, I described myself as an unlikely hawk. And until last Thursday evening, a hawk of sorts I remained.

UN fears Iraq anarchy as Bush calls for 'backbone' on Saddam
The United Nations fears that Iraq will become ungovernable if Saddam Hussein is deposed by military force because the United States will fail to make a long-term commitment to the country.

Spooks dig for secrets of Saddam
He is there at almost every official photo-opportunity with Saddam Hussein, a compact and wiry military officer, his khaki shirt rolled up to his elbows, a beret pulled across his brow. A heavy handlebar moustache hangs over a solid jaw, grey with a permanent five o'clock shadow.

Bush Warns Un of 'gathering Danger' From Saddam
The US president, George Bush, today challenged the UN to force Saddam Hussein to destroy his weapons of mass destruction, claiming that the lives of millions of people were at risk and that the UN would be "irrelevant" unless it confronted Iraq. "The just demands of peace and security...

US Split on Need for Last Chance for Saddam
As international lobbying intensifies, will Bush risk asking for a tough new UN resolution on weapons inspections?

Secrets of Saddam's hidden arsenal
A dossier on Iraq's nuclear, biological and chemical warfare capabilities was drawn up in March by the Cabinet Office's joint intelligence committee, chaired by the former MI6 officer John Scarlett, after intense discussions within the intelligence community about what should be published and how much speculation it should contain.

Blair: Saddam Has to Go
Tony Blair yesterday prepared Britain for a war to remove Saddam Hussein from power claiming "Iraq poses a real and unique threat to the security of the region and the rest of the world". Speaking at a 90-minute press conference in his Sedgefield constituency, the prime minister also said...

Playing Skittles With Saddam
The gameplan among Washington's hawks has long been to reshape the Middle East along US-Israeli lines, writes Brian Whitaker.

Will Bush go to war against Saddam?
As the arguments about what to do with Iraq drag on, the hawks and doves have been fighting their own ruthless battle for the undecided mind of the President.

Can the Us Go It Alone Against Saddam?
Former allies are coming out against a war, making life hard for US planners.

David Clark: Doing nothing about Saddam is not an option
Margaret Beckett advises caution, but the left can't dodge the issue of Iraq. Margaret Beckett's views may not hold much sway with the Pentagon, but her comments yesterday confirmed that August has been a very bad month for hawks, who have held the initiative in the war on terrorism since the collapse of the Taliban last year.

Russia 'giving illegal millions to Saddam for trade deals'
Russian officials have given millions of dollars in illegal payments to Saddam Hussein's regime to secure oil purchases from Iraq, according to western diplomatic sources.

US Helped As Saddam Plotted Chemical Attacks, Report Says
The US conducted a covert military campaign to help Iraq during its war with Iran, despite knowing that Baghdad intended to use chemical weapons in a number of battles, according to a report in the New York Times. The report says the programme was carried out during the Reagan...

'Saddam Will Not Stop Me Being a Kurd'
Stripped of their homes and rights, refugees wait in the desert for war - and a chance to settle old scores.

Bush Aide Cites Case for Saddam's Removal
President George Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, today insisted that the west does not have the "luxury of doing nothing" over Saddam Hussein, one of the clearest signs so far from Washington that it is ready to go to war against Iraq. Ms Rice said that President Bush...

West's greed for oil fuels Saddam fever
Anthony Sampson analyses the roots of America's fear of the Iraqi dictator,and warns that toppling him might cause less stability and more insecurity.

Saddam Woos Arab Friends and Enemies
As the US fights an uphill battle to win support for an invasion of Iraq, Baghdad has been quietly gathering declarations of sympathy - if not outright support - in the Middle East and beyond. Its foreign minister, Naji Sabri, has been visiting any country willing to talk to him. In the...

Anti-war Mp Meets Saddam
August 9: Labour MP George Galloway has met the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, in Baghdad and declared him 'very calm and determined'.

We're not frightened, defiant Saddam tells world
In a defiant televised speech to the Iraqi people, Saddam Hussein yesterday called on the UN to respect its own resolutions, and warned that anyone who attacks Iraq will die in "disgraceful failure".

Saddam Warns Against Iraq Attack
The Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, today warned against a possible US attack on his nation, saying that anyone who wages war against Iraq will die in "disgraceful failure". In a televised address that marked the anniversary of the end of the Iraq-Iran war of 1980-88, Saddam said the...

Post-Saddam Iraq Will Cost You, Us Warned
The fall of Saddam Hussein could trigger Iraq's collapse into anarchy unless the US is prepared to follow any military campaign with a commitment to democracy, tens of thousands of peacekeeping troops, and substantial economic support, Congress was told yesterday. Showing further evidence...

Turkey deals a blow to action against Saddam
Ankara parliament sets date for early elections in response to political crisis. The Turkish prime minister, Bulent Ecevit, said yesterday that he is trying to dissuade the US from taking military action against Iraq.

Five options for ousting Saddam
President Bush has ordered the CIA to pursue the "dirty tricks" route to getting rid of Saddam, of which the most plausible is fomenting a coup within the dictator's inner circle. But the last significant CIA-inspired coup attempt, in 1996, was a bloody disaster.

Drop plans to attack Saddam, Tehran tells US
Iran's president, Mohammad Khatami, warned the US yesterday to abandon its plans to attack Iraq and denounced what Tehran believes is a calculated Bush administration campaign to provoke mass insurrection in Iran.

Jordan Prince Touted to Succeed Saddam
As US officials and Iraqi opposition groups squabble over possible successors to Saddam Hussein, Prince Hassan of neighbouring Jordan is emerging as a surprise contender. The idea, which has support in the Pentagon and among conservative thinkers in the US, envisages the prince rising...

Saddam Taunts 'evil Tyrants' in 4,000-word Tirade
Even by the extravagant standards of Saddam Hussein, it was the mother of speeches - a 4,000-word tirade against "devils" and "oppressors", wrapped in a cloak of religious piety. Marking the 34th anniversary of the Temmuz (July) revolution - for the last time if President Bush has his way...

Iraqi Exiles Plot Saddam's Fall
Exiled Iraqi officers and opposition groups gathering in London to discuss the overthrow of Saddam Hussein were upstaged last night by Prince Hassan of Jordan. Surrounded by TV cameras, the prince made a theatrical entrance moments before the meeting began but said he was only attending...

Exiled Iraqi Officers Gun for Saddam
Exiled Iraqi officers are gathering in London today for the most public plot ever hatched against Saddam Hussein, but without their most senior member. General Nizar al-Khazraji, the highest ranking defector from President Saddam's army, is staying away, for reasons that some believe are...

Saddam's stepson sparks anti-terrorist false alarm
Given the current heightened state of alert of US security services, suspicion was aroused when a man of Middle Eastern appearance turned up at passport control this week and was discovered to be planning to sign up for a Florida flight school.

How Saddam 'staged' fake baby funerals
The Iraqi dictator says his country's children are dying in their thousands because of the West's embargoes. John Sweeney, in a TV documentary to be shown tonight, says the figures are bogus. Here he reports from Iraq on his findings.

Kurdish leader shuns US move to oust Saddam
Kurds in northern Iraq will refuse to cooperate with any US-inspired covert action to topple Saddam Hussein, a Kurdish leader said yesterday, responding to reports that Washington is stepping up secret efforts to oust the Iraqi president.

Brian Whitaker: George Bush Targets Saddam
World dispatch: Toppling Saddam Hussein still tops George Bush's 'to do' list - how to achieve it is another matter, writes Brian Whitaker.

Bush Gives Cia Green Light to Kill Saddam
The CIA and US special forces have been given authority to use "lethal force" to capture or kill the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein. Details emerged yesterday of an intelligence order signed by President George Bush instructing the CIA to conduct covert operations aimed at toppling the...

UN poised to revise Saddam sanctions
The UN security council is expected to approve a "more focused" set of sanctions against Iraq by the end of the week, according to diplomats in New York.

US Wants to Oust Saddam Even If He Makes Concessions
The US may try to remove Saddam Hussein from power even if he agrees to new weapons inspections, the secretary of state, Colin Powell, said yesterday.

Sharon Gives Succour to Saddam
Israel's obstruction of the UN team set to investigate the attack on Jenin has given support to the Iraqi dictator, who has used the same tactics with weapons inspectors for years, writes Brian Whitaker.

Saddam's Birthday Party Masks a Nation Living in Fear
A monumental golden horse leaping from a gilded tank stood at the centre of a lavishly executed public display of adoration laid on to mark Saddam Hussein's birthday last night.

Saddam Chokes Off Oil to Put Pressure on West
Saddam Hussein put the energy markets in a spin yesterday by cutting off Iraqi oil exports to the west in a bid to force Israel to abandon its West Bank offensive. Two other oil producing countries, Iran and Libya, said they were considering whether to follow suit but the biggest Middle...

Bush: We Will Get Rid of Saddam
The prospects of a US-British war against Iraq remained on the horizon last night as Tony Blair arrived in Texas for one-to-one talks with the US president, George Bush, about options for tackling Saddam Hussein.

Bush: 'saddam Needs to Go'
President Bush today gave the clearest sign yet that the US is preparing for military action against Iraq, declaring "Saddam needs to go". The statement of intent, which will alarm many western powers opposed to a new campaign, came as Mr Bush prepares for his mini-summit with Tony Blair...

Saddam Enemy Warns Against War
The political leader of the most effective guerrilla force in Baghdad-controlled Iraq warned the United States yesterday not to take unilateral military action against Saddam Hussein without United Nations approval.

Should we go to war against Saddam?
As war fever grows in Washington and London we assess the evidence against Saddam Hussein and ask whether he has the will and the weapons to threaten world peace.

Austria's Political Player Shares Stage With Saddam
Jörg Haider, leader of the rightwing Freedom party, has only become more popular by flirting with Islam and Iraq, writes Kate Connolly.

Iraqis Search for a Successor to Saddam
The United States is orchestrating secret contacts between Iraqi opposition factions with the aim of finding agreement on a new leader to replace Saddam Hussein. A grand opposition conference has been provisionally scheduled for May, and it is hoped to hold it in Bonn, symbolically...

Short would back ousting of Saddam
Clare Short, the international development secretary, made it clear yesterday that she could not support an all-out US-led military attack on the people of Iraq, but favoured lawful steps to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime.

Life After Saddam: the Winners and Losers
A new regime in Iraq would pose distinct problems for each of the country's neighbours, writes Brian Whitaker.

Brian Whitaker: After Saddam
The US is now determined to oust the Iraqi leader, but who will take his place?

Why Saddam Must Go
America's resolve is hardening against the Iraqi regime.

US Targets Saddam
US and diplomatic sources have revealed that The Pentagon and the CIA have begun preparations for an assault on Iraq that is likely to be launched later this year with the aim of removing Saddam Hussein from power.

Plan resurfaces to target Saddam
The US joint chiefs of staff are considering an ambitious plan for the military overthrow of Saddam Hussein, officials said yesterday. The plan has been drawn up by President Bush's counter-terrorism adviser, General Wayne Downing, and the rebel Iraqi National Congress (INC)...