| ||
| ||
| ||
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CIA: 'High likelihood' tape has Saddam's voiceU.S. releases altered photos of deposed Iraqi leader
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As a new purported audiotape of Saddam Hussein emerges, the U.S. military is distributing altered images of him to troops in Iraq to show what he might look like after weeks on the run. The audiotape, broadcast Friday by the Arabic-language satellite network Al-Jazeera, was purportedly recorded in recent days by Saddam. "We are confident that the occupying forces will collapse and surrender to the truth and the will of God and that of the people," the tape's speaker says. "This will happen at any moment because of the painful blows the occupiers are receiving at the hands of the mujahedeen and due to the perseverance of our people." CIA officials said Friday that they believe there's a "high likelihood" the voice on the tape is that of the former Iraqi leader. Al-Jazeera reported that the tape was obtained by its bureau in Baghdad. Meanwhile, the five digitally altered photos show Saddam with combinations of long hair, gray hair and a mustache. The CIA has created five sketches that are not being distributed publicly. One sketch depicts a haggard Saddam as he might appear after nearly four months in hiding. The sketches have been handed out to troops with the Army's 4th Infantry Division and Task Force 20 -- the secretive special operations unit responsible for hunting fugitive Iraqi leaders. U.S. officials said the military's enhanced photographs, as well as the CIA sketches, were developed as a result of several reported sightings of Saddam by Iraqis, some of whom are said to have described him as having long hair and a beard. U.S. officials say that even if those sightings were legitimate, the former Iraqi leader might have again altered his appearance. On a related note, the State Department's Rewards for Justice program is planning to distribute matchbooks with Saddam's picture on them and a reminder of the $25 million price on his head. Mock-ups of the matchbooks are expected to be ready in the next several days, a department official said. Meanwhile, Saddam's two eldest daughters -- Rana and Raghad -- have found sanctuary in Amman, Jordan, where they are guests of King Abdullah II. "Being guests, they are welcome to stay, they are welcome to move on," Jordan Information Minister Nabil Sharif said. "But my impression is that they are in Jordan to stay." Sharif said the women sought asylum and it was granted for humanitarian reasons. (Full story) Big payday for unidentified IraqiThe U.S. State Department said Thursday that it would pay a $30 million bounty to the informer who led U.S. troops to Saddam's sons, Uday and Qusay. The department said the payout would be largest in the Rewards for Justice program's history. "It's important to show people that we do what we say we're going to do ... and we do sincerely appreciate the effort that this individual made and the risk that he took," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. Uday and Qusay were killed last week in a firefight in Mosul. The identity of the person who tipped U.S. forces to their location has not been released. The reward for the sons was $15 million each. Boucher said Secretary of State Colin Powell approved the payment. "We're pleased with the results," he said. "It's a lump sum payment of $30 million," Boucher said. The person's residence and that area's laws will determine his tax liability. It was unclear how the payment would be made, because the United States wants to preserve the man's identity. "We're not giving any information whatsoever that would narrow it down to 24 million people," Boucher said. The U.S.-led coalition said Thursday it was consulting with local Iraqi officials on what to do with the bodies of Uday and Qusay. (Full story) CNN correspondents Barbara Starr and Andrea Koppel contributed to this report.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
