March 03, 2003

Saddam 'killed missile chief' to thwart UN team

Western intelligence agencies are investigating claims that Saddam Hussein ordered the murder of a senior Iraqi missile engineer to prevent him passing vital information to United Nations weapons inspectors.

Gen Muhammad Sa'id al-Darraj, who was in charge of Iraq's mobile Scud missiles until three months ago, died 24 hours after talks with Saddam's officials, according to Arab newspaper reports. The officials wanted to discuss how the general would conceal his knowledge if he were called for interview by the UN.

The London-based Al-Zaman newspaper said that Gen al-Darraj told "indignant" relatives shortly before he died that he had been slipped a poisoned drink during the meeting at one of Saddam's presidential palaces.

Iraqi opposition groups suspect that the general's loyalty to Saddam was in doubt after he was removed from his post at the end of last year.

Poor b*stard.
He was probably ready to tell Blix everything.
Note how the Lib Media has totally ignored this story, too--in that it's typical of what an evil fiend Saddam is and how transparent the weapons inspections in Iraq aren't.
We can't liberate this place soon enough to suit me!
Faster, puh-leaze!