Saddam Hussein and much of the inner circle of his regime remain missing. There are a number of factors to explain why this is so. The first and most important factor we must consider is the Iraqi systems of security. Besides have many thousands of security personnel, the regime had at least three doubles for Saddam Hussein alone, and an extensive systems of bunkers, tunnels, and hideouts disguised as civilian sites. Saudi intelligence has even identified some of Saddam’s doubles, matching one of them to be the so-called “Saddam Hussein” in the Baghdad videotape. The double in that example is reportedly named “Al-Haddushi”. [1] In reviewing expert analysis and opinions regarding the tape, it appears this is the case. The Iraqi tunnel system goes throughout most of underground Baghdad, and can be accessed by hidden doorways in designated civilian homes and mosques. This system extends to Tikrit and to a lesser degree, Mosul and Basra.

            After the April 7^th assassination attempt, it was reported by some agencies that British intelligence was less confident than the Americans on the mission’s success. Some reporting suggested Qusay and Saddam left the building only minutes before the first bombs were dropped, others say after the first bomb fell, and others say they emerged from the bombing. No conclusion can be made on its success as of yet.

            At that time, Tikrit was still held by Iraqi forces, harboring the final intact elements of the Republican Guards, a major air base, the Iraqi Air Force Academy, and the Thartar Presidential Palace. Tikrit also had layers of anti-aircraft guns on rooftops throughout the city, and a network of secret bunkers and hideouts. It is also the birthplace of Saddam and the center-point of all loyalty to him. Therefore, if Saddam did not leave Iraq by that time, Tikrit is the most likely site of refuge. [2]

            Kurdish sources from the PKK reported on April 8^th that Saddam Hussein, his two sons and many of his top aides were in Tikrit. They noted that one of the remaining presidential palaces there had underground tunnels leading to an escape passage on the eastern side of the Tigris River- the common escape route to Syria. Tikrit also is surrounded by mountains to hide, a population of 266,000 to blend in with, and a vast desert to escape detection. [3]

            There is no way to adequately predict or analyze the prospect that any tunnel system holds any Iraqi official. There is no way to know yet if all tunnels have been checked, destroyed, or remain intact. For that reason, in-depth investigation of the tunnel system will not be presented here.

Preparations for Exile 

            The regime’s preparations to find a safe haven began in September of 2002. On September 8^th, Ali Hassan Mahmud al-Tikriti, more commonly known as “Chemical Ali”, successfully finished negotiating a deal for limited refuge in Libya, a fellow state sponsor of international terrorism. The deal reportedly stated that leading members of Saddam’s regime with their families would be given safe haven in Libya, in exchange for $3.5 billion (which was reportedly already deposited in Libyan back accounts). The deal however specifically excluded haven for Uday or Saddam, but was concluded with no mention of Qusay.

            The Libyan offer should not come as a surprise, particularly because Libya, alongside Eritrea, was the two countries Saddam and his sons planned to escape to during the Gulf War. [4] Eritrea since then has had steady cooperation with the United States, so the prospect of safe haven there is unlikely. The report of the deal said that approximately a dozen high-ranking Iraqi officials and their families would be protected in Libya. But how could they get there?

            In October, “Chemical Ali” finished a deal agreeing to pay Syria an unspecified amount of money to serve as a transit. It is thought regime officials would get to Libya by aircraft from Syria, to which they would have arrived from Tikrit by traveling through the Badiyat al-Sham desert. According to French reports, Uday Hussein also went to Moscow in September seeking refuge for Saddam and himself. [5] According to Michael Ledeen, two weeks before the war began, the Syrian and Iranian presidents met to solidify their agreements on handling the war in regards to infiltration of agents, handling of Iraqi officials, and details of the plan to harbor some Baathist elements to direct civil strife and guerilla attacks. Syria and Iran agreed to the plan after discussing how a successful democratic government in Iraq could be a fatal blow to both of their governments. [6]

            The fact that Qusay is not mentioned in the deals is interesting. According to some intelligence sources, there were active plans to keep Qusay alive (possibly going to Libya) and in charge of resistance even if Saddam was killed. Saddam supposedly would hide throughout Iraq. The contingency plans reportedly called for safe passage through Syria by Iraqi leaders, not excluding Qusay or Saddam, and then going to either Belarus or Libya- both of which had promised asylum. [7] Surprisingly, Saif al-Islam Qadhafi, son of the Libyan dictator, has publicly said that his father’s regime would welcome any fleeing Iraqi official with their family. [8]

<>            Not long after Saif said this, Debkafile reported that Qusay and Saddam had arrived in Libya from Belarus, while Uday remained there in Minsk. The two were reportedly given safe haven just north of Tripoli, in return for the two to keep paying the wages of 400 Iraqi scientists working in Libya’s programs for weapons of mass destruction. As for Uday, he reportedly makes occasional trips to North Africa and the Middle East using the Minsk military airfield. [9]
      

FINANCIAL PREPARATIONS

            The Lebanese opposition says that billions of dollars from Saddam and his family were used to buy land in Lebanon as part of a money-laundering effort ever since 2000. A critical part of this effort involved a bank owned by Lebanon’s prime minister, to help facilitate the purchase of large sections of territory in northern Lebanon; a hotel along the Mediterranean coast; and a construction effort of a huge hotel at Naher al-Kalb owned by Uday. Over $3 billion altogether was laundered in real estate and assets, and Syria received $150 million for helping with the efforts. Uday Hussein sent representatives prior to the war to Lebanon and Syria to confirm permission for safe haven in the purchased territories as well as movement of assets. At the hotel bought at Latakiya, Syria, Saddam’s first wife, Sajadeh and many of her children and grand-children were given shelter. Once the war began, additional officials arrived. Many then received passports and flew to Libya or Belarus. [10]

            The evidence of an Iraqi effort to shift hidden assets has been proven, as the US has launched a search for at least $1 billion belonging to the Hussein family that is hidden in Syria, Lebanon and possibly France. [11] It is known that Qusay Hussein took $900 million in American bills and $100 million worth of Euros in three tractor trailers from the central bank on March 18^th at 4:00 AM. Colonel Ted Seel, an Army special operations officer, says he can verify the event and that there was intelligence hours later indicating tractor trailers crossing into Syria. [12]

The War Begins 

            On March 19^th, the Coalition of the Willing began the war against Iraq with an assassination attempt on Saddam Hussein. All of Saddam’s preparations, some analysts felt, would be put to nothing. He had even prepared safe haven for his family. According to Haitham Rashid Wahib, an Iraqi defector, Saddam had sent his immediate family prior to war to stay with the Iraqi ambassador to Syria in Damascus, where Saddam also planned to go. Indeed, increased security has been seen at the home. Wihaib says that Saddam’s first wife, Sajadeh, mother of Uday and Qusay, left for Damascus with three trucks and 60 bodyguards.

            To prepare for life in exile, Saddam sold property and valuables so he would have financial reserves. Saddam also had an aircraft on reserve to fly him out of harm’s way upon his orders. Wihab said other senior officials including Tariq Aziz had made similar preparations to flee. The original plan was to flee to Jordan where many Iraqi families and friends are, but the plan was discarded when Jordan began cooperation with Coalition forces. [13]

            The majority of information coming from the media concludes that Saddam Hussein and his sons were either injured or not in the area of the March 19^th assassination attempt. Recent investigations of the area, as reported by major media outlets, allegedly have shown no bodies and no bunkers. However, one report does indicate that Saddam and his sons were seen thrown into a car the moment the first bomb landed, which hit adjacent to their bunker. [14] Tariq Aziz after his capture also has said he saw Saddam Hussein alive in early April, the weekend before the April 7^th assassination attempt. [15]

            Although it could not be independently confirmed, the British newspaper The Sun reported soon after the March 19^th attack that Saddam Hussein was seen pulled into an ambulance. A senior British intelligence official says M16 soon after intercepted a message at a place called Chelten-ham, where Iraqi officials sent a call for help to Russia. The message said a very senior official had been injured that night, but was still alive in a secret hideout in Baghdad in need of medical assistance. The Iraqi aides’ request said the victim was not critically injured but needed a blood transfusion, had a crushed abdomen, third-degree burns and trauma- the symptoms that a bomb victim would have. The message also speculated about possible treatment outside Baghdad. British intelligence analysts were reportedly fully confident the anonymous official was Saddam Hussein. [16]

            The Iraqi inner circle also had much time to flee. The Turkish decision to not allow deployment of American forces from their land, left the Syrian and Iranian borders open for an extra 10-14 days, with critical areas with leadership survival sites around Tikrit, Mosul, Samarra and al-Ramadi open even as far into the war as April 10^th. This is what caused some doubt as to the success of the April 7^th assassination attempt, which was launched when intelligence intercepted “chatter” indicated the site was holding the final leadership meeting to discuss exile.

            According to some reports, the “chatter” mentioned escape to Syria and from there going to another country, mentioning Libya as a possibility. The electronic intercepts and documents discovered outlined a plan for first the family members of Saddam to flee to Syria on the way to Libya. This has already occurred with Saddam’s wife, three daughters and all the grandchildren arriving in Syria and eventually, Libya. Saddam reportedly planned for his family to arrive at a compound he reserved at the Libyan port of Benghazi. On April 9^th, 7 limousines were flown from Syria to Libya aboard an II-76 military transport. They were similar to convoys seen leaving Iraq, crossing into Syria prior to the war. [17] Doesn’t it make sense for Saddam to want to be with his family and fellow leaders? It is also important to recognize that the Syrian coast was near the Coalition fleets that could down aircraft. Thus, the theory of the inner circle’s arrival in Libya from Belarus (as we’ll discuss) makes sense as it would be very difficult to arrive in Libya with the naval presence near the flight path.

             It has been rumored that British intelligence believes Saddam Hussein survived both major assassination attempts, including the one on April 7^th. But on April 9-10^th, the same day the famous Baghdad videotape of him was released; Saddam Hussein was reportedly seen at a Baghdad mosque in an area called Adhamiya. Coalition forces went to the site and engaged in a heavy firefight, and when it was over, no Iraqi officials were left. It cannot be confirmed if the sighting was Iraqi disinformation, genuinely Saddam, a double, or simply a routine investigation of the daily reported sightings of Saddam, which happened to lead to a firefight. [18]

            A couple near Baghdad reported that on April 9^th, they saw Qusay leave about 15 minutes before the bomb raid in a government vehicle. [19] Although the bombing only took 12 minutes to begin, and lasted 45 minutes, it is probably enough time to escape to another area or quickly move into a nearby underground bunker, especially if they were ready to leave at a moment’s notice or got advance notice of bombers heading their way. [20]

            Soon after the attack in Baghdad, the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament (which is virtually a puppet government to Syria), Nabih Berri, warned that Saddam may have taken shelter in the Russian embassy in Baghdad. Russia’s ambassador to Baghdad, Vladimir Titorenko, left Baghdad on April 6^th, but his convoy suddenly came under US attack. The convoy was en-route to Syria supposedly evacuating senior Russian staff. Titorenko then returned to Baghdad on April 8^th, saying he had to pick up an injured driver. He returned to Baghdad from Syria immediately following Condoleezza Rice’s visit to Moscow. The Turkish think-tank SESAR also testified that “credible sources in Baghdad” confirmed Saddam was hiding in the embassy at that time. But according to the Russian press, the convoy was carrying staff members with highly-sensitive intelligence documents from the Russian embassy and possibly Iraqi archives.

            In a similar report, Al-Jazeera’s Moscow correspondent quoted a Russian intelligence officer as saying that Saddam’s exit from Baghdad with Russian assistance is what caused the sudden end of Iraqi resistance. [21] Immediately after the incident, the Iraqi ambassador to Russia praised the country publicly, denying Saddam was dead, and made an ecstatic speech about how Russia had done great justice in opposing the war and finished with a final thank-you to Russia for all their sympathy. [22] After all, rumors did indicate Russia had offered Saddam Hussein and the regime leaders’ safety in exile if he fled to avoid war. [23]

            Debkafile was the first to report an interesting fact regarding these events that were later carried on by major news media outlets. After arriving in Damascus on April 6^th, Titorenko and his three closest intelligence officers flew directly to Moscow on an SVR-owned plane (SVR is a Russian intelligence service) reserved for this occasion, and used the same flight to immediately fly back to Damascus. Titorenko and his convoy then returned to Russia’s embassy in Baghdad by land, traveling to Mosul, to Tikrit, to Kamishli and then to Baghdad. The question remains unanswered, what was so critical to get to Moscow from Baghdad on April 6^th? [24] And what was left in Syria that was also so important to rescue from Baghdad?

            Even more of a coincidence is the fact that on April 5^th, Saddam’s chief of protocol said Saddam and his sons had fled Baghdad on April 2^nd to arrive in Tikrit. Additional testimonies confirmed that officials were using taxis and battered pick-up trucks to blend in with refugees. Interviews at the time of the alleged departure from Baghdad indicated that the inner circle was busy actively preparing for life in exile. [25]

Escapes to Syria 

            According to Debkafile, an intelligence publication that has been remarkably credible in the past, the first Iraqi officials arrived in Syria on March 23^rd. Debkafile is thought to have extensive sources in Middle Eastern intelligence and governments, particularly in Mossad (Israeli external intelligence). According to these reports, Iraq had rented the entire hotel resort named Cote d’Azur de Cham at Latakiya, Syria- a port on the Mediterranean in close proximity to the Syrian president Bashar Assad’s family villa. The area is reportedly guarded by a Syrian commando unit armed with anti-air missiles and missile-boats patrolling the coast. Debkafile’s report on April 3, 2003 goes even further.

            It claims that prior to the war, Saddam Hussein had made a secret agreement with Syria for him to temporarily go there if needed once war began. To command the war, Iraq rented Syrian military networks including a room to direct operations from the upper floor of the hotel. This effort was run by a permanent military delegation that had been in Damascus since September 2000. These deals allowed the Iraqi leaders to communicate with resistance forces by using Syria’s communication facilities in the hotel, for about $12-15 million monthly.

            Iran also had a role in the escape of Iraqi officials. Tehran agreed to harbor fleeing members of Saddam’s family and senior commanders on the condition that it was only temporary, and only if they were unable to get into Syria. Members temporarily harbored in Iran were to quickly leave and go to Russia (specifically Belarus, which has a “union” with Russia).

            The network in Syria’s communication lines connects to the fiber-optics systems in the Baghdad command bunkers. The day Debkafile reported that Coalition forces had cut the lines, virtually all organized Iraqi resistance ceased and major cities were captured with little or no shots being fired. [26]  

            Without a doubt, there is outstanding evidence of an Iraqi exodus to Syria. Not only have hundreds of terrorists and foreign volunteers been given Syrian passports and free movement through the border to fight Coalition forces, but high-ranking officials’ paths of escape show a common understanding that Syria is where they will meet. This certainly was the case for Saddam’s half-brother who was captured in Mosul on the way to Syria. [27] During the first ten days of April, many Iraqi leaders were believed to have fled to Syria. According to the Kuwaiti paper, Al-Rai Al-Aam, US intelligence in early April saw a convoy of 70 Mercedes sedans, the preferred vehicle of the Baath Party officials, leaving Mosul for Syria during that time period. [28]

            Even Abu Abbas, the Palestinian terrorist sponsored by Iraq, and mastermind of the 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, was captured in Baghdad on his way to Syria. [29] The Australian forces on the border have also reported capturing a total nearing 60 of senior Iraqi officials trying to escape into Syria with around $600,000 in cash. [30]

            Dr. Nissar Nindawi, a leading figure in the Iraqi biological program from 1986 to 1989 and sporadically in the mid-1990s, says that students he taught provided him with current information on the weapons of mass destruction programs. They told him that Rihab Taha, or “Dr. Germ”, and the head of the biological program, Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, or “Dr. Anthrax”, were in Syria. He said other senior scientists, Baath party regional commanders, military officers and Baath Party members were in Syria with them. [31] Further reporting indicated that a handful of WMD scientists alongside Huda Ammah and Rohab Taha were hiding in the Iraqi embassy in Damascus along with a wide variety of other fugitives. [32] Soon after this report broke, the two female scientists were captured in western Iraq on their way out of Syria.

            This is not surprising, as Lebanese opposition sources say that the Syrian president, Bashar Assad ordered Iraqi officials on April 27^th to leave as soon as possible do to growing US pressure. The pressure was do to Western intelligence concluding that hundreds of aides and family members were in Syria by April 15^th, and Syria had only handed over three officials demanded by the US. Additionally, the only ones being handed over were ones with no information could compromise Syrian or Iranian secrets, or had information that the two countries would see as valuable. Upon being captured, they also gave incorrect, pre-written lies and stories given to them either in Iraq or Syria. Meanwhile, the ones taking so long to be handed over were quickly preparing to arrive in hideouts in Lebanon, Libya and Belarus. [33]

            Indeed much of the critical leaders who found refuge in Syria, particularly in Latakiya, Aleppo, Damascus and Tartous, left their shelter soon after April 3^rd, often leaving their families behind in Syria. [34]

            According to Debkafile, the USA during the height of pressure on Syria around April 20^th demanded that they hand over all Iraqi leaders. The US even gave them a list of who we knew to be there. The list reportedly included:

            Vice President Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri

            Bureau Chief Abd Hamoud

            Baath Party leader Aziz Salah

            Special Security Service Chief Hanni Tefelah

            Republican Guards Secretary Kemal Mustafa Tikriti

            Republican Guards Commander Seif a-Din Suleih

            Intelligence Commander Taher Jaloul

            Special Republican Guards Commander Barzan Suleiman Tikriti

            The list reportedly included dozens more. Not surprisingly, soon after the ultimatum was given, these leaders gradually started falling into Coalition forces’ hands on their way out of Syria. [35] The New York Post around the same time confirmed that at least 7 senior Iraqi officials were in Syria, including Kamal Mustafa Tikriti; Farouk Hijazi, the ambassador to Tunisia and liaison with Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden; and Saddam’s first wife, Sajadeh Kairallah Telfah. [36] The Associated Press then reported that Saddam’s half-brother, Ibrahim Hassan, was being harbored in Damascus. [37]

            There also appears to be an effort to smuggle Iraqi assets into Syria. On May 23^rd, the American forces in Iraq captured $500 million worth of gold bars in a truck traveling west of Baghdad, entering Qaim which is on the Syrian border. The two drivers said they were unaware of what was in the truck, and that they were simply paid to pick it up in Baghdad, drive it to Qaim and turn it over to an individual that would approach them. [38]

            Around the second week of May, Fatiq al-Majid, Saddam Hussein’s nephew arrived in Damascus and granted Syria’s protection. Around the same time, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, an Iraqi vice president, was also found to be in a Damascus military base confirming earlier reports. Intelligence sources concluded that their stay was probably temporary, as Syria was used mainly as a transit route. [39] Indeed, in some reports, US officials have claimed that not only were dozens of Saddam’s aides in Syria, but most were preparing to leave (or already had) for Lebanon and Libya. [40]

            Nor has the exodus ended. According to Al-Jazeera, approximately 300 Baathists fled to the Jordanian border between May 15^th and 18^th. [41]            

            Another candidate for a safe haven for the Iraqis who fled Syria is Sudan. This country, also a state sponsor of terrorism, has been an ally of Saddam Hussein ever since the Gulf War, being one of the very few (alongside Libya) who opposed that UN action. During and after the Gulf War, Sudan harbored Iraqi intelligence facilities, banned weapons, conventional weapons, and even a suspected chemical weapons facility. Sudan also has little or no control over much of the southern portion of the country. Such a state of anarchy, particularly in the areas near Somalia which has no government of police authority, easily serves as a harbor for drug smugglers, terrorists, fugitives and Iraqi officials alike. Reports in the media have claimed that 30 senior Iraqi officials with their families arrived in Khartoum from Syria during the second week of April after Baghdad fell. Sudan has denied these reports. [42]

Rumors About Cuba 

            Another state sponsor of terrorism and ally of Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro’s Cuba, also can be suspected of being a safe harbor. Augustin Blazquez has reported to Newsmax.com how a friend of his, Carlos Wotzkov, was trying to tell people how everyday for one full week, hundreds of Iraqis disguised in the white clothing of Kuwaitis, were arriving in Cuba from Syria. The Iraqis included women and children alongside suspected Baath officials. They all arrived using Air France. Blazquez then went on to speculate that this could be the reason that the French foreign minister was visiting Syria at the same time. If true, then the escape route would be Damascus-Paris-Havana. [43]

            A surprisingly large amount of Cuban dissidents and exiles have reported the strange occurrence. They have reported the exact same thing, saying that large numbers of Iraqi officials were seen arriving in Cuba only days after April 9^th when Baghdad fell. It is important to recognize that Fidel Castro and Saddam Hussein have a close relationship that began over a decade ago, and that prior to the Gulf War, Cuba offered Iraq they’re intelligence information about the Coalition forces. [44]

Rumors About Russia and Belarus 

            Yet another candidate of safe haven is Russia or Belarus (some consider Belarus to be part of Russia do to their official union). Western intelligence sources have confirmed that certain Iraqi officials were indeed given passports in Syria to fly to Belarus. [45] It is believed that any harbor in Belarus would require negotiation through or with Russia. This is disturbing considering the events involving Titorenko from April 6-8^th, and that on May 7^th; Al-Jazeera quoted “Moscow sources” saying Saddam Hussein had left Iraq. [46] The spokeswoman for the Belarusian president, Natalia Pietkiewicz, also has not denied nor confirmed Saddam’s presence in Belarus. She merely said, “We have no information of Saddam Hussein’s presence in Belarus.” [47]

            Surprisingly, according to several intelligence agencies in Europe and the Middle East, Saddam Hussein has received safe haven in Belarus. The conclusion comes reportedly from a chartered cargo flight that was suspected of carrying Iraqi leaders on March 29^th going from Baghdad to Minsk, Belarus. A senior intelligence official says the flight is proven to have occurred, but no proof that Saddam was aboard. However, Baghdad had not fallen at this point, and as the report cited asks, who else could have obtained permission to fly out of Baghdad at that time? The report says intelligence indicates that the flight took off from Saddam International Airport and entered Iranian airspace on the way to Minsk to avoid interception, and Iran didn’t interfere.

            Two weeks later, a registration of a cargo flight was found by US forces when the airport was captured beginning on April 4^th. US officials said that Saddam discussed safe haven in Belarus last year when a new relationship was born with Belarusian president Lukashenko after major new arms sales. Immediately after the flight, “chatter” was full of rumors that Saddam had escaped. The rumors were initially from the high military command and then spread throughout the resistance forces. Then during March 30-31^st, the US saw the sudden end to Iraqi combat strength. Iraqi commanders said the resistance fell do to the rumors and feeling that Saddam had fled. [48]

            As always, Debkafile reported much more detail into this. Of course, TDC cannot confirm nor rule it out as there is no way to independently confirm this information. They reported that Saddam Hussein, his closest friends in the inner circle and his sons took that flight to Belarus and stayed at a resort in Zhdanovidhi which is also a military base 10 miles west of Minsk. It was built in the 1970s as a home for Leonid Brezhnev and closely resembles Saddam’s presidential palaces, and has connections to an underground bunker network that extends to President Lukashenko’s presidential palace at Drozdy which is only 3 miles away from Zhadnovidhi. It is worthy to note that Lukashenko is intensely anti-American, has called the end of the Soviet Union “the greatest mistake of the decade”, and has extremely close ties to all the state sponsors of terrorism.

            The Committee of State Security, the successor to the KGB in Belarus, protects Saddam’s resort which is equipped with surface-to-air missile batteries. There is an additional security presence of Spetsnaz commandos that were trained by Russia’s FSB. 

            But how could such an immense exodus take place? Iraq had to have people assist the efforts. This question was answered in early May when it was learned that Russian liaison offices were still operating in their Baghdad embassy and had provided the Iraqi regime with daily reports. The Russian GRU officers posing as diplomats had maintained contact with the Department of Iraqi General Intelligence in Baghdad under the supervision of an unidentified Russian general who stayed there until April 6^th. The general who has been reported on by many news agencies, arrived several weeks, probably months, before the war began to help Iraqi preparations for war, supposedly on his own will without orders from above. He is a former member of the KGB First Chief Directorate and may be a liaison between Saddam’s inner circle and Yevgeny Primakov, personal friend of Saddam Hussein who is often used by Russia as a messenger.

            Operations could also be run from Iraq’s three liaison offices. One was in the headquarters of the Syrian Air Force intelligence in Damascus which maintained communication with Russian military-intelligence also in Damascus. This office was later moved to the Iraqi embassy. The two other liaison offices operated in Minsk, Belarus and Moscow, Russia. [49]

            Even in early May, most of Iraq’s overseas diplomatic missions were still operating as if war had not occurred. Only 23 of the 60 posts were shut down. Diplomats still operated in:

Amman, Jordan

Damascus, Syria

Beirut, Lebanon

Cairo, Egypt

Moscow, Russia

Minsk, Belarus

Paris, France

Tehran, Iran

Beijing, China

Tripoli, Libya

Tunis, Tunisia. [50]

            It has been reported that a party of up to 300 people including Saddam and his sons were picked up by two Boeing-727 airliners that were hired in Europe by a Belarusian intelligence front posing as a Brussels-based electronics company. The hired planes landed at the Minsk military airport on March 25-26^th, where the identification marks were painted over so the flights could pose as a charter flight for Damascus. The planes landed at the Damascus military airfield to refuel, then went to Saddam International Airport and then to Minsk, Belarus. [51] TDC was unable to independently verify this or gain confirmation it did not occur.

            But what is known is that on April 9^th, Belarus announced it’d conduct a very complex war exercise named “Clear Sky” in early October. The president said it was directly tied to events in Iraq but not directly aimed against any adversary. The president said the exercise was meant to practice defense of critical sites against mass enemy aerial attacks. He said the exercises would involve 80 aircraft, and Belarus needed to get significantly stronger in 2003 due to events relating to Iraq. [52]

Exile in Europe?

            A Syrian employee at the French embassy in Damascus has testified that he knew that at least 8 Iraqi officials from Saddam’s Oil and Finance Ministries were given French-originated European Union passports in mid-April. The only one he identified was Tahir Jalil al-Habbush, a one-time head of Mukhabarat. In a similar testimony, Roni Ahmed, whom recently admitted to smuggling people, has confirmed that Iraqis were using counterfeit traveling papers to escape to Europe. He said he and those like him had made dozens of fake passports to Stockholm and sold them without even asking the Iraqis who they were, but by their attire he concluded they were “very important”. [53]

            There appears to be a French connection to all of this. If the reports are to be trusted, the US has captured a dozen French passports in Iraq that are believed to be from the same batch used by Iraqi officials to escape. [54] It was also reported that as of April 11-12^th, the French were discovered to be offering Iraqi diplomats and officials asylum in Paris, and that French embassies and consulates were working “around the clock to ease admission” for dozens of Iraqis wanting to escape regardless of their rank. [55]

            In early May, it was revealed that France secretly supplied Iraqi officials that found harbor in Syria with EU passports, allowing them safe travel to most parts of Western Europe, where there are large Moslem and Arab communities. European Union members permit free travel between them, so evasion is substantially easier than one might predict. Most or all of the Iraqis given visas were believed to be prominent regime and financial personnel who did extensive business with French companies, politicians or worked with the French intelligence community in some way. [56]

            Various sources including Debkafile have reported that beginning April 14^th; groups of Iraqi military and scientific leaders had been transferred from Syria to France. While Syria is understandable as these people could assist their weapons of mass destruction desires, France is questionable as to how willing they would be to do this. But other evidence was seen that this may have indeed occurred.

            Iraq’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mahmud al-Douri, said around that time in New York that he would be going to Paris. Indeed he did go to Paris, but then he immediately went to Damascus and received safe haven alongside his brother, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri. Additionally, captured Iraqi nuclear scientist Jaffer al-Jaffer told his American interrogators that he was promised politically asylum in France, but he was captured on the way out to Syria. [57]

A Coordinated Effort? 

            The French and Russian roles in these events cannot be ruled out. Powerful oil companies from both countries attempted to finish deals with Saddam up to the days prior to the war, hoping they would be honored after the war ended. [58] Both of these countries have security reasons (besides losing influence financially and geopolitically) to assist the flight of Iraqi officials. As captured documents add to our knowledge, it becomes more and more clear that many countries were afraid of damning information getting out about their illicit deals. Russia, Belarus and France each have had intelligence cooperation with Iraq in the days up to war, sold large amounts of weapons often used to kill our soldiers and down our helicopters, and been paid to provide technical assistance to Iraqi air-defenses- including the training of soldiers for that purpose, the sale of GPS jamming systems and the sale of the Koluchga anti-aircraft radar system.

            We also know that Russian intelligence officials of SVR even during the war held daily meetings with top Iraqi officials in Baghdad. It was thought that they were interested in getting control of a portion of Iraq’s intelligence archives that could hold incriminating documentation about Russia. [59] This could be the reason for the strange events around April 6^th.

            As for France, it is known that for the past 25 years Saddam Hussein has contributed to Chirac’s election campaigns and made annual donations to the Gaullist Rassemblement Pur La Republique, a political party founded by Chirac. Additional investigation shows that extent that French oil companies with favorable interests in Iraq also funded Chirac’s campaigns. Chirac was so appreciative that he and Saddam even met in 1975 and the two issued a public declaration of support for each other. This is also just the tip of the iceberg. Thus, Saddam’s regime had great blackmail potential against Chirac’s government, possibly influencing France’s actions. [60]

            The coordination between those possibly implicated is also suspicious. Syria is again talking about buying the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft system, while France and Russia remain closer than ever before. France is pressuring Europe to end sanctions on Libya, whom is also a customer for Russian weapons (and who sold oil exploration contracts to Russia). Libya is also approaching Belarus to buy strategic weapons (IRBMs specifically) and unconventional warheads. [61] Official defense cooperation has also been discussed. [62]

            As this occurs, the politicians of Russia, Belarus, France, Germany and others are promoting the idea of a “greater Europe” by forging an alliance between the European Union and Russia. At the same time, the European Union is discussing signing a “partnership accord” with Syria. [63] France and Syria are also discussing a new agreement on scientific cooperation. [64] It is unfair to call this a bad thing, but the question is if this is occurring out of the close relations created by the cooperation in the operations regarding Iraq.

            In regards to Russia, one must also remember that the old Soviet Union supported terrorism and today’s rogue states to the fullest degree. The intelligence communities of the Soviets took the lead, and unfortunately, in today’s Russia, ex-communists and ex-intelligence officers (KGB, GRU, SVR, etc.) dominate the political and military scene. Not only do they hold important positions legitimately, but the Russian Mafia is also heavily staffed by former intelligence agents and communists because after the Soviet Union fell, organized crime syndicates were the most eager to acquire their skills. Today the Russian Mafia has a tremendous hold on much of the financial, political and military aspects of Russia, Belarus, and most of the former Soviet Union. All these former communists and former intelligence officers during the Soviet Union were heavily indoctrinated into anti-Westernism.

            Thus the old Soviet culture living amongst these structures puts great burden on Putin and the government’s shoulders- a burden they must submit to at times. Many analysts believe this was the driving force behind Putin’s decision to oppose the Iraq War, as all these structures’ powers were aroused. According to Pavel Felgenhauer, a top Russian defense analyst, the hardliners gained unprecedented ground in Russia’s power-structure, and the ex-KGB forces controlling the defense and foreign ministries virtually control Putin’s policies in those regards. [65] Additionally, these structures have such a hold on some institutions of Russia that organized assistance to rogue states including Iraq may occur without Putin’s knowledge, or in such a manner that he can do little to stop it.

Stories From Inside Iraq 

            While all these reports are coming out, it is important that we still listen to the stories of the Iraqi opposition regarding the escapes of Iraqi officials. Saddam Hussein, his sons, or other members of the inner circle may still be in Iraq. However, even these reports share some similarities to the above-mentioned accounts.

            Take for instance the newsletter called Globe-intel.org written by Gordon Thomas, which reported on Saddam Hussein’s escape. The report was later carried on by G2 Bulletin, an intelligence publication owned by WorldNetDaily.com. According to the report on April 14^th, Saddam Hussein was still alive and had shaved his moustache and made other changes to his appearance while on the run in the eastern Iraqi desert using traditional arms and drug smuggling routes. He originally had fled to the northwestern suburbs of Baghdad disguised as a desert Boudin, while distributing doubles to give the impression he was still in the city, which led to the firefight at the Adhamiya mosque. The routes Saddam then took were naturally good for evading authority do to the rows of caves on the sides of the trails. Thomas said that sources in the CIA, M16 and Mossad all confirmed this allegation.

            Saddam was reportedly protected by what was left of his 300-man security force, the Praetorian Guards, while the Fedayeen suicide and guerilla forces operated in the areas around the forces for defense. The groups were made to look like refugees, and the belief is that they were headed to the mountains of northern Iran. Iran supposedly (as commonly reported throughout this work) granted temporary harbor on the way to the former Soviet Union, specifically Russia. Thomas says China is also a possibility.

            Globe-intel.org reported that these countries helped Saddam and his inner circle escape do to the fact they had proof of secret deals his regime had with them. The countries, eager to not let them be revealed, are either blackmailed into helping Saddam or willingly helped him so high-ranking officials couldn’t be interrogated. CIA sources, the report continues, had credible intelligence from many sources that “Chemical Ali” made a secret visit to Tehran in early February to give certain factions of the government $50 million to grant Saddam Hussein and his convoy protection should it be needed. Israeli sources confirmed the report, adding intelligence in Damascus indicate “Chemical Ali” took another $30 million to pay for a safe house near the resort previously mentioned near Latakiya, Syria.

            CIA interviews with Parisoula Lampsos, Saddam’s long-time and favorite mistress, revealed that Saddam had told Parisoula that both Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan and Muammar Qadhafi in Libya had offered Saddam a safe haven in exchange for partnership in various areas of the military and intelligence. [66] The Iranian connection is interesting, as early on before the war it was reported that Saddam’s envoys had asked Iran for permission for temporary exile on the way to Russia. [67]

             By April 11, 2003, Ahmed Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress, said that Saddam Hussein had escaped to northern Iraq. US intelligence likewise concluded that all of the uncaptured ministers had left Baghdad for Tikrit or Mosul to buy time to prepare for exile in Syria. The Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Sahaf is one of those believed to be in Tikrit at this time. Chalabi continued and went on to say that Uday Hussein was believed to still be in Baghdad, and Qusay was in Diyala province, just northeast of Baghdad. The same media report carrying this information also confirmed that some officials were talking that Saddam Hussein was negotiating with Russia for refuge. [68]

            Speaking of the Iraqi Information Minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf has also reportedly been tracked to his Baghdad home on June 1^st; contradicting the report he fled to Tikrit (unless he returned). Britain’s paper, The Mail, reported they tracked him to that location and he was terrified that his own people would kill him. [69]

            On April 7^th, Iraqi opposition forces stated Saddam Hussein had escaped from Baghdad to Tikrit, and was preparing to flee to Mosul on the way out to Syria. They said that most of his family was already in Syria. [70] Then on April 21^st, Ahmed Chalabi said his forces were tracking Saddam Hussein as he is constantly on the move, but they fail to capture him because their information arrives only after at least 12-24 hours. [71] The opposition also reported that many witnesses had seen Saddam and his sons leave the bunker on April 7^th the moment the first bomb was dropped, and then they left Baghdad, although Uday may have returned for a brief period of time. [72]

            On April 24^th, the media reported that the Iraqi National Congress was convinced that Saddam and his sons were still in Iraq. Zaab Sethna, senior advisor to Chalabi, said there was a rise in the Baathist presence in two areas. The one area begins at al-Ramadi in western Iraq, 75 miles outside Baghdad to Baqubah in the northern suburbs in Baghdad. The mentioned areas of Baghdad are under weak police control and could easily be a safe haven. The second area is Diyala province extending from the outskirts of northeastern Baghdad to the Iranian border. That area has no significant Coalition presence and is the main staging site for terrorists, the remnants of the Fedayeen, and Iraqi and foreign intelligence. [73]

            Major-General Taqfiq al-Yassiri, an Iraqi defector who joined the opposition, has also recently said that Saddam Hussein still commanded the remnants of the Baath Party, ordering them to change their name to “Auda”, meaning “Return”. At the same time, he said Saddam was still in Iraq hiding with a small group, “probably” with his sons, and still issuing orders to trusted followers. [74]

            The Iraqi National Congress opposition forces have provided information to the press about the search for the inner circle. On May 12^th, they reported that they assisted US Special Forces in tracing a general area of the location of Qusay and Saddam which was said to be an area around Tikrit, specifically around Rabfiya in northeastern Iraq. INC leader, Ahmed Chalabi said Saddam had been moving around northern Iraq with his bodyguards, separated from most of his aides.

            The testimony also said Saddam was believed to be just one of 15 regime leaders moving around the outskirts of Tikrit including Saddam’s secretary, Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti. Chalabi says Saddam is usually with his sons, but not all the time. But he is always with a special escort, and thus, his former officials have no idea of his location or activities. [75] Al-Sharq Al-Aqsat, an Arabic paper, says that US special operations forces were searching for Saddam in this area, and raided a hotel in Tikrit where he was hiding, but Saddam had left several hours earlier. The search in Tikrit had been going on towards the end of the first week of May. The paper claimed Hassan al-Majid, “Chemical Ali”, was still alive along the Syrian border and not killed as previously reported. In mid-June, Rumsfeld confirmed that there was evidence he was still alive. Defense minister Sultan Hasheem was also traced to an area of Mosul, living with a local tribe while negotiating surrender. [76]

            Russian sources have also claimed Saddam Hussein is in Iraq, although the potential for disinformation from such sources must be taken into account. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a nationalist radical in Russia and head of the Liberal Democratic Party, is a close friend of Saddam Hussein. On April 11^th, he said Saddam was still in a Baghdad bunker. [77] Zhirinovsky around April 22^nd in France issued another statement saying Saddam was alive in Iraq, plotting his return. He said Saddam planned to stay “underground” hidden for about one year. Zhirinovsky’s closest friend in the party, Alexey Mitrofanov, then said that about 1,000 Iraqi officials were hidden inside the Iraq-based “underground”, saying that the Liberal Democratic Party maintained contact with them. Mitrofanov even went as far to say the party had asked Russian parliament to grant asylum to some officials, but it was rejected. [78] However, given Zhirinovsky’s close ties to the government and intelligence, particularly the more anti-American and former Soviet institutions, it is possible that this is disinformation as it came during a time of increasing speculation over Russia and Syria do to events already discussed.

            But even some Russian papers have reported on Russia’s alleged role in Saddam’s escape. One popular paper, Pravda, even reported that the vice prime minister, Aleksey Krudin used the Russian special services (of which SVR is one) to assist the evasion of capture by top Iraqi defense and government officials. [79]

            As you can see, there are many differences and similarities in all these reports. While the TDC Analyst Staff can reach no such conclusion, Debkafile claims that there is an explanation for the reports on the inner circle in Iraq. The agency claims that intelligence shows that Saddam and his sons knew exactly what leaders planned not to resist Coalition forces, because an Iraqi that negotiated on behalf of the commanders were actually an Iraqi double-agent. The agency goes on to claim that Saddam’s agents then approached the traitors and told them they would not be killed if they told the Iraqis the details of the negotiations and promised to keep communicating with Coalition forces and reported to Iraq the results. This technique was used for faked “tip-offs” and to feed disinformation about movement of officials. [80]

             To best summarize the overall picture painted by the reports, if Saddam and his sons are indeed alive, the author will quote an article published on April 17, 2003 on www.rediff.com: “Some intelligence experts believe that if Saddam survived the two decapitation strikes against him he may have fled to Syria. Washington has accused Syria of harboring leaders of the fallen Iraqi regime. Other reports have suggested Saddam and his sons could be hiding in Yemen, Jordan, or Russia, or one of the former Soviet republics. Among Iraqis the most commonly held belief is that Saddam and his family have found refuge in Russia where they will be given life-long protection in return for investing their considerable assets, believed to be in the range of $30 billion.”

                        And to end this report, the author will quote Simon Hinderson, the author of a biography of Saddam Hussein in the Daily Telegraph on April 11, 2003: “Syrians can accommodate him [Saddam] for sure, but where will he go next? You know, Syria will then be exposed to tremendous political pressure. Same will happen given he immigrates to Belarus. The USA put such a high price on his head that even Russia or China could make a deal with them.”

             Update: According to recent reporting, the United States has adequate evidence that Saddam Hussein is back in Iraq. According to Debkafile, an Israeli intelligence website, Saddam, his sons, the remnants of the Special Republican Guard, and some weapons of mass destruction are in huge underground “cities”. They claim Saddam left to Syria on March 27-28^th (they do not rule out Saddam or his sons going to another country afterwards) and were there until at least mid-April. Saddam reportedly then returned to Samarra, Iraq in the second or third week of April.

            The underground complexes lay between the Lake Thartar-based palace and Samarra.