Unconfirmed Reports of Rumsfeld Meeting with Saddam to Call Off Attacks

The London-based Arabic newspaper Al Quds is reporting in its Tuesday edition that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld secretly met former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein during a surprise visit to Iraq two weeks ago.

The purpose of the meeting, says the newspaper, was to seek Saddam's "assistance" in calling off the stepped-up attacks by Iraqi insurgent forces.

More than 75 Iraqi military and civilians have been killed since a new government was formed in the war-torn nation.

In return for Saddam's "cooperation," the U.S. was willing to "resurrect" an offer made by President George W. Bush in March 2003. Namely, Saddam could leave Iraq and live in exile free from prosecution.

It is also reported that Saddam was not convinced the deal was "real" and refused the Rumsfeld offer.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon shot down the report. Still, Rumsfeld's surprise visit "to see the troops" in Iraq has some doubters.

Iraqi diplomatic sources confirm that while Saddam does not control the "insurgency," he still has "influential" people within the movement.

"The Saddamites" do have a lot of influence, one Iraqi diplomat said.

While the insurgents have numerous sources of finance, money hidden by Saddam is still significant in funding their operations.

Estimates of money hidden by the former Iraqi strongman range from several million to hundreds of millions of dollars, say State Department sources.

Saddam, in prison since December 2003, is expected to go on trial toward the end of 2005.

Story Credits: Newsmax