Saddam in Thai gem buy
Published on Mar 10, 2003
<<Perhaps Saddam is like Elmat who is in Bangkok, and bought golden jewels for his wife last Xmas here. But I don't think he reads the BBR :-)
I stand by my word: It will end in Pizza!>>
Aide's secret trip to Bangkok fuels exile speculation
nationmultimedia.com
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein recently sent a personal jeweller to Thailand on a secret mission to buy millions of dollars worth of diamonds, prompting speculation that he is set to flee the country or at least send his family into hiding, The Sunday Times reported yesterday.
The jeweller reportedly travelled from Baghdad to Bangkok via Jordan, the London-based paper reported, quoting a source "with knowledge of the trip". The source said he bought gems in Bangkok in a pre-arranged deal.
"He purchased millions of dollars worth," the source was quoted as saying.
It was the jeweller's second visit to Bangkok, the paper reported. Three months ago, Saddam's son, Uday, had sent him to buy a diamond ring from an American dealer for US$750,000 (Bt31.9 million), according to the source.
Saddam is one of the world's richest men. Before the 1991 Gulf War, his wealth was estimated at $10 billion. After a decade of UN sanctions, however, Forbes lowered the figure to about $2 billion.
Last week the Iraqi leader vowed never to desert his country of war. He has not left Iraq since the Kuwait invasion 12 years ago.
In an interview with CBS news last month, he said: "We would die here. We would die in this country."
The gem purchase suggested that he might be having a second thought or at least for his family, The Sunday Times said.
It said he might have opted to convert part of his wealth into diamonds because it was easier to hide and move around than bank notes.
Having used an iron fist to rule his country, Saddam has proved a master of concealment. He reportedly uses doubles, is said never to sleep in the same place twice for successive nights. His ministers are kept in the dark about where he will meet them.
Meanwhile, the New York Times reported yesterday that an unspecified number of al-Qaeda supects, including Ramzi bin al-Shibh, who is alleged to have been involved in the planning of the September 11 attacks, were initially taken to a secret CIA installation in Thailand but have since been moved.
The paper, quoting unnamed US officials, said the CIA chose isolated locations to conduct interrogations of important al-Qaeda operatives so that it would be outside the jurisdiction of American law.
In Baghdad yesterday, Iraq said that chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix might visit Baghdad on March 17, a deadline proposed by the United States and Britain for Iraq to disarm or face military action.
Asked whether Blix would visit soon, General Hussam Mohammad Amin told a news conference in Baghdad: "I don't know really, but he might, he might visit us on the 17th of this month."
Amin did not elaborate.
The United States and Britain have proposed a draft UN Security Council resolution that gives Iraq to March 17 to disarm or face the use of force.
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