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> curmbox=F000000001&a=06e59f5b37017f41250f315efea1535a
> US troops in Iraq: report
> From AFP
> 01jul02
> BEIRUT: Dozens of US troops and intelligence services had been sent
> into
> northern Iraq from Jordan under a plan to overthrow President
> Saddam
> Hussein, a Lebanese newspaper reported yesterday.
> In a story datelined London, As- Safir daily quoted "well informed
>
> diplomatic sources" as saying Washington "has launched a security
> and
> military operation in Iraq".
> Central Intelligence Agency chief George Tenet had "personally
> visited
> northern Iraq during his last tour of the region and had given
> orders to
> start the security plan after US President George W. Bush
> (recently)
> approved a decision to ask the CIA to overthrow Saddam", the source
> said.
> The paper, which maintains close relations with the Syrian
> leadership, said
> forward bases for US troops had been set up in Jordan.
> "Jordanian King Abdullah has given orders to clear two military
> airports in
> Jordan for the US forces. About 2000 US troops have been deployed
> in
> Jordan
> so far," the newspaper said.
> "Dozens of those US soldiers, along with CIA agents, have been sent
> into
> Iraqi territory."
> The sources said the US had started a "flurry of contacts with
> various
> forces among the Iraqi opposition, and there are great difficulties
> in
> forming a coalition similar to the Northern Alliance in
> Afghanistan".
> "Intensive contacts are being held with both the Kurdish and
> Shi'ite
> opposition in order to establish springboards for potential
> operations,"
> sources said.
> They added that Washington had first approached Saudi Arabia, which
> "refused to let its territory be used for any military attack
> against Iraq".
> Jordan vehemently denied the newspaper report.
> "Nothing that was written is true, there is not a single American
> soldier
> on the Jordanian territory," Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan
> Moasher said.
> Meanwhile, an Iraqi opposition leader has told Arab satellite news
>
> channel
> Al-Jazeera that the US has drafted a plan to kill Saddam.
> Former Iraqi intelligence chief Wafiq Sammarai said Washington was
>
> tracking
> Saddam's movements through satellite data and human intelligence,
> with the
> plan to order air strikes "to try to kill him".
> Mr Sammarai, who defected from Iraq in 1994 and joined the London-
> based
> Iraqi National Congress opposition group, called the plan "serious".
> But he stressed he did "not think this operation was going to come
> soon".
> "If they fail (in killing Saddam), they could conduct raids against
> several
> targets," Sammarai said, adding he was in contact with the Kurdish
> opposition enclave in northern Iraq.
> Mr Sammarai also dismissed the Lebanese newspaper report.
> The Washington Post reported last month that Mr Bush had ordered
> the
> CIA to
> draft plans for toppling the Iraqi dictator.
> Courier-Mail
>
>
>