- BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi
television showed footage on Monday of President Saddam Hussein meeting
with top aides after the United States said it stormed into the heart of
the capital Baghdad and grabbed two of Saddam's palace compounds.
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- The president, wearing military fatigues, was shown sitting
in a room with windows and with wall maps behind him.
-
- Also seen present at the meeting were his younger son
and heir apparent Qusay, Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan and Deputy
Prime Minister Tareq Aziz as well as other senior military officials.
-
- It was not clear when the meeting took place. Elder son
Uday was not shown in the film.
-
- There has been no word on Saddam's whereabouts and there
has been speculation among U.S. officials that he may have been incapacitated
in attacks on Baghdad.
-
- He was unlikely to be anywhere near his official palaces,
which have been hit repeatedly since the start of the U.S.-led war to oust
him.
-
- Taped appearances by Saddam, who never appears live on
television and has not been seen in public for a couple of years, have
become more frequent in recent days as U.S. forces focus their military
campaign on Baghdad.
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- The Iraqi authorities have been at pains to insist that
Saddam is still in charge and controlling his forces.
-
- On Saturday, the television showed footage of Saddam
in a meeting with his two sons, top aides and military commanders in a
windowless room at a large table.
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