French newspaper Le Monde reported an agreement between the Americans and the commander: Sufyan ordered his troops to abandon Baghdad in exchange for a transfer, via an American Apache helicopter, to a safe haven.
UN, NEW YORK
Nailing A Lie
UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix has accused the US and Britain of planning the war months before the first missile struck Baghdad and of "fabricating" evidence against Iraq to justify their campaign. In an interview to The Guardian, Blix said Iraq was paying "a very heavy price...," that threats of Iraq possessing banned weapons could have been contained through inspections, that regime change was the principal aim of US and Britain. Worse for Washington, Lt Gen Amir Saadi, Saddam’s top scientific advisor who surrendered, reiterated what he had said in the days before the war: Iraq possesses no chemical or biological weapons.
BAGHDAD, IRAQ
You’ve Got Mail
You always knew information minister Sahaf was guilty of gross exaggeration, conjuring victories and fightbacks at the time the Iraqi troops were retreating or abandoning their posts. Even in his last press conference, before he melted into the deserts of Iraq, Sahaf promised to roast the "mercenaries" in their tanks. There’s still no word on him, whether he’s dead or alive. But his fan following has continued to swell, inspiring the launch of the website: www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com. The homepage says: "This site is a coalition effort of bloodthirsty hawks and ineffectual doves united in admiration for Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf". It sardonically hails him as "superior to truth". On April 12, the website clocked 4,000 visitors every second. You can also buy a T-shirt with his mug, replete with his half-smile and curled lips.
WASHINGTON, US
Only Dues Are Permanent
