The US last night offered a reward of $25 million for information which leads to the capture of Saddam Hussein or proves that he is dead. An additional $15 million will be available for information that leads to the capture of either of the former Iraqi dictator's sons, Uday and Qusay.
Mr Paul Bremer, the chief administrator in Iraq, announced the reward on the US-funded Iraqi Media Network radio. In a prepared statement, Mr Bremer said Saddam and his sons were "among the most evil men" the world had known.
"They may or may not still be alive, but I recognise that until we know for sure, their names will continue to cast a shadow of fear over this country," he said.
Mr Bremer urged Iraqis with relevant information to give it to "any coalition official, civilian or military".
It is the first time that a price has been put on Saddam's head. A similar bounty has already been offered for the capture of Osama bin Laden.
A coalition official stressed that the ransom would come from US rather than Iraqi coffers.
The last reported sighting of Saddam alive was in the final days of the war, in the Azamiyah area of north-eastern Baghdad. During the war, US forces ordered a number of air strikes against him, but their effectiveness remains in doubt.
The search for Saddam and his two sons, who have not been seen since Baghdad fell on April 9th, was said to have moved up a gear after the arrest of his secretary, national security adviser and senior bodyguard, Abid Hamid Mahmoud al- Tikriti, three weeks ago.
Mr Mahmoud was reported to have told US investigators that Saddam and his sons survived, and that he was in hiding north of Baghdad. The trail now appears to have gone cold. - (Guardian service)