Salvation council appeals Saddam Hussein to resign

The higher council for al-Khalas al-Watani ( national salvation ), the new Iraqi opposition commission in exile, has appealed to the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to "give up the authority," according to confirmation made by one member of the commission which will be declared in Denmark very shortly.

One of the signatures of the political draft statement of this movement said that the "council will appeal Saddam Hussein to give up the authority and hand it over to the council or to a military and civilian commission to run the country's affairs until elections will be made." He said that the council will also announce its readiness to shoulder Iraq's responsibility if Saddam Hussein "will quit the authority."

The statement called on those who are close to Hussein to force him to give up the authority if he refuses to do so, and "to ensure his personal protection and the safety of his family members and not to be avenged."

The official added that "there are Arab countries which expressed readiness to receive Saddam Hussein and give him political asylum, if that will avert Iraq an American strike." He explained that the council will compose of seven areas "the military, security, information, media, culture, finance and secretariat and foreign and national relations." He stressed that the draft statement was undersigned by 170 military men and 150 civilians, including former politicians, tribes clans, former ambassadors and business men. "We wait for other figures to sign it," he said.