Al-Sharq al-Awsat: CIA tempts Iraqis to split

In its yesterday's issue, the London- based al-Hayat daily said that the US CIA made contacts in June this year in New York with three senior Iraqi weapons experts including Lt. Gen. Amer al-Saadi, the advisor for the Iraqi President in an attempt to convince them to split from Baghdad.

The paper said that the CIA officials continuously contacted Lt. Gen. Al-Saadi and Jaafar Zia Jaafar, the former official for the Iraqi nuclear program in the hotel the delegation stayed, noting that the contacts also included another Iraqi expert Mahdi al-Obeidi.

The paper added that the three men were exposed to financial temptations and one of them was given a bag filled with US dollars as a way to urge him to split from the Iraqi government. The paper said that this was made during their existence in New York to negotiate with the UN on means to resuming the inspection operations.

The paper said, according to sources close to the Iraqi delegation which headed to New York, that the Iraqi government informed the UN about the attempts made by the CIA.

The paper said that Iraq indicated to these harassment in messages it addressed to the UN general secretariat and the Security Council.