Seraphim
07-31-2003, 04:02 PM
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030731/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_jordan_saddam
AMMAN (AFP) - Two daughters of ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) arrived in Jordan accompanied by nine children and were granted official protection, a high-ranking official told AFP.
The daughters were identified as Raghad and Rana, although the official was unable to specify who the children were.
King Abdullah II has agreed to host them "for humanitarian reasons and because of the difficult situation in their country," the official from the royal palace said, requesting anonymity.
"We do not know how long they will stay in Jordan. The fact is that they benefit from Jordanian protection as long as they are in the country," he added.
Raghad and Rana were married respectively to Hussein Kamel Hassan and his brother Saddam Kamel Hassan, who both defected to Jordan in 1995 with their wives and a total of seven children.
The families returned to Iraq (news - web sites) in February 1996, but the two men, their brother and a sister, as well as other family members, were assassinated by Saddam's regime after being accused of treason.
Raghad and Rana had since been living out of the public eye with their mother, Sajida, in Iraq, apparently under close watch.
Saddam, who is being hunted by coalition forces, has a third daughter Hala, whose husband was arrested by US forces following the fall of Baghdad on April 9.
Sheikh Jamal Kamel, identified as a brother of Hussein and Saddam Kamel Hassan, told Al-Arabiya news channel Thursday night that Raghad and Rana had come to Jordan after King Abdullah II approved a request he made to Jordanian authorities, presumably with US blessing.
"I made the request (for Jordan to host the pair) in coordination with Raghad and Rana. We contacted Jordanian authorities, who (agreed to) the request, I think after America approved it," Kamel told the Dubai-based satellite TV from Amman.
Kamel, who profusely thanked the Jordanian monarch for hosting the two women, said he did not think they would be interrogated about the whereabouts of Saddam, whose fate has been a mystery since his ouster by US-led forces.
The two women "are not involved in politics ... I don't think there's anything against them. As to granting press interviews, if they would like to, there's nothing wrong with that," he said.
Kamel said Jordanian authorities would most certainly provide protection to Saddam's daughters and added he did not believe they were in danger of being attacked by opponents of the deposed Iraqi leader.
"I think opponents (of Saddam) have ethics and have (wives and daughters). It is part of Arab ethics (not to harm) women, who have traditionally not been involved in politics," he said.
Kamel said he had no news of Saddam's wife and third daughter, but added he assumed Jordanian authorities would have no problem hosting them if they asked to because the Jordanians are "honorable people."
AMMAN (AFP) - Two daughters of ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) arrived in Jordan accompanied by nine children and were granted official protection, a high-ranking official told AFP.
The daughters were identified as Raghad and Rana, although the official was unable to specify who the children were.
King Abdullah II has agreed to host them "for humanitarian reasons and because of the difficult situation in their country," the official from the royal palace said, requesting anonymity.
"We do not know how long they will stay in Jordan. The fact is that they benefit from Jordanian protection as long as they are in the country," he added.
Raghad and Rana were married respectively to Hussein Kamel Hassan and his brother Saddam Kamel Hassan, who both defected to Jordan in 1995 with their wives and a total of seven children.
The families returned to Iraq (news - web sites) in February 1996, but the two men, their brother and a sister, as well as other family members, were assassinated by Saddam's regime after being accused of treason.
Raghad and Rana had since been living out of the public eye with their mother, Sajida, in Iraq, apparently under close watch.
Saddam, who is being hunted by coalition forces, has a third daughter Hala, whose husband was arrested by US forces following the fall of Baghdad on April 9.
Sheikh Jamal Kamel, identified as a brother of Hussein and Saddam Kamel Hassan, told Al-Arabiya news channel Thursday night that Raghad and Rana had come to Jordan after King Abdullah II approved a request he made to Jordanian authorities, presumably with US blessing.
"I made the request (for Jordan to host the pair) in coordination with Raghad and Rana. We contacted Jordanian authorities, who (agreed to) the request, I think after America approved it," Kamel told the Dubai-based satellite TV from Amman.
Kamel, who profusely thanked the Jordanian monarch for hosting the two women, said he did not think they would be interrogated about the whereabouts of Saddam, whose fate has been a mystery since his ouster by US-led forces.
The two women "are not involved in politics ... I don't think there's anything against them. As to granting press interviews, if they would like to, there's nothing wrong with that," he said.
Kamel said Jordanian authorities would most certainly provide protection to Saddam's daughters and added he did not believe they were in danger of being attacked by opponents of the deposed Iraqi leader.
"I think opponents (of Saddam) have ethics and have (wives and daughters). It is part of Arab ethics (not to harm) women, who have traditionally not been involved in politics," he said.
Kamel said he had no news of Saddam's wife and third daughter, but added he assumed Jordanian authorities would have no problem hosting them if they asked to because the Jordanians are "honorable people."