World News 02-09-2003 Saddam Denies Najaf Massacre who: Saddam Hussein what: Denies responsibility for Najaf massacre on uncorroborated tape where: Iraq when: Yesterday snippet: "Two Arabic television channels last night broadcast what they said was a recorded message from Saddam Hussein, denying responsibility for last week`s devastating car bomb in Najaf," reports The Guardian. "The voice on the audio tape claimed Saddam had had no part in the bombing, which killed 125 people, including the leading Shia cleric Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim." Furthermore, the voice called for more attacks on coalition forces. "O great heroes," says the tape, quoted by the ITV news website, "intensify your brave blows against the foreign aggressors from wherever they come and whatever their nationalities." "While denying a role in the Najaf bombing, the voice made no mention of the Jordanian embassy bombing on 7 August," notres The Scotsman, "or the UN headquarters attack 12 days later, which investigators suspect may have also been committed by Saddam followers." "If the tape is genuine," comments The Independent`s Justin Huggler, "the timing of its release seemed like a taunt to the Americans, a day after US military raids were launched in Mosul to find Saddam." Meanwhile, says The Times, prior to next year`s historic democratic elections, Iraq finally has a 25-member Cabinet "whose composition mirrors Iraq’s religious and ethnic make-up." But, reports Catherine Philp, they have no prime minister and "the extent to which the Cabinet will be able to operate independently of the Americans remains unclear". [... more]

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