Aziz meets reporters and denies he fled

IRAQ won the first battle in the propaganda war last night as Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz met reporters in Baghdad, scotching reports he had defected or been shot trying to flee.

Dressed in military uniform and with a pistol strapped to his belt he said: "For me, as well as for the courageous Iraqi leadership, we were born in Iraq and we will die in Iraq either as martyrs which is a great honour or naturally.

Iraqi Kurds had reported Aziz, one of the closest aides of President Saddam Hussein, defected earlier in the day. Reports said he had either defected or been killed.