Saddam's army and state bodies disbanded by US

IRAQI military and security organisations that supported Saddam Hussein's regime have been officially dissolved and a new defence force "representative of all Iraqis" will be set up to replace them, the US civil administrator announced yesterday.

The decision to disband the armed forces, the Republican Guard, the defence ministry and the information ministry puts thousands of people out of work, although many of the military's 300,000 employees and soldiers had already scattered during the coalition offensive.

People who were not involved in criminal acts or associated with Saddam's Ba'ath party will receive a month of severance pay, the statement said.