Saddam's son 'in surrender talks'

Saddam Hussein’s eldest son is in talks to surrender to US forces, it was reported today.

Uday Hussein wants to know what charges will be brought against him and where he would be jailed before he turns himself in, according to the Wall Street Journal.

He believes a US jail would be a safer option than being found by Iraqi civilians, who would probably kill him, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told the paper.

The unnamed source said Uday was using intermediaries to contact US officials, but the talks had made few advances because of America’s tough stance.

A US military chief in Baghdad said he was not aware of any negotiations.

“Nobody’s brought an offer from Uday to me, and I would facilitate his comin’ on in. But it would be unconditional,” Lieutenant General David McKiernan said.

Uday is the third most wanted Iraqi on the allied list. He was the commander of Iraq’s feared paramilitary unit, the Saddam Fedayeen, and the head of the notorious Iraqi Olympic Committee which regularly tortured athletes.