June 4, 2003	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1424

DUBLIN, June 3: Saddam Hussein’s elder son Uday was in hiding in Baghdad 11 days ago and had considered giving himself up to US forces, a former body double said on Tuesday.

Latif Yahia said he obtained his information in a satellite telephone call with a mutual friend in Baghdad 10 days ago.

The friend said that Uday and two bodyguards had stayed at his house in Baghdad for the two prior nights.

Yahia, who is in Ireland awaiting a visa to rejoin his family in England, said he did not know where Uday was now.

“He wants to surrender but keeps changing his mind. He sits in his wheelchair crying, he can’t go outside because he knows he’ll be killed,” said Yahia, who acted as a body double for Uday for more than four years before fleeing Iraq in 1991.

“He doesn’t want to surrender because he’s not sure what will happen to him. One day he says he wants to surrender but the next day he changes his mind,” he said.

“Uday spent two nights at (the friend’s) house. My friend told me that he was in bits — he needs medicine for his injuries but he has none,” added Yahia.

Uday was left partially paralyzed after a failed attempt to kill him in 1996. Iraqi doctors who had treated Saddam’s family said recently that Uday ended up with a slight limp.

Uday has been accused of brutal human rights abuses including torture and rape. Nothing has been heard of him or other family members since US-led forces overthrew the former Iraqi regime in April.

Uday is number three on the US “most wanted” list. He was commander of a paramilitary unit, and was also chairman of the Iraqi Olympic Committee.—Reuters