WASHINGTON, July 29: US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said on Tuesday that ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein should be killed without hesitation, if capturing him alive meant risking the lives of US soldiers.

The comments appeared to signal that only an unconditional surrender could guarantee the life of the former Iraqi leader.

“If Saddam Hussein could be captured safely, without any harm to US service persons, that would be great,” Armitage told CNN television. “If there is a question of harm being done to US servicemen, then he should be killed.”

Mr Armitage is the second high-ranking US official in less than a week to indicate that the US was not particularly concerned about capturing the Iraqi leader alive.