NEW YORK, March 12: Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was more preoccupied about the threat to his government from within the country than about advancing US forces, The New York Times said on Sunday.

Citing a classified US military report and other documents, the newspaper said that approach had crippled his military in fighting the threat from without.

Only one of his defences — the Saddam Fedayeen — proved potent against the invaders, the report said.

Documents show that fearful of revolt, Saddam Hussein was deeply distrustful of his own commanders and soldiers, according to The Times.

He made crucial decisions himself, relied on his sons for military counsel and imposed security measures that had the effect of hobbling his forces.

The paper said that the Iraqi leader was so secretive and kept information so compartmentalised that his top military leaders were stunned when he told them three months before the invasion that he had no weapons of mass destruction.

They were demoralised because they had counted on hidden stocks of poison gas or germ weapons for the nation’s defence, the report added. He put a general widely viewed as an incompetent drunkard in charge of the Special Republican Guard primarily because he was considered loyal.—AFP