A cousin and former aide of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein told AFP in Jordan Monday that he was looking for asylum in an Arab country following "differences" with the Iraqi government.
"I am looking for an Arab country to give me asylum and protection because I can no longer return to Iraq because of differences," Alaa Abdel Kader Suleiman al-Majid told AFP in Amman by telephone. He declined to elaborate.
Majid, 46, identified himself as a cousin of Saddam and said he has been in Jordan for 10 days.
"I left Iraq for Morocco two months and a half ago on a mission and was due to return to Iraq," Majid said. "Over the past 10 days differences emerged with the Iraqi government that prevented me from returning."
Iraq's ambassador to Jordan, Sabah Yassin, meanwhile asked to meet Majid at his Amman hotel and an encounter was to take place imminently, an aide to Majid told AFP.
"Ambassador Sabah phoned Mr. Majid and asked to see him and Mr. Majid accepted the meeting during which the ambassador is expected to submit proposals to solve this problem," the aide said.
Majid earlier said he did not ask for political asylum in Jordan.
A Jordanian official questioned by AFP said there had been no requests for political asylum "from Iraqi nationals or anyone else."
Informed Iraqi sources who declined to be named said meanwhile that Majid could obtain asylum in Yemen.
They said Majid has "financial differences" with the Iraqi authorities but also did not elaborate.
Majid is a cousin of Hussein Kamel Hassan al-Majid, a son-in-law of Saddam who defected to Jordan in August 1995 along with his two brothers and Saddam's daughters, Raghad and Rana.
Hussein Kamel and his two brothers, one of whom was also a son-in-law of Saddam, were assassinated upon their return to Iraq in 1996 by "members of their tribe," according to the Iraqi authorities -- AMMAN (AFP)
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