950817

Jordan denies

Saddam's wife

is in Amman

AMMAN: Government officials and Iraqi diplomats dismissed persistent rumours on Wednesday that Saddam Hussein's wife was in Jordan to meet two of her daughters who defected last week.

Rumours have been circulating for days that Sajida Hussein, the Iraqi leader's wife was on a secret visit seeking to persuade her daughters to return to Baghdad. They arrived in Jordan Aug. 8 after fleeing Iraq with their high-ranking husbands.

All were given sanctuary by King Hussein.

Senior Jordanian government officials and Iraqi diplomats contacted by the Associated Press said the reports were false.

"This is totally untree. Sajida Saddam Hussein is not in Jordan, and I have no information that she will be coming here," said Adel Ibrahim, spokesman for the Iraqi Embassy.

Saddam's eldest son, Odai, came to Amman last Thursday seeking to secure the return of the defectors, but King Hussein refused to hand them over.

Saddam's two daughters, Raghad and Rana, and their husbands have been under tight security at a farm outside Amman since they were granted sanctuary.

They are expected to leave Jordan soon, probably for another Arab country.-AP