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Press Release
Coalition Provisional
Contact: Karen Triggs
Coalition offers large reward for information leading to capture of former dictator Saddam Hussein 'Wanted for $25m' posters and leaflets are to be distributed on the streets of Baghdad today for the first time, as part of the ongoing drive to bring the brutal dictator to justice. Teams of Iraqi police and Coalition soldiers will paste up two striking posters reminding potential informants that tip-offs leading to the arrest or proof of death of Saddam could net them a $25m reward. One of the posters (graphics file attached) features a head-and-shoulders portrait of Saddam alongside portraits of his two sons Uday and Qusay, recently killed whilst trying to evade capture by Coalition troops. Large 'X's partially obscure the faces of his sons. Crucially, it was a tip-off led troops directly to Uday and Qusays hideout on July 22nd. A subsequent reward payout of $30m ($15m per son) was made. Since 1st May when major combat operations ended tip-offs have led to the arrests of numerous former Baathist regime loyalists, including 3 former Fedayeen just yesterday. They have also led to the confiscation of large numbers of weapons, the foiling of terrorist plans and the prevention of sabotage. A tip-off led to the recent seizure of the Navstar I, a tanker ship smuggling almost 3500 tonnes of diesel out of the country. Police and soldiers touring Baghdad today will hand out leaflet-sized versions of the posters, as well as other leaflets offering rewards of up to $10,000 for information about anti-Coalition activities or infrastructural sabotage. The posters and leaflets will continue to be rolled out across Iraq in the coming fortnight. Notes to Editors 1. Graphics files showing a 'Saddam Wanted' poster and leaflet are attached, or available from the CPA Public Affairs Office (contact details above) or available via the CPA's website at: http://www.cpa-iraq.org 2. Text on the posters and leaflets distributed in Iraq is Arabic. The English-text versions of the material are for media reference only. 3. A Reuters team joined police and soldiers distributing material in Baghdad this morning. 4. The $25m reward offered for Saddam will be paid where it is judged that information has led to his arrest of or given conclusive proof of his death. 5. The US State Department Rewards for Justice programme will fund the reward. The programme recently paid out $30m for information leading to the elimination of Uday and Qusay Hussein. 6. Smaller rewards for information ranging from $100 to $10,000 are paid from Coalition military funds. Types of tips that could be rewarded include information leading to the recovery of weapons caches of all sizes; information leading to the capture of Ba'athists on the countrywide Wanted list; information leading to the capture of those planning terrorist activities. (Find the Wanted list at: tips@orha.centcom.mil 7. Those with information can call a Baghdad hotline staffed by Arabic speakers or approach the Iraqi police or Coalition troops in their area. 8. All tips are assessed and passed on for investigation where appropriate.
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