In anticipation of a US strike on Iraq President Saddam Hussein has begun removing gold bars and valuable works of art from Baghdad to the remote northwestern town of Abu Kamul near the border with Syria. Several trucks laden with gold bars and artworks from museums in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul travelled under heavy guard to Abu Kamul, where they were met by Syrian and Jordanian businessmen, the Sunday newspaper Welt am Sonntag cited Iraqi opposition and Western intelligence sources as saying. European diplomats in Damascus confirmed "the traffic of heavy trucks between Syria and Iraq has increased sharply in the past few weeks — in both directions," the newspaper added.
Looks like Sammy's expecting to jump to Syria when the going gets really tough... |