Washington: Making it clear that there was no evidence to suggest that ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussain was behind the attack against US forces in Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell has said it was also not known whether the dictator was alive or dead.

"We don't know where he is, I don't know if he is dead or alive, but it is not appropriate to say that intelligence has told us (as reported in a newspaper) that he is pulling the strings and he is co-ordinating these attacks that we have been seeing in recent days. We do not have intelligence to support that", Powell said in an interview to a television channel.

Powell was rejecting comments of unnamed senior US officials who were quoted in the 'New York Times' as saying that there were indications that Saddam may be directing attacks from his hometown Tikrit.

Powell said "he (Saddam) was quite good for a period of 30 years of hiding himself behind layer after layer after layer of security. He certainly had survival instincts that probably made it possible for him to put in place some refuge or some place where he could hide if he is still alive."

"I don't know if he is alive or dead and don't know where he is hiding. I know he is not in any of his palaces in Baghdad and a new Government is being put in place that will be fully representative of the Iraqi people," Powell added.

PTI