Manama: Bahrain's King Hamad has offered asylum to Saddam Hussein, the official BNA news agency said on March 19, hours before the expiry of a US ultimatum to the Iraqi President to leave Iraq or face war.

Hamad "has expressed Bahrain's readiness to host Iraqi President Saddam Hussein should he wish to live here in all dignity and respect without this in any way undermining Iraq's capacities and status", said a statement issued after an emergency Cabinet meeting chaired by the King.

Agencies