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Your support makes all the difference.The Gulf state of Bahrain has offered to act as a haven for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein if he decides to go into exile rather than face a US-led attack.
The offer is the first to be publicly extended to the embattled Iraqi leader as Arabs scramble to avert war.
"Bahrain's king announced that Bahrain ... is ready to host Iraqi President Saddam HUS sein in a dignified manner that should not be seen as undermining Iraq's position and capabilities," the official Bahrain News Agency reported.
The agency did not say whether King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's offer had been relayed directly to Saddam. Bahraini officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Saddam has vowed to fight rather than flee. On Tuesday, a day after US President George W. BUS h gave Saddam an ultimatum to leave Iraq with his sons or face war, Saddam appeared on television in military uniform - for the first time since the 1991 Gulf War - and told his commanders to prepare for battle.
Bahrain had backed an earlier call from the United Arab Emirates asking Saddam to step down to spare his people war. The Emirates was the first Arab state to go public with the call, which has been discussed at high levels according to diplomats. So far the call has been endorsed only by fellow Gulf states that have long been wary of Saddam.
Bahrain is closely allied to the United States. It hosts onshore offices for the Navy's 5th Fleet, which has aircraft carriers, destroyers and other ships stationed in the Gulf and Arabian Sea in preparation for war on Iraq.
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