'Saddam commanding resistance operations'

"Saddam Hussein is in good health and living in the west of Iraq," said the man who is involved in the struggle and calls himself only Abu Mohammad.

"The Iraqi president is commanding the military operations against the American forces," he said Saturday.

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An AFP journalist was introduced to the tribal leader by a Baath politician working to set up a new party to support the resistance.

The politician said Saddam presided over a meeting of "dozens of Baath party cadres" at Ramadi, 100km west of Baghdad, at iftar, or the end of the daily dawn-to-dusk fast during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month.

A dissident Baath figure confirmed the secret meeting saying it took place on November 8, the same day General John Abizaid, commanding officer of US Central Command (Centcom), gathered tribal leaders in Ramadi to try to work out how to halt anti-coalition attacks.

Abu Mohammad disclosed that he met Saddam who, he said, pays unannounced visits to Iraqis. "There is no risk to him in the west because people are defending him and will never betray him," the tribal leader claimed.

Washington is offering a 25-million-dollar reward for information leading to the capture of the president who was overthrown in April.

Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the commander of US forces in Iraq, said Saturday that Saddam's role remained unclear.

"We have not established conclusively that Saddam has established command and control," he told reporters travelling with US Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld.