An assassination attempt on the heir to Saddam Hussein may signal a succession struggle in Baghdad.
Iraqi opposition sources said Qusay Hussein, the younger son of Saddam,
survived a car bombing on June 9 in
Baghdad when his car was booby-trapped.
The Supreme Revolutionary Council, a Shi'ite opposition group backed by
Iran, said Qusay was coming out of the presidential palace and heading for
the headquarters of Iraqi General Intelligence when he came under attack, Middle East Newsline reported.
Qusay, who is favored to succeed Saddam if his regime continues in power, was to have entered a waiting car that was rigged with a large bomb
that came from a Soviet-origin rocket launcher, identified as an RPG-7.
But the council said Qusay was directed to another of eight vehicles at
his service. Seconds later, the booby-trapped vehicle exploded and killed
Qusay's driver and three bodyguards.
In 1996, Shi'ite insurgents launched an assassination attempt on Uday Hussein, Qusay's
older brother. Uday was badly injured and much of his authority was
transferred to Qusay.
In a statement, the council did not take responsibility. But the
statement suggested that Qusay might have been attacked as part of a
succession struggle for power.
The opposition group also reported that two senior Iraqi politicians
also escaped assassination. The council identified the two as Baath Party
officials Mohsin Khadir Khofagi and Aziz Salah Nauman.
