Saddam seeks immortality through clones

LONDON, April 27 (UPI) _ Iraqi scientists have been given the mother of all biological challenges _ to clone their leader, Saddam Hussein.

A prominent Iraqi doctor who arrived in Britain from Baghdad tells The Sunday Telegraph newspaper that the dictator is fascinated by new discoveries in genetic research and has set up a cloning laboratory in Baghdad.

Saddam, aged 60 on Monday, has become obsessed with his own mortality, the newspaper says, and has been encouraged by reports that Western scientists had the technology to create human clones within two years.

Western experts say Iraqi scientists have neither the expertise nor technology to make Saddam's dream come true.

Professor Robert Winston, Britain's leading expert on fertility, says the project would also be difficult for practical reasons.

``Given the failure rate in previous published cloning experiments, Iraqi scientists would have to transfer genes to the uteruses of 40,000 primed women to produce 100 Saddams, then they would have to wait 30 years before they look much like Saddam.

``Even then Saddam may be in for a hell of a shock. Clones cannot replicate anyone emotionally or culturally, only physically. You cannot create another Saddam Hussein. He is unique.''

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