Iraqi Kurds say they discussed with U.S. officials plans to oust Saddam

CAIRO, Egypt — Leaders of the two main Kurdish parties that control northern Iraq met with U.S. officials last week to coordinate efforts to remove Saddam Hussein from power, according to Iraqi dissidents and Arab press.

Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party, and Jalal Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, also discussed plans for a government that would replace Saddam's regime once the Iraqi leader is ousted, the Iraqi dissidents told The Associated Press.

Officially, the Kurdish groups — the only armed Iraqi opposition groups — have said nothing about the meeting, perhaps out of fear of being accused by other Iraqi factions of working unilaterally with the United States.

On Sunday, the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported that both Barzani and Talabani met officials from the Pentagon, the State Department and the CIA in Germany last week.

Quoting a Kurdish source, the paper said both sides met for three days near Berlin and reviewed coordination "to launch a strike against Saddam most likely by the end of this year."

The Iraqi dissidents told AP on Sunday that Barzani and Talabani also discussed with U.S. officials plans for merging their two governments administrating northern Iraq ahead of a possible move against Saddam.

German Foreign Ministry spokesman Andreas Michaelis confirmed yesterday that the two Kurdish leaders were in Germany last week but refused to provide further information.