BBC News Online: World: Middle East

Iraq's April Fool Joke

An Iraqi newspaper, Babel, today reported that President Clinton had called for UN sanctions against Iraq to be lifted -- but then revealed the story was an April Fool's joke.

The paper -- which is owned by President Saddam Hussein's son, Uday -- purported to quote President Clinton as saying it was now high time the sanctions ended.

On an inside page it confessed the story was a hoax.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service