Syrian journalist Dr Waiel Awaad , who was held captive by Iraqi authorities for almost a week before he managed to escape, is convinced that the American government has bought off key generals in the Iraqi army to ensure that they get President Saddam Hussein alive.

"I have no doubt that the Americans have already worked out how to get Saddam Hussein alive, unless he kills himself before being taken prisoner," Dr Awaad told rediff.com in Delhi, where he is based, on Saturday.

Correspondent of Al-Arabiya television channel, Dr Awaad was embedded with the 3rd unit of the American marine corps along with a cameraman and a driver-cum-technician.

He was taken prisoner in Barjesia town between Nasiriya and Safwan on March 23 while filming a human-interest story with an Iraqi family.

He was handed over to Baath Party workers who in turn called the intelligence unit of the army.

"We were questioned for long hours and kept in different places. We were accused of spying for the American forces. We were shifted from one place to another till we were handed over to a tribal leader."

"Whenever we were moved out we were blindfolded. We managed to escape on March 28," he said.

But their joy was short-lived as the British forces he came across started treating him like a detainee.

He spent several hours trying to convince them that he was a journalist.

"Eventually, we were taken to the Iraq-Kuwait border on March 29. Kuwait's information minister welcomed us and treated us to lunch. We then got into our office vehicle and bid farewell to the war zone," he said.

According to him, truth became the first casuality in the war.

"We were handed a two-page instruction on what to say and what not to say. Despite being an embedded reporter, you only got a limited picture. There is nothing like independent journalism where you present both sides of the picture."

"Since I was embedded with the American troops I had no idea of what was happening on the Iraqi side. I would get information about the Iraqis only when the television anchor would put questions to me."

"I saw more British soldiers dead than was being reported in the media. In one day, as many as 18 were killed and six were taken prisoners while reports in the media said only two were killed," he said.

Dr Awaad is convinced that the British are losing more soldiers then the Americans.

"The number of dead for the Americans and the British must have already crossed the three-figure mark each. If the battle of Baghdad takes place on a street-to-street basis, this figure could rise," he said.

He doubts the Americans decided to overthrow Saddam Hussein to liberate the people of Iraq.

"Nobody in the world believes them. They have come to Iraq only for commercial reasons and there is a deep-rooted conspiracy behind it. The Americans want to divide the 22 Arab states into 54 smaller states so they could establish Israel's superiority in West Asia."

"Then they want to grab Iraqi oil. Cost of oil exploration in Iraq is the cheapest at only 37 cents per barrel. You can imagine the kind of money they hope to make with the oil and the so-called reconstruction of Iraq," he said.

He did not attach much significance to the television images of Saddam Hussein walking on the streets of Baghdad.

"It makes no difference now. The Americans have a lot informers amongst the Iraqi army. They have bought over even the generals. If Saddam Hussein had invested money in modernising his army, his men would have fought better," he said.