"All the passengers were checked and no-one had papers bearing the name Mohamed al-Douri," he said.

Earlier reports said al-Douri had boarded an Air France flight to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, where he was planning to transfer to another flight to the Netherlands.

The official said the ambassador had booked a place on the Air France plane but not taken it up. He also said there was a reservation on a flight from Paris to Damascus, Syria, which had also not been taken up.

Al-Douri defended Saddam Hussein's regime in debates at the United Nations.

SPACE.WIRE