United States Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, paid a secret visit to former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and offered him freedom and possible return to public life if he made a televised request to armed groups for a ceasefire with allied forces, a media report said.

Saddam promptly rejected the offer, Ynetnews reported quoting London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily.

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Rumsfeld made the offer when he visited Iraq about two weeks ago and only a few Iraqi officials in Jordan knew of it, the Arab daily reported.

Two weeks ago, Britain's Telegraph had reported that Iraqi gunmen were offered a "deal" to halt all attacks in return for a reduced sentence for Saddam, who is likely to be sentenced to death.