Uday Hussein, deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's elder son, had approached US officials in Baghdad through an intermediary to negotiate a safe surrender, Time magazine said in its latest issue.

A relative of Saddam, according to the magazine, had approached an intermediary asking if Uday could 'work out something' or 'get some kind of immunity'.

The report also quoted a family servant and an unidentified source as saying that the deposed Iraqi leader, Uday and brother Qusay survived the two attempts made by the US during Operation Iraqi Freedom to kill them.

Baghdad, claimed the report, fell 'easily' due to Saddam's younger son Qusay Hussein's 'impulsive movement' of army units from one place to another till the 'last minute'.

Many of the units were simply out of position when the American troops arrived, one of the officers of the Republican Guards was quoted as saying.