Sahaf on Arab TV after US questioning

Sahaf, 63, became an unlikely media star during the war, winning his stripes as a hero to many in the Arab world while Western audiences gasped and then chuckled at his bravado.

Sahaf, who was not on the US "most wanted" list, gained his unflattering nickname for proclaiming the defeat of US forces even as American troops advanced into Baghdad, and for his habit of handling loaded weapons during news conferences.

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"Via some friends, I went to the Americans... and there was an interrogation about a number of issues concerning my work," a tired-looking and thin Sahaf said in a clip aired by Dubai-based al-Arabiya. "After the interrogation, I was released."

He appeared without his familiar military fatigues and beret, but with now gray, close-cropped hair.

"A difficult situation has passed by, not for one person but for everyone," he said in measured tones in another clip, referring to the fall of Baghdad to US forces. Al-Arabiya said it would air the interview in full Friday at 3 p.m. EDT.

US military spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.

The figure of Sahaf spawned a mini industry in the West involving T-shirts, mugs, dolls and videos, and a raft of Web sites poking fun at his rhetorical style.

In the Arab world, Sahaf gained fame during the conflict for his colorful use of the Arabic language, using archaic insults to describe the invaders which had commentators throughout the region debating their meaning and poring over dictionaries.