U.S. commander: Tip led to Saddam capture

AP | 12/14/03 | ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC

[kattracks]

TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) — Saddam Hussein was captured based on information from a member of a family "close to him," Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno said Sunday.

Odierno, the commander of the 4th Infantry Division that captured Saddam, said over the last 10 days soldiers have questioned "five to 10 members" of families "close to Saddam."

"Finally we got the ultimate information from one of these individuals," he said.

About 600 soldiers under his command conducted the raid Saturday night in a farm near the village of Adwar, finding Saddam in a hole covered by Styrofoam and a carpet beside a two-room shack, Odierno said.

When soldiers pulled the bearded man from the hole, he said, "he was very much bewildered."

Saddam carried a pistol but offered no resistance and taken south by helicopter about an hour after he was pulled from his hiding place, Odierno said.

"He was just caught like a rat," he said. "When you're in the bottom of a hole you can't fight back."

Odierno said intelligence indicated the target of the raid was Saddam himself.

"We thought it was Saddam," he said.

But he said the soldiers participating in the raid didn't know who the target was until he was captured.

The forces found no telephones, radios or other communications devices in Saddam's hideout, which Odierno said affirmed his suspicions that the captured dictator could not have been leading the anti-U.S. insurgency on a large scale.

"I believe he was there more for moral support," Odierno said. "I don't believe he was coordinating the effort because I don't believe there's any national coordination."

[cwb]

I keep hearing that the informant was part of a family that was being interrogated. Instead of a person willingly turning over this information to US forces, how would you guys feel about this reward being offered if it turns out this family was captured for collaborating with Saddam...and only gave him up after being threatened?

[lilylangtree]

Yo Hitlery, the unacknowledged leader of the RAT party who has been on a Bush-bashing party since she took office as the carpetbagger senator of New York, we don't hear you. Yo Puce Pelosi, we don't hear you.

[Big Horn]

Saddam was packing ,but did not fight. Good example for the terrorists.

[maui_hawaii]

The French will probably make him an honorary citizen of Paris.

[lasereye]

That' not something people on FR want to hear. So the capture of Saddam may have no effect on the attacks against our troops.

But other captures we've made are having some effect, and there will be more captures, probably soon.

[JustPiper]

Bump Kat!

[international american]

What a great photo!

[Always Right]

That' not something people on FR want to hear. So the capture of Saddam may have no effect on the attacks against our troops.

It will simply because it makes their cause now unattainable. With Saddam's capture, there is now no hope to restore him to power.

[Sender]

I am so happy that Saddam didn't fight and just gave up. By not going down as a martyr, he lost whatever final influence he could have had in the writing of history.

[Joe 6-pack]

"I am so happy that Saddam didn't fight and just gave up. By not going down as a martyr, he lost whatever final influence he could have had in the writing of history."

And the last few of his loyalists have to be asking themselves if they are really willing to fight to the death for someone now exposed as a coward...

[Burkeman1]

It may have been a combination- threat and reward.

[truthandlife]

[Burkeman1]

I think Sadaam was largely out of the loop. Their goal was not to restore him to power. But just to get us out and then they could fight among themselves to see who the next Sadaam was going to be.

But why this is a potential big deal in effecting the current level of hostilities in Iraq is that now that Sadaam is captured and has zero chance of returning to power- more Iraqis may feel safer and begin to cooperate more with our forces in giving intel against the insurgents. Whereas before they still feared Sadaam might return if we tired of being there. Iraqis were taking a "wait and see" attitude. Now- they may feel confident enough to help us out against the insurgents. The next few weeks to a month should tell the tale.

[Always Right]

The ironic thing about the Newsweek cover is that Newsweek was planning to have Howard Dean on the cover. Of course the capture of Saddam may not have only knocked Dean off the cover, but likely will have knocked Dean out of the front runner status.

[JustPiper]

I loved it thanks ;)