Posted on 08/09/2003 9:41:41 AM PDT by RobFromGa
U.S. Says Hold Former Iraqi Interior Minister
Sat August 9, 2003 10:41 AM ET
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"Mahmoud Diyab al-Ahmed, number 29 on the coalition's list of most wanted government officials, is now under custody of coalition forces," Central Command said in a statement.
"The former Iraqi Minister of Interior surrendered to coalition forces yesterday."
The U.S. military had already announced his capture in July, but it was not immediately clear whether this was the same person.
A U.S. military spokesman said he was unable to explain why the announcement of his arrest appears to have been made for a second time.
Before Saturday's announcement, the United States had reported 37 of the people on a list of 55 most Iraqis had surrendered or been captured or killed. That total included the minister.
Deposed President Saddam Hussein, who tops the list, remains at large though his two sons Uday and Qusay have been killed.
Earlier on Saturday U.S. troops arrested the former local commander of the Baath Party militia in the restive Iraqi town of Falluja, witnesses said.
U.S. forces have stepped up raids in Sunni Muslim towns north and west of Baghdad in an attempt to root out guerrillas attacking them daily.
U.S. officials say die-hard supporters of Saddam and his deposed Baath Party are behind attacks that have killed 55 U.S. soldiers since May 1.
Seems to me we're making it real easy for them, not harder.
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