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DAMASCUS, Syria — A former top deputy to Saddam Hussein has urged followers in a letter to turn down proposals for reconciliation talks with the United States or the Iraqi government, according to former Baath party members outside Iraq familiar with the letter. It is unclear if the message from Izzat Ibrahim, Saddam's former vice president and now a fugitive with a $10 million bounty on his head, is being followed. But it appears aimed at blunting a flurry of diplomacy to stabilize Iraq, including efforts by several Arab governments to persuade Iraqi Sunni insurgents to lay down arms and...

<p>BAGHDAD — U.S. and Iraqi forces captured more than 100 insurgency suspects in raids across the country, arresting a former Iraqi general and another Iraqi thought involved in a suicide bombing last month, the U.S. command said yesterday.</p> <p>Insurgents lobbed a mortar shell at a checkpoint near the airport in Baghdad yesterday, killing a U.S. soldier and wounding another, the command said.</p>

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) is hiding in Iraq (news - web sites) with a small group, probably including his sons, and issuing orders to trusted supporters as he plots a return to power, according to former Iraqi generals returned from exile. The generals, who were in exile for years and now play a key role in working with U.S. forces to purge the Iraqi public service and security apparatus of Saddam die-hards, said the deposed president had ordered a name-change for his Baath party. Maj. Gen. Tawfiq al-Yassiri told Reuters that Saddam had changed its...

Saddam still dangerous, issues orders -ex-generals By Khaled Yacoub Oweis BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein is hiding in Iraq with a small group, probably including his sons, and issuing orders to trusted supporters as he plots a return to power, according to former Iraqi generals returned from exile. The generals, who were in exile for years and now play a key role in working with U.S. forces to purge the Iraqi public service and security apparatus of Saddam die-hards, said the deposed president had ordered a name-change for his Baath party. Maj.-Gen. Tawfiq al-Yassiri told Reuters Saddam had changed...

Top Stories Secret deals alleged between US, Iraqi generals Moscow, Apr. 14. (PTI): The low level of resistance against the US-led invasion could be because Iraqi generals struck secret deals with Washington, Russia's Ambassador in Iraq, Vladimir TItirenko who returned home from the war-zone said today. "I am confident that the Iraqi generals entered into secret deal with the Americans to refrain from resistance in exchange for sparing their lives," Titorenko told NTV, explaining why Saddam's crack National Guards did not pose any considerable resistance to the occupation forces and virtually surrendered Baghdad without a fight. Titorenko, who returned home...

American-led forces have captured more than half a dozen Iraqi generals and are questioning them about chemical weapons and tactical battle information, defense officials said Tuesday. Although some are cooperating to some extent, none has given information that has led invading forces to hidden chemical weapons that the Bush administration says Iraq has, the officials said. Meanwhile, a separate long-term campaign to win high-level military defections has had no visible success. The generals surrendered or were captured by U.S. or British forces, two Pentagon officials said on condition of anonymity. They were taken from locations around the country and hold...

that is all for now.

Baghdad -- Apparently in response to a blanket e-mail campaign by the U.S. military urging dissent and defections, the Iraqi government shut down -- at least temporarily -- all Internet access and the country's two e-mail servers. Although no official explanation was given, e-mail service stopped midafternoon on Friday. Some service was resumed Saturday morning. CNN reported Friday that the Pentagon and other U.S. government agencies were sending e-mails from disguised sources encouraging dissent and military defections. Messages also reportedly warned against carrying out any order from President Saddam Hussein to use chemical or germ weapons against U.S. or allied...