Ba'ath official held as soldiers die

Berkshire.uk.co ^ | Oct 2 2003

[Dog]

Ba'ath official held as soldiers die Oct 2 2003

American soldiers have arrested a suspected former Ba'ath Party official in northern Iraq, as three American soldiers were killed in separate attacks.

A soldier from the 1st Armoured Division was shot and killed while on patrol in the al-Mansour district of western Baghdad, the US command said.

A female soldier from the 4th Infantry Division also died when a roadside bomb exploded about 300 yards from the main US base in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. Two other soldiers were wounded in the blast.

Another soldier from the 4th Infantry Division died following a rocket-propelled grenade attack on an American convoy near Samara, about 60 miles north of the Iraqi capital.

The latest casualties -- names were withheld pending notification of relatives -- bring to 90 the number of American soldiers to die by hostile fire in Iraq since US President George Bush declared an end to major combat operations on May 1.

A total of 314 American service members have died since the war started on March 20, according to the Department of Defence.

In Tikrit, the military said the Ba'ath Party official was arrested overnight near Baqouba. His name was not released, but the military said he was believed to have been helping Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, a long-time Saddam confidant and one of the most senior members of the former regime still at large.

Al-Douri, a Revolutionary Command Council vice chairman, is No. 6 on the most-wanted list of 55 regime officials. His daughter was married to Saddam's son, Odai, who was killed with his brother, Qusai, in a US-led attack in July.

Meanwhile, troops of the 4th Infantry Division killed one Iraqi and wounded another after assailants fired rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire at a US patrol near Balad.

American soldiers also fired warning shots over the heads of stone-throwing Shiite Muslims protesting the brief detention of their preacher on Wednesday outside the Ali Kazem al-Bayai mosque in south-western Baghdad.

[Dog]

NBC and Fox are reporting that a captured Anser al-Islam leader has told the US military that Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri is calling the shots in the attacks on US troops.

[Dog]

I know this is an old article....but this capture seems to have slipped thru the cracks.. here.

[Dog]

fyi..

[Molly Pitcher]

Yes, and that a lot of mid-level Iraqi military took stuff into Syria as the war started. Did you hear that??

[Dog]

We have proof of thousands of trucks heading toward Syria before the war..

[MEG33]

Are you aware this is an Oct. 2 article?

[Dog]

Yes I am.....I noted it...this capture has become very important and it needed to be posted again.

[Dog]

NBC is reporting this capture and the capture of the Ansar al Islam leader have put us on the trail of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri.

[MEG33]

Yes,it is.

[Coop]

Well, here's keeping my fingers crossed that our coalition forces nab this b*st*rd!

[americanSoul]

TAKE THE GLOVES OFF.

These medieval savages have to be convinced that they have been defeated and that further resistance will be met with extreme scorched earth policy.

neutron bomb Tikrit, NKorea, Iran!

[Dog]

Here is what I heard this morning....NBC was the first to report it..