American forces arrest three former Iraqi officials
Iraq-USA, Politics, 5/3/2003

The central US military leadership yesterday announced the detention of three Iraqi officials from the government of the former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

The most remarkable of the three is Abdul Tawab Mullah Huweish, the minister of military manufacturating who occupied number 16 position on the list of the of former Iraqi officials wanted by Washington.

The American forces also arrested the Iraqi Vice President Taha Mohey Edddine Marouf who is also member of the Iraqi Revolutionary Leadership Council who occupies number 42 on the list and Mazyan Khuser Hadi who occupies number 41, a member of the Revolutionary Leadership Council and a key figure in the Baath party.

An American official in Washington said that the former Iraqi minister of transport and communication Ahmad Murtada Ahmad Khalil was also recently arrested. Thereby number of Iraqi officials who were arrested or surrendered tolled 17 while Ali Hassan al-Majid who is wanted by the US believed to be killed in bombardment.

Meantime, four explosions took place near the Republican Palace, which the US forces is taking as headquarters. An hour later four other similar explosions took place that may have been related to detonating land mines and shells by the American army.

This coincided with an explosion that took place in two oil reservoirs in Tigris river and resulted in scores of victims, killed, or wounded in al-Madaen area to the south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. News reports were contradictory on the number of the wounded or killed and the reasons behind the explosion, while search operations started for tens of missing among those who were on the deck of the two reservoirs before their explosion.

In Takrit, witnesses said that the American planes bombarded Takrit hotel which is located in the heart of the city. The reason behind the bombardment was not known.

Meantime, the American forces sent its fortifications to al-Faluja city, to the west of Baghdad after 7 American soldiers were injured on Thursday in an attack.

In al-Najaf, two persons were arrested for suspicion to have had taken part in the assassination of Abdul Majid l-Khou'I, the Shiite scholar in April. The police exchanged fire with the armed men near Imam Ali Bin Abi Taleb Tomb before arresting the two men.

Meantime, Iraqi Muslims, Shiite and Sunni, performed yesterday their Friday's prayers peacefully. American forces were seen watching Abi Hanifa mosque in Baghdad whose Imam in Friday's sermon called on these forces to withdraw from Iraq. He also called on the American administration which run the country's civil affairs to leave the country in order for Iraqis to choose an Iraqi government.

Meanwhile, 200 persons demonstrated in Baghdad demanding compensations from the USA following the fatal explosion of the ammunition store controlled by the American forces in one of Baghdad's southern suburbs.

The demonstrators, who gathered in al-Fardous square near the American vehicles which protect Palestine Hotel, where the American army's leadership is stationed demonstrated "No for America, No for Saddam and there is no other god but God."

Previous Stories:
  Tension escalate in Falouja, Bush declares combats phase over in Iraq, US victory   (5/2/2003)
  US soldiers attacked and wounded in al-Falouja   (5/2/2003)
  Bush declares end of combat; London groups for Iraqi conference; Rumsfeld in Baghdad after 20 years   (5/1/2003)

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