Occupation forces kill Ode, Qusai Saddam Hussein
Iraq-USA, Politics, 7/23/2003

The American occupation forces in Iraq said they killed the two sons of the toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Ode and Qusai, in an attack launched yesterday at the house of a tribe chieftain in Musil. To some, It was clear that the Americans were not careful to arrest the two men alive and avail the Iraqis the opportunity to try them over their crimes.

In a press conference he held in Baghdad yesterday to announce the quick military operation which had become an ongoing affair in light of the violent security situation in Iraq, the commander of the American forces in Iraq Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said " we are sure that Ode and Qusai were killed." He added "we used several sources to identity the four persons who were killed in the battle."

Sanchez, who promised to give detailed explanation of the operation in a press conference to be held today, added that the "bodies were in state that can be recognized," but he added that the US army is still working to identity of the two other bodies which were taken out of the house when the battle took place.

Sanchez said that the US army received information about the existence of Qusai and Ode in a house in al-Musil city, raided by the American forces yesterday in an operation which he said lasted for 6 hours in which various types of the army units including the special forces took part. He explained "a person came to us yesterday evening and gave us information," adding that it is expected to pay the reward estimated at USD 15 million for information leading to the killing or detention of Saddam's two sons.

According to witnesses, the operation started with the arrival of 200 American soldiers to the house of Sheikh Nawaf Muhammad al-Zeidan, the chieftain of Bu Issa tribe in al-Musil in search for the two sons of Saddam. As soon as the American forces besieged the place, a battle erupted in which helicopters and armored vehicles took place and large damage was inflected on the house.

The witnesses said the occupation forces bombarded the house before they broke into it, and got out of it after a while with four bodies, noting that fire started first from inside the house, while the American soldiers were approaching it.

An American official said that two of the bodies are for Ode and Qusai, while the third seems to be a teenager. It is known that Qusai has a son, named Mustafa, 14 year old and he is always accompanying him, while the fourth body is expected to be for one of Saddam's two sons escort.

Some made accusations that someone betrayed "Ode and Qusai, in addition to one of their guard who is called Abul Samad. The American forces arrested al-Zeidan and his son after breaking into the house.

The deputy governor of al-Musil Khosro Ghouran said that two of the bodies are for bearded men, noting that four American soldiers were wounded during the operation.

It seemed, however, that several Iraqi civilians were wounded in the battle. The number of wounded was not known precisely, but at least five of them were admitted to the hospitals of the area. The American army said that only one Iraqi was killed.

Meantime, officials in the US army in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities said that they faced yesterday a serious communication crisis that prevented their contact with contingent 101 which carried out the raid in al-Musil.

Military spokesman in Iraq and the US said replying to press questions that they do not know the reason which resulted in loosing contacts with unit 101.

The White House White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said that the defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld informed President George W. Bush during a meeting held in the White House on the development of conditions in Musil. "The president welcomes this as positive news," McClellan said. "He was pleased to hear the news."

Meantime, the American administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, refused to comment on a question on the impact of killing Ode and Qusai on the security situation in Iraq but he stressed " it is good news for Iraq and the American forces."

The US had declared a reward of 25 million dollars for information conducive to killing or detention of Saddam Hussein and another reward of 15 million for the head of each of his two sons.

Previous Stories:
  NBC: Bremer calls Iraq's reconstruction long-term process   (7/22/2003)
  US defense department creates new office to support Iraqi rebuilding   (7/21/2003)
  Iraq: UN refugee chief calls return of Kurds displaced by Saddam Hussein a priority   (7/21/2003)
  Wafiq al-Samaree searched for Saddam Hussein; Sunday Times: al-Rawi is hiding in the desert   (6/30/2003)
  The Sunday Times: Raghad Saddam Hussein: My father and brothers are alive   (6/16/2003)
  Coalition forces arrests leader of Iraqi al-Quds army , Eyad al-Rawi   (6/6/2003)

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