Amid notable escalation of resistance, Washington publishes pictures for Ode, Qusai bodies
Iraq-USA, Politics, 7/25/2003

The US defense department issued pictures it said to be for the bodies of Ode and Qusai, sons of the toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to prove for the Iraqis who suspect their killing that they were killed.

Brian Whiteman the senior official at the defense department's media office said that the pictures were published in Baghdad at a decision taken by the US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, noting that these pictures will not appear at the Pentagon site of the internet.

However, several Iraqis had said they will not believe the killing of Ode and Qusai unless they see evidence. A source at the leadership of the American- British forces in Iraq said they had permitted members of the Iraqi transitional governing council to go Baghdad International airport to see the bodies of Ode and Qusai. Member of the council Muwafaq al-Rubei said he say the bodies of Ode and Qusai and that there is no doubt they are the bodies of Saddam's two sons.

On the other hand, former director of the Iraqi intelligence Lt. Gen. Wafiq al-Sammirai said that the pictures do not clarify exactly the shape of Ode and Qusai, but he stressed that all evidence indicate that the sons of the toppled President were killed.

Meantime, in a recent attack against the occupation forces, an American patrol yesterday was hit by missiles in al-Doura area to the south of Baghdad and this resulted in wounding several American soldiers.

Eye witnesses said that fire erupted in a Hummer military vehicle when it was hit by two missiles and that the American forces immediately blocked the area and started a mopping up operation in search of the attackers about whom the eye witnesses said to have had fled in a car which was waiting for them in a place near the site of the attack. American helicopters also flew over the site of the incident.

Earlier in the day, three American soldiers from contingent 101 were killed in northern Iraq. News reports said the American forces in al-Musil were exposed to two attacks. One is in al-Wahda quarters when a mine went off under an armored car and this resulted in its total destruction and the second was in al-Islah al-Zera' ( agricultural reforms ) quarters and its was by shelling and machine guns and targeted an American military vehicles.

An American military spokeswoman stressed the killing of the three soldiers and wounding of others in an attack by bombs and heavy machine guns against their patrols which was leading to al-Qeithara to the south of al-Musil earlier in the day, adding that the wounded persons were admitted to a nearby hospital.

In another incident, the American forces killed yesterday morning two Iraqi civilians in Baghdad after an American patrol opened fire at a civilian car upon breaking into the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qader al-Jeilani in Baghdad. Witnesses said that the citizens did not abide by the instructions of the American roadblock to stop and this resulted in killing the two of them and fleeing of a third from the car.

At the political level, member of the provisional governing council in Iraq Muhammad Baher al-Oloum said in statements to the press that completing the structure of the government and appointing the new Iraqi ministers will be made within two weeks.

In London, Adnan al-Baja Je, member of the council said in a press conference with the British foreign office secretary Jack Straw that the first aim of the council is to speed up the completion of the transitional period, to enact the constitution and carry out free elections that are conducive to electing a free government enjoying legitimacy. Al-Baja Je added that the council is practicing authorities including appointing ministers and preparing for the constitution.

Previous Stories:
  Bremer says great progress has occurred in Iraq over past two weeks   (7/24/2003)
  Betrayer of Ode and Qusai is under US protection; Saddam's grandson fought until the end, last to be killed   (7/24/2003)
  Occupation forces kill Ode, Qusai Saddam Hussein   (7/23/2003)

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