US acts of collective punishment in Iraq; Three killed in an explosion
Iraq-USA, Military, 1/15/2004

Three persons were killed and other 29 wounded in a booby trapped car explosion in front of the Iraqi police headquarters in Baqouba, to the north of Baghdad, yesterday morning.

News reports in Baqouba said that the explosion resulted in destroying several police cars and sedan cars owned by the police officers, and pieces of the destroyed cars and remains of the driver who detonated himself scattered into distant areas.

At the same level, an American military spokesman said yesterday that 8 Iraqis were killed, and another one was wounded during a clash with American soldiers near Sameraa, to the north of Baghdad.

Earlier, the occupation forces announced that it had detained in the same city four relatives for Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the number one wanted persons after capturing Saddam Hussein, during breaking into two houses in Sameraa.

Meantime, an official at the Kurdistani National Federation party announced fears that Izzat Ibrahim was able to escape to Saudi Arabia.

On the other hand, the occupation forces arrested with the participation of the Iraqi police 26 Iraqis from al-Hweijeh district to the west of Karkouk.

An official in the Iraqi police said that among the detainees is an officer in the Iraqi intelligence, and members of the Saddam Fedayeen, and Baathist leaders in al-Hweijah area, held responsible by the American forces for the attacks their forces exposed to in the western area of Karkouk.

In Musil, these forces arrested 6 persons including one woman accused of implanting an explosive on the road trodden by the American military patrols.

On the other hand, the official in charge of the Iraqi Red Reescent in Salah Eddine governorate, Thawra Abd Baker, said that Abed Hamoud, the personal secretary of the former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, is still alive in detention, thereby denying rumors by certain mass media about his death.

The official said that she had received a telephone call from Hammoud asking for providing him with food and cloths.

Meantime, Human Rights Watch criticized the American forces in Iraq and accused them of violating the Geneva agreements though demolishing houses of relatives of suspected persons or former officials in the regime of the toppled regime of Saddam Hussein. The organization also criticized the detention of persons who have no charges against them other than for being relatives to wanted persons, noting that Izzat Ibrahim's wife and daughter are still so far detained.

The organization called in a message addressed to the US defense secretary Donald Rumsfield to make sure that practices of the American forces in Iraq are in compliance with the Geneva agreements.

In another development, diplomats said that the UN Security Council will make consultations on Iraq, due yesterday, after the UN secretary general Kofi Annan took a first step towards returning back the UN employees to this country which was torn by war.

The sources said that Annan ordered to send a security team of four persons to Baghdad to evaluate conditions there in preparations for a likely return back of the UN to Iraq.

Previous Stories:
  Saddam Hussein's status won't affect Iraq's ability to try him   (1/14/2004)
  Apache plane downed by the Iraqis, four Iraqis killed in Falouja   (1/14/2004)
  Occupation forces indiscriminately killed several Iraqis   (1/13/2004)
  Bremer: no place for militias in a united Iraq   (1/13/2004)
  Washington Post: US official reveals the US intended to invade Iraq prior to 9/11 events   (1/12/2004)
  The British, the police kill 6 Iraqis; an uprising for the unemployed   (1/12/2004)

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