US forces call Iraqis to abstain from fire, Sen. Rockefeller: no mass destruction weapons in Iraq

The central American leadership admitted that its forces arrested nine Iraqis in Deyali governorate under the pretext that one of its patrols was exposed in al-Miqdadiyah city to an attack by gunmen.

In a statement, the leadership said that Iraqis carrying small weapons and anti- tank shells opened fire at a patrol from the fourth group in the American second contingent on Wednesday, stressing that no one of the American soldiers was hurt.

Meantime, the American and British forces called not for firing bullets in the air in that such an act will obstruct transfer of humanitarian aid carried out by coalition planes and endanger the lives of civilians. In a call addressed to the Iraqis, the coalition radio said that firing bullets in special festivities might be misunderstood as an aggressive act and pilots might retaliate by force regardless to the reason of the fire.

Meantime, the democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, a member at the US intelligence committee doubted the American allegation that there are mass destruction weapons in Iraq, saying should these weapons exist, they would have been found.

Rockefeller added that if the US believed these weapons are hidden and are difficult to find it, the thinking was that more time should have been given to the UN inspectors before deciding to launch the war against Iraq.

He said that the intelligence committee will press intelligence officials for answers about the false allegations that were used against Iraq.