Rebel Relatives Nabbed In Iraq
U.S. troops in central Iraq raided two homes in Samarra early Wednesday, arresting two nephews of the insurgent suspected of organizing attacks against coalition forces.
The military said the two are suspected of keeping former Iraqi Vice President Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri in hiding. The former right-hand man of Saddam Hussein has a $10 million bounty on his head.
About 40 soldiers from 720th Military Police Battalion raided two houses in the central Iraqi city of Samarra after a tip.
The raid appeared to bring coalition forces even closer to al-Douri, who has become the most wanted member of the Saddam Hussein's regime.
Lt. Col. David J. Poirier, told an Associated Press reporter with the troops that they were searching for the nephews in hopes of finding al-Douri.
"One of these days his head will rise up above the water, and we will be able to capture him as well," Poirier said.
The suspects were believed to be in close touch with al-Douri, finding safe houses for him.
The military said two other relatives were also taken into custody but their connection to the insurgency, if any, wasn't immediately clear.
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The raid began as the troops poured out of heavily armored Humvees into a darkly lit Samarra neighborhood, supported by Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles.
Soldiers climbed over a seven-foot fence into garden of a house before gaining entry into the home, capturing three men.
One of the Iraqis informed the soldiers of the whereabouts of the second man the U.S. troops were targeting. The troops captured him in a nearby home.
U.S. troops have conducted scores of raids in central Iraq since the fall of Saddam's three-decade regime, leading to the arrest of former high-ranging officials, including Saddam himself and anti-coalition insurgents.
Al-Douri, a Revolutionary Command Council vice chairman and longtime Saddam confidant, is No. 6 on the U.S. list of 55 most wanted Iraqis.
Recent strife in Iraq underscores the difficulties faced by U.S. soldiers trying to maintain order in a country still reeling from the effects of decades of dictatorship, war and international sanctions. The mission has been made more difficult by the cultural differences between the United States and Iraq, a conservative Muslim society.
For example, Muslims were outraged Tuesday when a 17-year-old woman was among the individuals detained and questioned as part of a raid by U.S. troops in Fallujah. Residents there, like many in the so-called "Sunni Triangle," are religious conservatives and equate a woman's dignity with family honor.
Relatives said the woman, who was married six days ago, was alone at home Monday when U.S. troops took her away. She was released five hours later.
Maher Turki, her brother-in-law, said the soldiers were looking for another of his brothers in the hope he would lead them to Khamis Sarhan, leader of Saddam's Baath party in Fallujah. Turki said his brother was acquainted with Sarhan but was not an associate.
"In all honesty, she was treated well. They only had women soldiers deal with her. They did not harm her. They didn't touch one hair on her head," Turki said.
While anti-U.S. sentiments have been widespread in Sunni areas, occupation authorities also face anger in southern Shiite towns over hardships that persist nine months after Saddam's regime collapsed. Shiites are a majority in Iraq but were long suppressed by Saddam.
Unrest among Shiites may be linked to criticism from their spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, about a U.S.-backed formula for transferring power to the Iraqis. He says a provisional national assembly must be elected directly, not selected from regional caucuses as provided for in a Nov. 15 accord.