Saddam's Sons May Have Died in Raid

[NYU 0]

MOSUL, Iraq (July 22) - Saddam Hussein's sons Odai and Qusai were believed to have been killed Tuesday in a firefight with U.S. forces at the home of a cousin, a senior U.S. official said. Two other Iraqis also were killed.

 

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said investigators were ''awaiting positive DNA testing'' to confirm the identities.

 

The battle took place in this northern city, where residents told an Associated Press Television News cameraman that American soldiers had come to the house looking for Saddam's elder sons.

 

Members of the 101st Airborne Division had surrounded the house when the fighting broke out. The stone, columned building was left charred and smoldering, its high facade riddled with gaping holes from bullets and heavy weaponry. Kiowa helicopters roamed the sky.

 

Some Iraqi civilians in Mosul appeared to have been caught in the crossfire. It was not known how many people were injured, but several were taken to a hospital.

 

In Washington, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld briefed President Bush about the raid in an Oval Office meeting Tuesday morning.

 

''I am aware of the reports,'' White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters. ''I am not in a position to confirm anything.''

 

The United States has offered a $25 million reward for information leading to Saddam's capture and $15 million each for his sons, where were also top leader's in their father's regime.

 

Also Tuesday, a U.S. soldier was killed and another injured in an ambush along a dangerous road north of Baghdad in the so-called ''Sunni Triangle,'' a center of anti-American resistance

 

His death brought to 153 the number of U.S. troops killed in action since the March 20 start of war - six more than during the 1991 Gulf War.

 

U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla., said the attackers used rocket-propelled grenades and small arms in the assault staged along the road between Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad, and Ramadi, 60 miles west of the capital. It gave no other details.

 

Both towns lie within the ''Sunni Triangle,'' home to much of the remaining support for Saddam, a Sunni Muslim who used his Baathist Party to oppress the country's Shiite Muslim majority.

 

The U.S.-led coalition's military occupation of Iraq has been met by constant armed Iraqi resistance, resulting in almost daily deaths of American troops. Many recent assaults have been staged with remote-controlled roadside explosions.

 

While the military has not released figures on the number of attacks on American forces each day, a senior officer told reporters last week that the attacks were averaging 12 a day.

 

Seeking to ease fears among exporters to Iraq, the U.S. occupation administration announced it was setting up a trading bank to guarantee payment for imported goods and services,

 

Outside firms have been hesitant to do business with Iraq, which had been under stiff U.N. economic sanctions since invading Kuwait in 1990, out of worries about being paid.

 

The new Trade Bank of Iraq, the coalition civilian administration said, will have a pool of $100 million to draw from, with an initial capitalization of $5 million.

 

The money to support the bank comes from the $1.2 billion Development Fund for Iraq set up by the United States with United Nations approval of the American occupation plan.

 

It is hoped the new bank will expedite the purchase of materials needed for rebuilding Iraq, including power generators, sewage pipes and oil field equipment.

 

 

Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.

[Guest JangoFett4Hire]

I wish I had a nickel every time Saddam and/or his sons have been killed. Those fuckers have more lives than cats.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

This one seems like it might be legit though. That Uday's a crazy bastard. The only thing better is if they could of taken them alive for info

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Excellent, if it's true.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Hopefully it's true.

 

If it is all they have to do is Bagdad.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

The White House is alot less positive if the bodies are those of Hussein's sons. Can't say I blame them with all the false alarams so far.

[Guest JangoFett4Hire]

If it is all they have to do is Bagdad.

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

Just got this from CNN:

 

-- U.S.commander: Saddam's sons Qusay and Uday confirmed dead in raid on Mosul house.

Watch CNN or log on to http://CNN.com (AOL Keyword: CNN) for the latest news.

 

 

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[Guest Tyler McClelland]

The White House is alot less positive if the bodies are those of Hussein's sons. Can't say I blame them with all the false alarams so far.

Where did you see that?

[Guest Vern Gagne]

FoxNews. Wendell Goler said the White House wants to be 100% certain these are the bodies before saying anything.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Makes sense. I'd wager that these two really are the sons, but then again... nothing surprises me these days.

[Guest NoCalMike]

Whitehouse just doesn't want to confirm yet, just in case. This is good news, cause maybe the War will end again for the third time.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Still no Saddam.

[Guest Downhome]

From the AP...

 

By SARMAD JALAL, Associated Press Writer

 

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein's sons Odai and Qusai were killed in a six-hour firefight Tuesday when U.S. forces surrounded and then stormed a palatial villa in this northern Iraqi town, a senior American general said.

 

 

"We are certain that Odai and Qusai were killed today," said Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez at a news conference in Baghdad.

 

 

"They died in a fierce gunbattle," Sanchez added.

 

 

He told reporters that soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division were working on a tip from an Iraqi informant that the sons were present in the house.

 

 

When troops approached the building, gunmen inside opened fire with small arms. The "suspects barricaded themselves in the house" and "resisted fiercely," he said.

 

...it's a shame we couldn't take them alive, as that would have made for even better news around the world, and also could have led to some sort of even better information.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Uday, 39, and Qusay, 37 -- key members of Saddam's regime -- were among four people killed during a dramatic four-hour battle in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

 

"We're certain that Uday and Qusay were killed," Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said in Baghdad. "We've used multiple sources to identify the individuals."

 

Intelligence reports had indicated Uday and Qusay, who have $15 million bounties each on their heads, were in the Mosul area, and the official added: "We didn't just stumble across them." (Map)

 

A special military task force formed to hunt for Saddam and his top supporters led the raid, supported by extensive armor and air cover, officials said.

 

Two-hundred members of the 101st Airborne Division also joined the assault, and no one was captured, a U.S. official told CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr.

 

Let me ask a somewhat "stupid" question...

 

How do 200 soldiers take four hours to kill 4 people?

[Guest Downhome]

Let me ask a somewhat "stupid" question...

 

How do 200 soldiers take four hours to kill 4 people?

Well I imagine our soldiers were hoping to somehow take them alive, but with the firepower that the four men had they ended up having no choice but to just kill them.

[Guest KANE]

I guess they fucked around with them for a while before shooting that missile into the roof.

[Guest DrTom]

It only says four people were killed, not that only four people participated.

 

If they're dead, good. Now if we can wax the old man and the religious leaders, we'd really be making some progress

.

[Guest JMA]

If they're dead, good. Now if we can wax the old man and the religious leaders, we'd really be making some progress.

Testify. I really hate theocracies. Just out of curiousity, how many children does Saddam have?

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Waxing the religious leaders will do nothing but piss off the public more.

[Guest JMA]

Waxing the religious leaders will do nothing but piss off the public more.

Yes, but at the same time we cannot allow theocracies. Church and State MUST be separated. Besides, if we allow the religious leaders to stay in power they'll just spew more of this anti-American Jihad crap.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

It's the ultimate catch-22. If you leave them there, they'll create a theocracy. If you kill them, they'll revolt and either a) force us out of the country or b) force us to kill most of them. If (a) is the option, they will create an even more militant theocracy. If (b) is the case, I can't see how we're any better than Saddam was.

 

Choose your poison on that issue.

[Guest Crazy Dan]

I heard on AP news today that the two were confirmed dead. This is a good thing, being that I read some prety nasty things those two demon seeds have commited over the years. I am also hoping that this helps smooth things out more in Iraq. Being that it always is disapointing to hear of US soldiers getting killed every day, when something like this happpens, one has to hope that it can put an end to some of the caos over there.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

I've heard a few reports, that a shiite cleric was the one who tipped off the military.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Just out of curiousity, how many children does Saddam have?

http://msnbc.com/news/870749.asp

 

Saddam is believed to have a third, younger son and three daughters, all of whom kept a low profile in his regime.

 

I'm guessing they're not gunning after those people since they haven't really committed crimes against humanity like the older two have.

[Murmuring Beast 0]

All they now have to do is kill Bush and Rumsfeld.

[Guest DrTom]

Waxing the religious leaders will do nothing but piss off the public more.

Now, yes. What we should have done is taken them out as part of the campaign to remove the Hussein regime from power. Killing them after the fact isn't going to win us any friends over there, but I still think it's better than the alternative. Maybe we just have to wait for them to fuck up and call for a few jihads. I'm sure it won't take them very long.

[Guest Vyce]

Let me ask a somewhat "stupid" question...

 

How do 200 soldiers take four hours to kill 4 people?

I doubt it was 200 against 4, everyone's gun blazing. Many of the soldiers seemed to be just there with backup weaponry or were keeping the perimeter secure in order to prevent any civilian casualties, which they did.

 

Personally, I find their deaths just awful news. More proof of unjustified American imperialism!

 

All they now have to do is kill Bush and Rumsfeld.

 

What the fuck are you talking about?

[Guest Vern Gagne]

All they now have to do is kill Bush and Rumsfeld.

You're an idiot.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Let me ask a somewhat "stupid" question...

 

How do 200 soldiers take four hours to kill 4 people?

I doubt it was 200 against 4, everyone's gun blazing. Many of the soldiers seemed to be just there with backup weaponry or were keeping the perimeter secure in order to prevent any civilian casualties, which they did.

 

It's sounds like it was more of standoff situation most of the time.