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Saddam sons called âmartyrsâ
There goes the neighborhood.A day after U.S. forces waged a fierce gunbattle that ended with the bodies of Saddam Husseinâs two eldest sons being carried out of a villa here, both the ruined house and the anger of neighbors still smoldered. Most residents of the upscale al-Falah neighborhood where the U.S. raid took place said they were surprised Uday Hussein, 39, and his brother Qusay, 37, had been living in their midst. Many expressed sympathy for the old regime, but whether they were talking out of love or fear of the Baathists was not known. They were very quiet men. Kept to themselves. Always said hello in the morning... ââThese are the presidentâs sons. We love them. We love Saddam Hussein,ââ said Arfan Khalid, 28, a shopkeeper. ââThose who reported their hideout to the Americans, I will slaughter them with my bare hands.ââ Suuuuuuure you will... The house where the brothers died was owned by Nawaf al-Zaydan Muhhamad, who claimed to be a cousin of Saddam.U.S. officials say an Iraqi informant tipped off soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division that the brothers were hiding in the yellow- and maroon-tiled villa. Iâve heard that it was the gracious houseguest cousin. So I guess heâs your boy, Arfan. The United States had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to the capture of either man. The informant is expected to collect $30 million for leading U.S. forces to both sons -- a vast sum in a country where the average Iraqi income is the equivalent of $2,500 a year. Will they drive up like Publishers Clearing House with the big cardboard check for 30 mil? When a small contingent of soldiers arrived in the neighborhood Tuesday morning, residents said they expected a routine weapons search. After the occupants of the villa refused to let the soldiers inside, the patrol withdrew and called for reinforcements. An hour later, dozens of soldiers surrounded the house.Army psychological operations soldiers speaking in Arabic and using loudspeakers asked whether any women or children were inside and ordered everyone to come out. Muhhamad and his son emerged with their hands on their heads. No one followed. Military officials said people in the villa shot when the soldiers tried to enter the home. Residents said U.S. troops were first to shoot. All agree, however, that it was a ferocious fight. The arrival of helicopter gunships turned the tide, Iraqis who watched the battle said. The gunships fired missiles at the villa, and the shooting from inside stopped. Thatâll do it. ââThese are martyrs. They went to paradise,ââ farmer Muhammed Ibrahim, 35, said of Qusay and Uday. ââThe Americans are heathens. We sympathize with our Muslim brothers.ââ Feel free to point out anyone who wishes to join them, Farmer Mo. Including yourself if you want. Others were glad to be rid of Saddamâs heirs.Two doors down from the villa, Elham Ibrahim Al-Katib, 50, said she hid in her home with her four children as rocket fragments and bullets splattered her steel gate.ââI felt that death was around us,ââ she said. Still, ââIt is really a victory for the Iraqis, killing these two guys.ââ So I guess not everbody in the neighborhood weâre big fans. Most people in the neighborhood east of the Tigris River had no idea Uday and Qusay were holed up next door. But one neighbor had an inkling something was up. Mahmood Fawzi, 23, a computer engineer who lives three blocks from the villa, said his sister told him last Thursday that she saw Qusay driving a gray BMW with Tikrit license plates. ââWe thought it was a joke,ââ he said. Wonder if it had an "I Brake For Babes" bumper sticker on it? But Fawzi noticed unusual things. The wife and children of Muhhamad, the villaâs owner, suddenly left. He also noticed that Muhhamad, who watered his lawn every day, stopped coming out to his garden. Uday and Qusay starring in "The Things That Wouldnât Leave". Iraqis stared Wednesday at soldiers guarding the villa behind barbed wire while military investigators searched inside. There was little left of the house. One of its three front pillars was shorn nearly in half. Aluminum window frames hung from gaping holes.Army civil affairs soldiers roamed the neighborhood, assessing damage to homes and promising compensation. US dollars! Get your US dollars here!!! ââWe explained that we tried to get them to come out peacefully, but they made it clear that they wanted to fight,ââ said Army Spc. Samantha Ward, 32, of El Paso. We can do that. Any gunships around? The home of Abdul Jawad Saleh, 45, and his wife, Yamama Abdul Wahab, 42, is directly behind the battered villa.Almost every window in their house had been shattered and every wall cracked. ââThis is the work of the Americans,ââ said Saleh, as glass crunched beneath his feet in a hallway. The retired Iraqi air force general said, ââThis was not militarily necessary. They used too much force.ââ Since heâs a retired Iraqi Air Force general, Iâd probably take anything he has to say about military necessity with a truckload of salt. Hereâs your check, get lost. Posted by: tu3031 2003-07-24 |
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