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Tribal sheikh close to Saddam number two arrested in northern Iraq
A tribal chief with close ties to Saddam Hussein's number two, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, was arrested by US troops in Mosul, relatives and a member of the Iraqi security force that helped arrest him told AFP. Sheikh Ghazi Hanash, head of the influential Tayy tribe, was detained at his Mosul home along with three of his sons after an exchange of fire which left one of Hanash's bodyguards dead, said Waadallah Tewfik Hassan, a member of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps who participated in the operation.
| I think we can assume they're not going to question Ghazi and let him go for lack of evidence... |
The tribal chief's daughter was also wounded during the gunfight, said Hassan and Hanash's relatives.
"One false move, infidel dogs, and the broad gets it!"
"Jones! Shoot him. Try not to kill her!"
"Yessir!" |
Hanash was arrested because of his ties to Ibrahim, Hassan said. An AFP journalist who visited the chief's house later saw the impact of three projectiles which damaged windows. The fugitive former number two, who is suspected of directing many of the attacks against US forces and forging an alliance with Islamic extremists, is a childhood friend of Hanash, the sheikh's relatives said.
| Yasss... They used to torture they little friends together. It was so sweet! |
Earlier Tuesday, US soldiers and Iraqi police in Mosul arrested a former general from the Mukhabarat intelligence service, said police Lieutenant Salah Hassan al-Zubeidi, who took part in the operation. He said the suspect, Abdullah Jassem Ahmed, had been a director of the service and was arrested on suspicion of ties to the resistance.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-12-24 |
