Sahaf: Martyrdom attack 'kills 9'
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Sahaf said he would not disclose details until Iraqis had won the war
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BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraq's information minister Saturday said one of Iraq's "martyrdom fighters" concocted "a very brilliant" and "very innovative" operation that had killed nine U.S. soldiers.
But he said Iraq would not "disclose" details of the non-conventional attack until Iraqis had defeated coalition forces.
On Friday, Sahaf said that "tonight we will carry out something that is not traditional against them," adding that he didn't "think there is any chance" that coalition forces would survive.
He denied that Iraq would use weapons of mass destruction for the attack, saying instead that it would be "some type of martyrdom operation."
In an interview Saturday with Al Jazeera television, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf said one of Iraq's "martyrdom fighters" concocted "a very brilliant" and "very innovative" operation.
"Yes, we indicated that there was one operation and this made it to the news media," Sahaf said, responding to the Al Jazeera anchor's question. "After we finish defeating all of those animals we will disclose that with facts and figures."
On Abu Dhabi television, Sahaf said one such unconventional attack had killed nine soldiers.
"I clarified that when one of the western reporters asked me," Sahaf told the Abu Dhabi anchor. "I said, 'Look, I meant there was an innovative martyrdom operation that we'll execute against those animals in the Baghdad International Airport, Saddam International Airport."
"We mentioned one that resulted in the slaughter of nine Americans, and other operations, we'll issue statements about them as well," he said.
Coalition leaders said their forces took control of Saddam International Airport Friday and changed its name to Baghdad International Airport.
But the minister said Iraqi forces controlled the airport against coalition attacks and had killed "more than 300 ... definitely more than 200" U.S. fighters.
