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U.S. catches general, ex-Republican Guard chief58 U.S. soldiers killed since end of major combat
TIKRIT, Iraq (CNN) -- A former chief of staff of the Iraqi Republican Guard was captured Tuesday along with a general and 12 other Iraqis in raids south of Tikrit, a U.S. Army spokesman said. Lt. Col. Steve Russell said the Iraqis were caught during a three-hour raid on 20 houses south of the city, Saddam's ancestral home. Officials described the detainees as members of a family closely associated with the deposed Iraqi leader. About 200 U.S. soldiers participated in the operation, Russell said. The captives were not identified by name. The general was not among the top 55 suspects on the deck of playing cards distributed to U.S. troops, but had been sought for some time, Russell said. U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that U.S. forces have conducted 32 raids against enemy targets over the last 24 hours. The 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse launched two precision raids in the Tikrit area to neutralize "paramilitary, former regime loyalists and other subversive elements within Iraq," according to Central Command. Called Ivy Lightning, the operation has focused on remote towns along the Jabal Hamrin Ridge to capture those planning attacks on U.S. forces, the command said. Earlier Tuesday, a U.S. soldier was killed and two others wounded when their convoy struck three improvised explosive devices, a U.S. military spokesman said. The incident took place in Ramadi, a town 60 miles (96 kilometers) west of Baghdad, in the so-called Sunni Triangle, an area where a majority of attacks on U.S. forces have occurred. The explosive devices were chained together when the vehicle struck them, the spokesman said. The fatality brings the number of U.S. forces killed in combat in Iraq to 58 since President Bush declared an end to major fighting May 1. Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. civil administrator in Iraq, blamed security dangers on "the old-school bitter-enders." He identified them as members of the Baath party; Fedayeen Saddam; Ansar al-Islam, a group in northern Iraq linked to al Qaeda; foreign fighters; and the former security apparatus from Saddam's regime. "We believe we have a significant terrorist threat," said Bremer, who spoke before news of the latest casualties had been released. Most of Iraq is at peace, Bremer said, calling the northern and southern regions "quiet." Bremer said that the country is making political, military and economic strides and that the United States will not fall into a quagmire like the Soviet Union did two decades ago occupying Afghanistan. He said the Soviets "basically conquered" Afghanistan and imposed an unpopular government. He said that "liberation has been universally welcomed" in Iraq, except by a small resistance. Asked about the weekend rioting over the lack of fuel in the southern city of Basra, Bremer said security will be beefed up at refineries, gas stations and transport routes to ensure fuel supplies are safe and avoid sabotage. But he said he understands impatience among Iraqis about infrastructure problems, especially in contrast with the quick military action that overthrew Saddam. He said he could only advise patience among the populace. As for the cost of rebuilding Iraq, Bremer said he couldn't give an overall figure but indicated it would be in the billions of dollars. In the short term, he said that $16 billion would be needed to improve the country's water system and $13 billion for the electrical grid. He said a ballpark figure could be determined when the World Bank completes an assessment for a donors' conference in October. Grenades near U.N. agencyEarlier Tuesday, two hand grenades were found outside the U.N. Development Programme agency headquarters in Baghdad, a U.N. spokesman said. U.N. security personnel were called to the scene and removed the devices. The spokesman said the explosives were found in a yellow bag on a road behind the agency's offices and that he didn't necessarily think the offices were targeted. He said such devices have been found in many parts of Baghdad. The U.N. building was evacuated, and offices were shut down for the day. Other developments
- A U.S. military probe finds that troops who fired a 120 mm tank round into the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad -- killing two journalists and wounding three -- thought they were shooting at an enemy spotter during heavy fighting, according to Central Command. A report on the military's investigation said the troops did not know the journalists were using the building as headquarters during the war. - The Bush administration plans to introduce a draft resolution this week to the U.N. Security Council that would bless the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, according to U.N. diplomats. The move is designed to enhance the legitimacy of the 25-member Iraqi body, which the United States and its military allies established last month to help administer the country. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the 15-nation Security Council at a luncheon last week that he wants a new mission created to provide a more formal U.N. presence in the country and to aid his special representative to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. - The commander of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division in Iraq said he was seeking to allow his troops to fly home to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, for up to two weeks. In a letter to the families of his soldiers, Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus said the plan would not be easy because of the cost of flights and the danger of surface-to-air missiles targeting planes. The 101st has been in the region since early this year and is expected to stay in Iraq until February or March, according to Petraeus. - The BBC journalist at the center of claims that the British government "sexed up" an Iraq weapons dossier to strengthen the case for war read his notes Tuesday to an inquiry looking into events leading to the death of weapons expert David Kelly. Kelly apparently committed suicide after he was linked to the report. (Full story) CNN Baghdad Bureau Chief Jane Arraf, Correspondents Nic Robertson and Barbara Starr, and Producers Ayman Mohyeldin and Mike Mount contributed to this report.
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