US Officials Optimistic Saddam's Sons Killed
VOA News
22 Jul 2003, 16:54 UTC
U.S. officials say there is a good chance Saddam Hussein's sons Qusay and Uday have been killed in a shoot-out with American troops.
American military officials say about 200 soldiers from the U.S. 101st Airborne Division raided a house in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul Tuesday.
Witnesses and U.S. miltary officials say the raid sparked a shoot-out lasting several hours that left the house a smoking ruin and four Iraqis dead. Officials say they are now trying to determine whether Saddam's sons are among those killed.
The house reportedly belonged to a cousin of Saddam's who is a key tribal leader in the region. Pentagon officials say the raid was carried out on the basis of intelligence indicating a target of interest was at the site.
Qusay and Uday Hussein are ranked numbers two and three on the U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis. Qusay was head of Iraq's Special Security Organization and was seen as Saddam's possible successor. Uday was the organizer of Saddam's Fedayeen militia and was known for ordering the torture and killing of many Iraqis.
The United States has offered a $25 million bounty for Saddam and $15 million for each of his sons.
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command says one American soldier was killed and another wounded Tuesday in an ambush west of Baghdad.
The International Committee of the Red Cross reports a staff member was killed and his driver wounded when their clearly marked car came under fire south of Baghdad Tuesday.
A Central Command statement says a U.S. convoy was attacked on the road between the towns of Balad and Ar Ramadi. Both towns are in an area that has become known as the Sunni Triangle, which is home to many loyalists of Saddam and his outlawed Baath Party.
Hostile fire has killed at least 37 U.S. soldiers since May 1, when President Bush declared major combat in Iraq over.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
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