Saddams Son's likely Dead or Taken in During Tuesday Raid (merged)

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Very good news.

…
BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 22 — Saddam Hussein’s fugitive sons, Odai and Qusai, were believed to have been killed or captured during a raid on a home early Tuesday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, military officials in Iraq and Washington told NBC News.

THE OFFICIALS, WHO spoke with NBC News on condition of anonymity, said there was a “high likelihood” that the sons had been killed or captured, but that they were awaiting confirmation.
Separately, Reuters quoted an unidentified U.S. official in Washington as saying “there is a pretty decent chance” that Saddam’s sons were in the Mosul house when U.S. troops swooped down on the villa said to belong to a cousin of Saddam.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/870749.asp?0cv=CA01

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Lets see how far this story goes, b/c I remember Bin Laden getting killed and his 2 sons being taken in.

I don't really think Saddam would let both of his sons stay in one place. Lets just see what happens.

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:bhangra: :hula:

I am going to have a good drink today if this is true.

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If true this will significantly improve things for US troops in Iraq.

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The markets reversed direction on the news, were heading south until the news broke. Dow up 50 pts. now.

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The most detailed report I’ve found on the raid is on foxnews.com.

I sure hope this isn’t another case of wishful thinking. At least this time we actually have recovered four bodies.

In an ominous note, the fox report says there were tunnels under the villa. Too many times these guys seem to disappear from where we thought they were so I’m not ready to celebrate too much.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Ohioguy: *
If true this will significantly improve things for US troops in Iraq.
[/QUOTE]

first off the US troops should get the hell out of Iraq, they have no business being there. They are getting killed left and right.

Believe me no one cares wheather or not Saddam or his damn kids get killed, b/c death is just an ez way out.

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I dont care for those rascals if theyt r killed or not.. but accordingg to International Law no gevernment can kill head of state or their family!! they can be put to trial by their own people though..

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**“High interest” Iraqis killed in Mosul **](http://www.channel4.com/news/2003/07/week_4/22_iraq_diary.html)

US officials says there is a “decent chance” that Saddam’s sons have been found after US soldiers stormed a house in Mosul, in northern Iraq.

The bodies bear a “strong resemblance” to his sons, unnamed US officials have added. It’s reported by Reuters that the bodies were badly burnt.

The attack was sprung after specific intelligence that Saddam’s sons Qusay and Uday had been hiding in the city and were in the villa.

Initial US military reports said they had killed four key allies of Saddam Hussein and that another Iraqi was injured.

US defence officials say the bodies had been flown out of the area and that there was an identification process ongoing.

The US has DNA samples of Saddam’s sons, but identification by this method will take some time.

The Americans called in helicopters to subdue the resistance before storming the house. The house, a large villa, was badly damaged, and its roof caved in after it was apparently hit by a missile.

“Individuals of very high interest to the coalition forces were hiding out in the building,” Lieutenant Colonel William Bishop of the 101st Airborne Division.

Our Iraqi diarist in Mosul, Yahya, witnessed the incident this morning and includes this picture he took at the scene.

"As I was going to the internet cafe, which is about 2km from my home, I heard sound of bombing in the neighborhood, with huge number of American troops closing the area.

"A few seconds later, the choppers came, and a heavy gun shooting and bombing started. I don’t know what was out there, till I went to the roof top.

"They were hitting the house of Nawwaf Al-Zaydan, the leader of the Saddam’s special guards. I then left the cafe and headed toward the scene. The ruins of the house were still burning and the troops are surrounding the house.

"The troops told me that is one of the former leaders is in this house now. The bombing started at 10:30 am, and is still going on (now the clock is 2:00 pm Iraqi time). All neighbors of this house went out, afriad of being hurt.

“One of the witnesses said that at least four American soldiers were shot dead. Many injured. But we dont know the casualties on the other side.”

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I'll be glad if they were captured, rather then killed. But wasn't it said at one point that the coalition is not "interested" in capturing Saddam/sons as the regime is already gone and rein is in US hands?

I don't know how it helps US troops in Iraq.

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Finally, after killing over 6000 innocent Iraqi civilians the US get's something right...

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The resistance is organized and these two thugs were probably at the top. With these two out, a crumbling effect could occur in the resistance. It's been reported that their bodies are still intact so physically proof should be able to be provided, easing the fears of the public thus increasing ties between Iraqis and the Americans over there.

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This is not going to be a popular statement but i can't help wondering that killing of other countries' political leaders is something that exclusively belongs to the US. If Canada wants to take out the Kuwaiti emir's sons, would we have that right?

This isn't the wild west and this isn't Texas where mentally challenged individuals can be electrocuted to death on Dubya's whims; there's something called a due process of law which even Saddam Hussein's sons are entitled to. As odious and hated as they are. i agree with Changez. All senior-level Iraqi leaders should be captured, not killed, then put through the Hague or an equivalent court of law. If they are convicted to death, then so be it - but that should be determined by an independent court, NOT by the US administration. Twenty years ago the US was wining and dining with Uday's father; today they want to kill him and his father. If Canada wanted to kill the Kuwaiti emir's sons, would we able to? Or is it just the US that gets to determine who dies and who lives?

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Alhamdulilah.

But would that mean that the Kurd Circle, Sunni Triangle and the Shia Square would be easy to handle after today?

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Nadia_H: *
This is not going to be a popular statement but i can't help wondering that killing of other countries' political leaders is something that exclusively belongs to the US. If Canada wants to take out the Kuwaiti emir's sons, would we have that right?

This isn't the wild west and this isn't Texas where mentally challenged individuals can be electrocuted to death on Dubya's whims; there's something called a due process of law which even Saddam Hussein's sons are entitled to. As odious and hated as they are. i agree with Changez. All senior-level Iraqi leaders should be captured, not killed, then put through the Hague or an equivalent court of law. If they are convicted to death, then so be it - but that should be determined by an independent court, NOT by the US administration. Twenty years ago the US was wining and dining with Uday's father; today they want to kill him and his father. If Canada wanted to kill the Kuwaiti emir's sons, would we able to? Or is it just the US that gets to determine who dies and who lives?
[/QUOTE]

Whether popular or unpopular, that is a naive or distorted statement. All indications are that this was not a targetted assassination similar to the Israeli policy of taking out Hamas leaders. 200 or so US troops surrounded the villa from which they met armed resistance. Further, neither of Saddam's sons is a political leader of any country, including Iraq. I'm quite certain that the US, in this instance, would have preferred to capture Saddam's sons alive and let the Iraqi justice system have at em. Whoever was in that house (and let's all hope that they included Saddam's sons) chose to fight and die rather than surrender to US forces.

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You buying?

Statement from US Central Command:

On Tuesday, July 22, forces associated with the 101st Airborne Division and Special Operations Forces conducted an operation against suspected regime figures at a residence in Mosul, Iraq. The site is currently being exploited. Four Iraqis were killed in the operation. We have confirmed that two of the dead were Saddam’s sons Uday and Qusay.

http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/news_release.asp?NewsRelease=20030768.txt

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Yes!!! Apparently it’s true and some lucky Iraqi is going to be $15 million richer for the tip that turned them in. This is from Reuters:

U.S. Confirms Qusay, Uday Killed in Raid
Tue July 22, 2003 03:53 PM ET

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Tuesday it had confirmed that the two sons of Saddam Hussein, Qusay and Uday, had been killed in a fierce gun-battle in northern Iraq.
“We’re certain that Uday and Qusay were killed,” Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez told a news conference in Baghdad. “We’ve used multiple sources to identify the individuals.”

**Sanchez said the U.S. military had been given a “walk-in” tip that Qusay and Uday were in the villa in Mosul that was raided by U.S. forces earlier Tuesday. **

He said it was a six-hour operation that involved various military units including special forces.

** “We had a walk-in last night that came in and gave us the information,” Sanchez said, adding that they expected to pay the $15 million reward offered for information leading to the death or capture of each of Saddam’s sons. **

The U.S. military was still working to identify two other bodies recovered from the villa after the battle, he said.

Four coalition soldiers were wounded in the operation and were being treated, he said.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=CXX52ZYZWBI3QCRBAEKSFFA?type=topNews&storyID=3136001

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Rumii: *

first off the US troops should get the hell out of Iraq, they have no business being there. They are getting killed left and right.

Believe me no one cares wheather or not Saddam or his damn kids get killed, b/c death is just an ez way out.
[/QUOTE]

Agreed!

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[QUOTE]
Originally posted by myvoice: *
*...some lucky Iraqi is going to be $15 million richer for the tip that turned them in. **
[/QUOTE]

He might be dead soon, too, if he's not careful. Prolly will have to leave the continent and live on some island in the Pacific ocean.

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I have a feeling Nadia that the U.S. will offer them a nice place somewhere in the Caribbean.