Tikrit (Iraq), May 31: Heavily armed US Army troops raided a house in Saddam Hussein's hometown and arrested a local Ba’ath Party official accused of trying to run a "shadow regime" opposing coalition forces. Troops with the 4th Infantry Division refused to release the name of the official, citing security.
Five Bradley fighting vehicles surrounded the two-story villa in a neighbourhood formerly reserved for Ba’ath Party members late yesterday. One of the Bradleys slammed through a 3-metre wall surrounding the compound. About 40 soldiers swarmed through the hole, fanning across the lawn and breaking down the wooden front door. Inside, the soldiers found three men - the suspect and his two sons - five women and four children. The three men were led from the house blindfolded and with their hands bound behind their backs.
They were driven away as the women stood weeping and peering through the windows. "I think it sends a pretty clear message when a Bradley comes through your wall in the middle of the night," Maj Mike Silverman said. "And the message is the regime is dead so get in line."
Col Don Campbell, commander of the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade, said the suspect was "a prominent Ba’ath Party member whom we suspect of trying to run a shadow regime."
"We're continuing to target locations for people that were associated with the regime who could provide US information on the top 55," Campbell said, referring to the US military's list of most-wanted Iraqis. Bureau Report