Baghdad, May 29: US troops raided the Palestinian Authority's mission in Baghdad and arrested 11 members, including its top diplomat, after ransacking the building, Palestinian officials today said. A top US general said only eight people had been arrested. "They even took all of our water bottles and food cans," said Mohamed Abdul Wahab, a mission official. "They behaved like common thieves." Although US troops have conducted numerous sweeps against suspected criminals and loyalists of Saddam Hussein's regime, yesterday's raid was the first such action against a foreign diplomatic mission. Wahab said the soldiers seized three AK-47 automatic rifles that the embassy's sentries had used to guard the building during the looting that laid waste to much of the capital after US troops seized the city. The rifles and a handgun, which was also confiscated, were duly licensed by Iraq's former government, he said. He said yesterday morning, dozens of US troops escorted by several armoured vehicles at the building in Baghdad's embassy district. After the guards opened the gate, they were immediately arrested by soldiers who burst into the building and detained officials, drivers and gardeners. The detained men included charge d'affairs Majah Abdul Rahman, who was running the mission in the ambassador's absence, Wahab said. They were later taken to a US base in the centre of the city, he said. They remained in custody this afternoon, Wahab said. Gen David Mckiernan, commander of US ground forces in Iraq, confirmed today that troops had entered the diplomatic compound during a search operation in the area.

Bureau Report