Hurray! Saddam's Sons Officially Dead!

Saddam's Sons Killed in U.S. Raid, Iraqis Rejoice
Reuters

By Miral Fahmy

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s sons Uday and Qusay were killed in a six-hour gunbattle with U.S. troops at a villa in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul Tuesday after a tip-off from an Iraqi, the U.S. military said.

"We're certain that Uday and Qusay were killed," Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq (news - web sites), told a hasty news conference in Baghdad after four charred bodies taken from the Mosul villa were flown to the capital.

"They died in a fierce gunbattle," he said, adding they had barricaded themselves inside the house and fired small arms at U.S. soldiers. Two other bodies removed from the villa were still being identified.

As word spread of the deaths of the feared and ruthless brothers, celebratory gunfire crackled across night-time Baghdad.

Uday, 39, Saddam's eldest son, was notorious throughout Iraq for his cruelty and playboy lifestyle. Qusay, born in 1966, was one of his father's most trusted lieutenants and widely seen as his heir apparent.

"An Iraqi source informed the 101st airborne division today that several suspects including Qusay and Uday...were hiding at the residence," said Sanchez, adding that special forces had been called in for the operation.

The informant stands to claim at least part of the two $15 million rewards Washington placed on the heads of Uday and Qusay.

U.S. soldiers at the battered hulk of the once imposing concrete villa told Reuters a barrage of rocket and machinegun fire had been aimed at the residence. Four U.S. troops were wounded.

U.S. officials said one of the two unidentified bodies might be that of Qusay's 14-year-old son.

Mosul residents said shots were fired from the house as the troops took up positions and approached it in the morning sun.


SADDAM STILL ELUSIVE

There was no sign of Saddam himself. He is still thought to be on the run in Iraq three months after he was ousted by U.S.-led forces.

But the deaths of his sons will be a boost to President Bush (news - web sites) and may help convince Iraqis that the threat of the old ruling family returning is now at an end.

Bush has been under pressure over a mounting death toll among U.S. soldiers in guerrilla-style attacks that they blame on die-hard supporters of the former Iraqi leader.

A new ambush Tuesday claimed the life of a sixth soldier in five days. A Sri Lankan Red Cross technician was killed in another incident, highlighting general lawlessness.

Ordinary Iraqis have been grumbling ever more loudly about the failure of the occupying U.S. and British forces to restore basic services and hand power back to Iraqis.

"(The deaths of Uday and Qusay) certainly is good news for the Iraqi people and it's good news for our forces," said Paul Bremer, head of the U.S.-led administration in Iraq.

There was delight among people in Baghdad as news from Mosul filtered through to the capital, although many said they could not relax until they had proof the brothers were dead.

Sanchez said he would address the issue of proof on Wednesday, but that "multiple" sources had identified Saddam's sons.

A least one Baghdad man reflected widespread hatred in Iraq against Uday, who ran much of Iraq's media and sport.

"I don't want him dead. I want to torture him first," said Alaa Hamed, who was a producer at Uday's television channel.

He said Uday had personally beaten him with electrical cables when he made mistakes.

U.S. forces have announced the capture of 34 of the 55 Iraqis on a most-wanted list of members of Saddam's regime. Uday and Qusay were numbers two and three and the aces of hearts and clubs respectively on a deck of cards given to U.S. troops.

U.S. FORCES UNDER PRESSURE

The death Tuesday of the 39th U.S. soldier to be killed by hostile fire since Bush declared major combat over on May 1 highlighted the pressure his forces are under. Bush said on Monday he would welcome military help from abroad.

But countries such as France, Germany and Russia, which opposed the U.S. and British invasion of Iraq, want a clearer U.N. mandate before getting involved in a messy situation which they had warned Washington could be the result from a war.

The U.N. Security Council Tuesday met three delegates from Baghdad's new Iraqi Governing Council presenting a case for recognition. They were the first Baghdad delegates to go to the United Nations (news - web sites) since Saddam was toppled.

But diplomats at the United Nations, scene of so much sharp diplomatic skirmishing over Iraq before U.S. bombs began falling on March 20, said the Governing Council would not be allowed to take up Baghdad's seat in New York for now.

The 25-member Governing Council was appointed by U.S. authorities in Baghdad nine days ago.

Adnan Pachachi, spokesman for the Iraqi delegation, told the Security Council: "The state intelligence services and mandatory arrests and random executions are done for once and for all.

"The people of Iraq have...tasted a sense of freedom that has been denied to them for so many decades."

 

Originally posted by BlackBird
Saddam's Sons Killed in U.S. Raid, Iraqis Rejoice........

........., French Set Fire to Monument in Protest.

 

I, for one, have mixed feelings. On the one hand I am reluctant to rejoice at anyones death. On the other hand it appears that some people are evil and beyond redemption. Perhaps one of our theological brethren can comment.
Jack
BTW, it is my understanding that the overwhelming majority of persons (convicted) sentenced to "death" will utilize every conceivable legal device to avoid or postpone their execution. This seems to indicate that the theory of "killing is too good for 'em" (a long life behind bars) is NOT closer to "justice," as seen by the general public.

 

Hmmm...the information for this article comes from the same people that spoke about the WMDs that nobody seems to know the location of...Any pronouncements made by senior officials of the US military or the Bush "administration" are as believable as those of Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, aka the Wacky Iraqi©™.

 

The only good national-socialist is a dead national-socialist. Ba'athism is Arab National Socialism. Read Michel Aflaq if you don't believe me. String their corpses up in public. Given the paranoia and hatred which govern the so-called "street," only the Mussolini treatment will convince 'em the bastards are well and truly dead. May they rot in hell.

 

Amen!

 

This is good news. But don't call out the marching bands yet. U.S. forces haven't found Saddam (dead or alive).
It's possible that he's been given shelter in Syria or somewhere in the U.A.E. For all we know he may have changed his appearance and be living in France, Germany or the U.K. Osama Bin Ladin hasn't been found either. He is just as dangerous as Saddam and is most likely hiding somewhere in Pakistan.
The hunt for these two bastards must continue until they are found (hopefully dead).

 

How did this small group of individuals hold off the US Army? There were just 4? This may give confidence to the resistance to fight on instead of being a back-breaker.

 

Oh, we're not through with the Iraqi edition of Werwolf yet.
I think the reason we didn't just flatten the house was our uniquely American fear of civilian casualties, combined with the need to capture the Bobbsey Twins of genocide either alive or identifiable in death.

 

Uncle J

Tell us how you really feel and don't hold back this time.

 

So whatever happened to the rule of law? Even the worst Nazi criminals were given a trial.

 

But hitler was assassinated ??? (Is it true that he killed himself?)

 

Suicide along with sweety Eva Braun.

Joseph Goebbels killed his wife and children in his suicide.

Herman Goering killed himself, cheating the executioner.

 

Please check the news stories. The U.S. didn't just walk up to the building and shoot anyone in it. The U.S. entered the building and approached a 'barrier' on the second floor. After four soldiers were wounded they withdrew and exchanged fire with the individuals in the building. After two hours they approached entered the building again and once again were fired upon. They withdrew from the building and shortly thereafter fire 10 rockets at the building. They entered the building for a final time and yet again were shot at by small arms. The U.S. soldiers exchanged fire and in short order (finally!) ended the conflict.

Sadam's two sons had ample opportunity to surrender and be tried. Believe it or not they decided that they would rather resist then be captured.

 

John,

Qusay and Uday Hussein appear to have been combatants. Would you have handled this differently?

This is the BBC's take on the situation:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3088509.stm

 

Awright, Dennis: S.C. Bose was still a fascist. May they all crash and burn!

 

I suppose they could have tried to coax them out via megaphone like the mom did in Risky Business ("Please Joel, do what they say, just get off the babysitter."). But they would have had to use a Saddam impersonator (don't think Joel's mom would have worked).

 

So is Francisco Franco still dead?

 

We should have captured them alive. Then we could have gotten four horses for each of them. Tied an arm, and leg to each horse, and sent each horse in a different direction full speed. If we broadcast that on national TV maybe they would get the hint that they should straighten up.

 

I must admit that I was apparently very wrong about this whole Iraq thing. I'm usually a rather skeptical fellow but, my government had me totally fooled into believing the stuff about weapons of mass destruction and the making of fission bombs. It's appearing that I've been lied to and tricked. It's not a pleasant feeling.

Regarding Uday and Quady, I'm pleased that they've been found. I would have been more pleased to have seen them captured and turned over to the Iraqis though. I suspect that is why they decided not to given themselves up.