U.S. Forces Capture Saddam's
Half-Brother
April 17, 2003 09:47 AM EDT |
"We are currently asking a number of questions... finding out whatever we can from this capture," Brooks said. Barzan Hasan, like his brother Watban, was seen as a significant catch because of the likelihood he could provide information on Saddam's suspected weapons of mass destruction program, one of the major reasons the United States and Great Britain launched the war. So far coalition forces have not found any certain evidence that those weapons still exist in Iraq. The third half brother, Sab'awi Ibrahim Hassan, has taken refuge in Damascus, Syria, according to a London newspaper report. He is the six of diamonds in the 55-card deck carried by U.S. troops. The United States has issued stern warnings to Syria not to harbor fugitives from the Saddam regime. Damascus denies any top officials of the former government have been offered sanctuary. Also Thursday, the newly arrived 4th Infantry Division fought a brief battle near the Taji Airfield north of Baghdad. Brooks said the U.S. troops "killed and wounded a portion of the enemy force, destroyed some T-72 tanks and captured over 100 enemy fighters." |