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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Gang that beheaded Berg headed by Saddam's nephew |
| 2004-05-22 |
| The mystery of who killed Nick Berg, the freelance contractor beheaded on video, took a new twist last night when Iraqi police claimed they had arrested four suspects with links to Saddam Hussein's family. Iraqi security officials said Berg's alleged killers were part of a group led by a close relative of Saddam - his nephew Yasser al-Sabawi. The men were seized a week ago after a tip-off, they said. All were former members of the Fedayeen Saddam, the paramilitary group notorious for its loyalty to Iraq's ex-president. But last night the US military spokesman, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, said American forces had arrested four men linked to the Berg case after a raid in Baghdad. Two had been released and two were still being questioned. He said: '"I don't know their prior affiliations or prior organisations. We have some intelligence that would suggest they have knowledge, perhaps some culpability." It was not clear whether the two raids were related. The contradictory revelations add to the confusion in the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping and execution of Berg, who disappeared after checking out of his Baghdad hotel on April 10. Yesterday, however, the trail appeared to lead instead to Saddam's hometown of Tikrit. Iraqi officials said the men had been arrested in Salaheddin province, which includes Tikrit, shortly after Berg's headless body was dumped last week near a Baghdad flyover. Al-Sabawi was not among those arrested, the Iraqi official said. Police intelligence agents seized the men as they arrived to "plot other major operations", the officer told the Associated Press, without elaborating. Four suspects had arrived early for the 7pm meeting and were inside the house, waiting for a fifth associate who escaped arrest, he said. The Iraqi police appear to have done a poor job of protecting their informant, who was killed by unidentified gunmen the following day, the official admitted. Police seized weapons and explosives at the scene. Last night the suspects were believed to be still in Iraqi hands. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #4 One other thing to note is that I believe that al-Douri's a practicing Sufi and was far more of a secular nationalist type than an Islamonut. While I'm not so idiotic as to believe that cooperation between the two is impossible (al-Douri has coordinated ops for Ansar, for example), one would think that such a thing would make him staying in Saudi rather difficult. IIRC, al-Douri was also one of the architects of Saddam's whole idea of conquering Saudi back in 1991, which might also ceate problems for him in the Magic Kingdom. |
| Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-05-22 1:28:24 AM |
| #3 This is from the St. Petersburg Times from March 2002: "In a setback to U.S. efforts to rally support for ousting Saddam Hussein, Saudi Arabia's crown prince kissed an Iraqi representative in greeting at an Arab summit Thursday, signaling a reconciliation for the first time since the 1991 Gulf War. ... "The highlight of Iraq's day came when Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, head of the Iraqi delegation, and Abdullah embraced and kissed each other's cheeks in front of television cameras. "Al-Douri made a further traditional gesture to Abdullah by wearing a black abaya, a flowing cloak with embroidered gold trim, just like the Saudi crown prince wears. Such abayas are worn often by Gulf leaders, but al-Douri typically wears a military uniform or business suit." I don't know if this has any significance, but it seems interesting in light of Loftus's story. |
| Posted by: Tibor 2004-05-22 1:17:12 AM |
| #2 Last I heard, al-Douri was probably holed up in Mosul and there was some suspicion that he has contact with the Syrian border tribes. Al-Douri's ties to the Baathist Party predate the Iraqi/Syrian schism and he seems to have formed at least a tacit accomodation w/ Ansar al-Islam and the Syrian Baathists since OIF. If there's a text report of what Loftus said, e-mail it my way and I'll be able to get back to you in a day or so after I run it by some of the folks I know here on base. |
| Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-05-22 12:32:46 AM |
| #1 Dan, I know you don't trust John Loftus much, but he was talking tonight about a report that al Douri has been holed up in Eastern Saudi Arabia with the knowledge of at least some members of the Saudi royal family (but not Bandar). He reports that President Bush is apoplectic and has read the riot act to Bandar, who blamed right-wingers in the royal family. Also, Bandar apparently gave a cryptic answer when asked by Bush if al Douri was directing the Iraqi insurgency. Have you heard about this anywhere? |
| Posted by: Tibor 2004-05-22 12:29:11 AM |