Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, December 03, 2003
Al-Douri not caught in raid: US army
The US military said late Tuesday that Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri had not been caught in an overnight raid in northern Iraq, despite that a member of the Iraqi Governing Council earlier said the operation had resulted in catching a "big fish."
The US military said late Tuesday that Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri had not been caught in an overnight raid in northern Iraq, despite that a member of the Iraqi Governing Council earlier said the operation had resulted in catching a "big fish."
Major Doug Vincent, a spokesman from the unit that had launched the massive search, made the remarks to reporters in Hawija, a town near Kirkuk.
Earlier, Mouwafak al-Rubai, a Shiite member of the IGC, said that US troops had conducted a major operation on a suspicious target in northern Iraq, and al-Douri might have been either killed or caught.
Al-Rubai then told Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV channel that the successful operation based on intelligence provided by "Iraqis who suffered tyranny of the former regime" had resulted in "fishing a big fish."
"This fish is big figure in the former regime, they are examining the identity of the official," he said, adding that initial results were positive.
A US military spokesman in Baghdad could not confirm the report.Sources said US troops had encircled Hawija from dawn, targeting a residence of al-Douri's eldest son, who was suspected of passing money and his father's orders to resistance fighters.US officials have said al-Douri was behind a number of anti-coalition attacks, and offered a reward of 10 million US dollars for anyone who provides information leading to his capture.US forces last month destroyed one of his houses near Saddam's hometown of Tikrit and detained in Samarra his wife and daughter and a son of his physician, all of whom US officials said might help them know al-Douri's where about.
Al-Douri, No. 6 on the most wanted 55-member list, was vice chairman of the former Revolutionary Command Council and remained the highest ranking official at large next to Saddam.