Caught like a rat'

By Staff
CAPTURED In this image released by the U.S. Army on Sunday former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is shown in custody after he was arrested near his Tikrit home Saturday night. ap
Dec. 15, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) Saddam Hussein's capture is reaping dividends for the U.S. military, providing intelligence that led to the arrest of several top regime figures in Baghdad, a U.S. general said today. Suicide bombers attacked police stations in the capital, killing eight people as the insurgency showed no sign of letting up.
A member of the Iraqi Governing Council said Saddam could be put on trial in the next few weeks and face execution if convicted, though another member said it could take four to six months to begin the trial before a war crimes tribunal set up last week.
My name is Saddam Hussein,'' the fallen Iraqi leader told U.S. troops in English as they pulled him out of a dank hole Saturday night where he hid in the village of Adwar, north of Baghdad. I am the president of Iraq and I want to negotiate.''
A U.S. Special Forces soldier replied: Regards from President Bush,'' according to Maj. Bryan Reed, operations officer for the 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division.
American officials said interrogations of Saddam, whose current location was unknown, will focus first on getting intelligence on the the insurgency that has taken the lives of nearly 200 American soldiers.
But Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Saddam was not helping. He has not been cooperative in terms of talking or anything like that,'' Rumsfeld told CBS' 60 Minutes'' on Sunday.
But U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Hertling of the 1st Armored Division told The Associated Press in Baghdad that the first round of Saddam's questioning and documents in a briefcase found with him was connecting the dots'' in intelligence on the insurgency.
Since Saddam's capture, U.S. Army teams from the 1st Armored Division have captured one high-ranking former regime figure who has yet to be identified and that prisoner has given up a few others, Hertling said. All the men are currently being interrogated and more raids are expected, Hertling said.
We've already gleaned intelligence value from his capture,'' Hertling said. We've already been able to capture a couple of key individuals here in Baghdad. We've completely confirmed one of the cells. It's putting the pieces together and it's connecting the dots. It has already helped us significantly in Baghdad.''
Hertling said: I'm sure he was giving some guidance to some key figures in this insurgency.''
With Saddam's capture, 13 figures remained at large from the U.S. military's list of 55 most-wanted regime officials. The highest ranking is Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, a close Saddam aide who U.S. officials say may be directly organizing resistance.
Violence continued despite Saddam's capture. On Monday, car bombings at police stations in Baghdad left eight policemen dead and at least 17 wounded, police officials said. The deadliest attack was a suicide attack at a station house in northern Baghdad where the eight officers were killed. Two other car bombings at a west-side station caused seven injuries and additional explosions rocked the city hours later.
President Bush had warned attacks would not stop even with Saddam in custody.
Hertling said he hoped Saddam will eventually clear up allegations that he had chemical and biological weapons and a nuclear weapons program.
I certainly think some of that will come out,'' Hertling said. I think we'll get some significant intelligence over the next couple of days.''
Saddam's exact whereabouts Monday were unclear. U.S. officials said he had been moved to a secure location and remains in Iraq, Hertling said. CNN and the Dubai-based Arab TV station Al-Arabiya reported Saddam was taken to Qatar. A spokesman at U.S. Central Command would not give information on Saddam's location.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday that it hopes U.S. authorities will let it visit Saddam to check on the conditions in which he is being held.
Saddam could be tried in the next few weeks'' and could be executed if convicted, said Mouwafak al-Rabii, a Shiite member of the Iraqi Governing Council told AP on Monday. Other council members said a trial would likely begin later.
We will get sovereignty on the 30th of June, and I can tell you, he could be executed on the 1st of July.'' said al-Rabii, a longtime human rights activist.
The former dictator one of the world's most-wanted fugitives was captured by Special Forces during a massive raid on a farmhouse near Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, according to Capt. Desmond Bailey. Troops from the 4th Infantry Division guarded the area while Special Forces found Saddam and pulled him out of the narrow hole.
We have him,'' they radioed to division commanders nearby, Bailey said.