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US troops question alleged organizers of Iraqi resistance

US troops were questioning 400 Iraqis detained in a massive military operation north of Baghdad yesterday, seeking those who are allegedly organizing and carrying out frequent attacks on US occupation forces.

The combined sweep, dubbed "Operation Peninsula Strike," continued for a third day, sending thousands of American troops through an area of several square kilometers centered on the Tigris River town of Duluiyah 70km north of Baghdad, US Central Command spokesman Lieutenant Ryan Fitzgerald said.

The ground troops were backed up by fighter jets, attack helicopters and unmanned aerial drones.

Fitzgerald said he had no information on the capture of wanted Baathists from the list of top 55 fugitives, which includes former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and his two sons. He said interrogators armed with intelligence on particular suspects were still questioning those captured. Prisoners deemed not hostile will be released, he said.

Interrogators are "working with information that has directed the finger toward these suspects," Fitzgerald said.

"If we believe they're dangerous and will cause problems for the Iraqi people or coalition forces, we'll keep them for further information," he said.

No Americans have been killed in the operation, Fitzgerald said. He could not confirm reports of deaths among the Iraqis.

The region north of Baghdad is part of the so-called Sunni triangle, the heartland of support for Saddam's now banned Baath Party and not far from the ex-leader's hometown of Tikrit.

The leader of an Iraqi exile group opposed to Saddam's regime said in New York on Tuesday that the ousted leader was seen north of Baghdad as recently as three weeks ago.

Ahmed Chalabi, head of the Iraqi National Congress, also claimed Saddam was paying a bounty for every American soldier killed, using US$1.3 billion in cash stolen from the Central Bank on March 18.

US military leaders in Iraq have made similar claims, suspecting that the frequent attacks on Americans bear the signs of being organized by groups of ousted Saddam loyalists. But they say there is no sign that the militants are preparing to mount a guerrilla-style war of attrition.

In Washington, Pentagon officials said Tuesday they had no information that Saddam was alive and offering bounties for killing US troops.

Duluiyah, largely untouched during the war, is said to be a likely place of refuge for Saddam die-hard fighters.

In the first stage of "Peninsula Strike," soldiers moved into attack and reconnaissance positions, while seeking help from local police, the command said.

The troops from Task Force "Ironhorse" then began air, land and water-based raids to block escape routes.

By Wednesday, 397 suspects were in custody near the town of Ballad, 60km north of Baghdad, and a large number of arms and ammunition had been seized, the US military said. A curfew was then imposed from 10pm until 4am.

"A variety of units are incorporated into the operation, using the overwhelming firepower," the command said. Armor, artillery, aviation, and engineers, along with Air Force elements "continue to work together to accomplish the mission," it said.

The attacks have hampered efforts to restore security and begin the massive task of rebuilding Iraq after 10 years of UN-imposed sanctions.

A total of 206 coalition troops had died since the beginning of the US-led invasion of Iraq and 628 have been injured.
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