Australian troops capture 60 Iraqi political leaders and officers [font="verdana, arial, helvetica"]April 15 2003
By Mark Forbes
Defence Correspondent
Canberra
Australian SAS troops have captured nearly 60 senior Iraqi officers, political leaders and foreign mercenaries fleeing Baghdad in a convoy carrying more than $US600,000 ($A995,000) in cash - rewards for the murder of US troops.
The bus and two cars were heading for Syria. Their 59 middle-aged occupants have been handed to the US and are being interrogated at a prison camp in western Iraq.
Australian forces commander Brigadier Maurie McNarn yesterday confirmed that the SAS had halted the convoy on Friday. It contained senior officers, Baath Party members, foreign fighters and members of the radical fedayeen groups, he said. "They tried to make a run through an area the Australians were dominating," he said.
Australian officials said they could not confirm or deny if members of the convoy were on the US's most wanted list but among those captured were generals and political leaders. The officials would not say if they included members of Saddam's family.
A defence spokesman in Qatar said the group was now in a "military holding facility". Letters they were carrying offered $US5000 for the murder of any US soldier.
Brigadier McNarn said there would be a military role for Australian forces for another five or six weeks at least. There was still dangerous fighting going on, he said.
Defence Force chief Peter Cosgrove yesterday refused to put a timetable on when the forces could come home and said the withdrawal would inevitably be staged according to "administrative requirements".
"They fulfil a special role, and we've got to make sure that that role is met and that our coalition partners are content," he said.
Keeping Australian special forces on during the occupation was one matter being discussed with the Government, he said.
The US has indicated it would like the SAS to stay on to help with security in the countryside and Defence Minister Robert Hill said yesterday that the unit's mopping-up work was critically important and still very dangerous.
Australian FA-18 Hornets bombed tanks outside Tikrit overnight, ahead of it being taken by coalition forces, Senator Hill said.
The Hornets flew sorties in close support of ground forces closing on the deposed Iraqi president's home town, Defence spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said.
target=_blank>http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2...0172536429.html[/font]
By Mark Forbes
Defence Correspondent
Canberra
Australian SAS troops have captured nearly 60 senior Iraqi officers, political leaders and foreign mercenaries fleeing Baghdad in a convoy carrying more than $US600,000 ($A995,000) in cash - rewards for the murder of US troops.
The bus and two cars were heading for Syria. Their 59 middle-aged occupants have been handed to the US and are being interrogated at a prison camp in western Iraq.
Australian forces commander Brigadier Maurie McNarn yesterday confirmed that the SAS had halted the convoy on Friday. It contained senior officers, Baath Party members, foreign fighters and members of the radical fedayeen groups, he said. "They tried to make a run through an area the Australians were dominating," he said.
Australian officials said they could not confirm or deny if members of the convoy were on the US's most wanted list but among those captured were generals and political leaders. The officials would not say if they included members of Saddam's family.
A defence spokesman in Qatar said the group was now in a "military holding facility". Letters they were carrying offered $US5000 for the murder of any US soldier.
Brigadier McNarn said there would be a military role for Australian forces for another five or six weeks at least. There was still dangerous fighting going on, he said.
Defence Force chief Peter Cosgrove yesterday refused to put a timetable on when the forces could come home and said the withdrawal would inevitably be staged according to "administrative requirements".
"They fulfil a special role, and we've got to make sure that that role is met and that our coalition partners are content," he said.
Keeping Australian special forces on during the occupation was one matter being discussed with the Government, he said.
The US has indicated it would like the SAS to stay on to help with security in the countryside and Defence Minister Robert Hill said yesterday that the unit's mopping-up work was critically important and still very dangerous.
Australian FA-18 Hornets bombed tanks outside Tikrit overnight, ahead of it being taken by coalition forces, Senator Hill said.
The Hornets flew sorties in close support of ground forces closing on the deposed Iraqi president's home town, Defence spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said.
target=_blank>http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2...0172536429.html[/font]
