U.S. troops intensify search for Iraqi resistance in Saddam's hometown
PATRICK QUINN
Associated Press
TIKRIT, Iraq - U.S. troops, backed by Tikrit's newly formed Civil Defense Force, raided a farm outside Saddam Hussein's birthplace Wednesday as part of an intensified crackdown to root out resistance fighters responsible for scores of deadly attacks against American forces.
The pre-dawn raid was carried out troops in Humvees and backed up by Bradley fighting vehicles and Apache attack helicopters.
U.S. troops have been carrying out near-daily raids following a coordinated attack by Iraqi resistance fighters on Sept. 19 that killed three American soldiers. The raids have resulted in dozens of arrests and follow-up raids.
Raids and attacks have intensified throughout the region following the ambush killing of the American soldiers. U.S. troops came under fire twice early Wednesday and just managed to avert another attack, the military said. No Americans were injured, but at least four Iraqis died in the attacks, said Maj. Josslyn Aberle, a spokeswoman for the 4th Infantry Division headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas.
In one attack, troops called in an AC-130 gunship - one of the most potent in the U.S. armory - following a concerted attack by seven men against an oil pumping station near the city of Balad, just south of Tikrit. At least one Iraqi died when the gunship opened fire on his car.
Also near Balad, a U.S. patrol managed to fire on three men waiting in ambush, killing all three who were armed with small arms and rocket propelled grenades, also known as RPG's.
In the raid on the farm near the village of Uja, where Saddam was born and site of one attacks that led to the recent crackdown, U.S. troops acting on a tip roared through the early morning fog over dusty roads and through lime and pomegranate orchards to a small huddle of homes.
The troops were backed up by about 20 men from the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, a newly formed unit which was trained by American soldiers and graduated its first class in Tikrit on Sept. 6.
After sweeping through more than 10 houses, stables and chicken coops, they questioned more than a dozen people about possible weapons caches. Their target was a reported cache of rockets and homemade bombs that are used to attack U.S. convoys on the main road through Tikrit, also known as "RPG Alley" because of rocket-propelled grenades frequently fired by Iraqi resistance fighters in the area.
Another tip from a farmer led to foot patrols through the high grasses, lime trees and gullies used to funnel water from the Tigris river to the farm area. Troops equipped with metal detectors and shovels rooted through the underbrush, discovering a heavy machine gun and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
Although only one man was detained and the weapons cache was small, Maj. Mike Rauhut of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment said the raid turned up good information.
"It's following up on what we get. This raid was OK, the information is just as good as finding things," Rauhut told The Associated Press.
