24/07/2003

Photos of Saddam's dead sons released

The US have released photographs today of the dead bodies of Saddam Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, who were killed in a firefight in Mosul on Tuesday.

Reuters were the first news agency to see the photographs and reported this morning that the images were of the former dictator's sons.

US officials hope that the photos will prove to Iraqi citizens that Saddam's sons had indeed been killed.

The US deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz said: "Many Iraqis are still suspicious of the United States and fear Saddam's regime will return to power. Any evidence of the sons' deaths would help lift the 'blanket of fear' that hangs over the Iraqi people."

Saddam Hussein's sons Qusay and Uday – the aces of hearts and clubs in the US's most wanted cards – were confirmed dead by US authorities following a "fierce gun battle" in Mosul, northern Iraq yesterday.

Two other bodies were also been recovered from the building the pair had barricaded themselves inside. One is thought to be Uday's 14-year-old son and the second body may be that of a bodyguard.

The commander of US forces in Iraq, Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez, said that US troops swamped the area following a tip from a local who approached US forces. The troops were then fired upon are they approached the house.

Lt Gen Sanchez said that Coalition forces responded with "multiple weapons systems" – or heavy machine guns, Apache gunships, RPGs and grenades – and a four-hour firefight ensued.

He added that Saddam's sons died when "they resisted detention and the efforts of the coalition forces to go in there and apprehend them".

"They were killed in the ensuing gunfight and the attacks that we conducted on the residence," he said. "We're certain Uday and Qusay were killed today. We used multiple sources to identify the individuals. The bodies are in a condition where you could identify them."

Four coalition soldiers were wounded in the operation.

The Iraqi who tipped off Coalition forces could be in line for $30 million in reward money being offered by the US for locating Saddam's sons.

(GMcG)

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