Saddam Nephew Killed in Blast

Scotsman,com ^ | Sun 18 Jan 2004

[sopwith]

An explosive device being transported in a car exploded near a U.S. Army patrol, killing two Iraqis in the vehicle including a relative of Saddam Hussein, the military said today. There were no U.S. casualties.

The blast in a white Mercedes car happened late on Saturday on a street in the former dictator’s home town of Tikrit, said Lt. Col. Steve Russell, commander of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division.

Russell said the car exploded some 150 yards from his patrol, which had pulled to a halt at a shop in downtown Tikrit just minutes earlier to talk to its owner.

“It was not a suicide bombing. It was a failed attempt to attack coalition forces and they (the car’s occupants) killed themselves,” Russell said.

U.S. soldiers have been searching for the same vehicle, which is believed to have been involved in several other bombings, including a December 16 explosion in Tikrit that wounded three American soldiers.

Russell said one of the two men killed was a nephew of one of Saddam’s brothers, and was carrying a homemade bomb comprised of artillery shells and plastic explosives in his lap that detonated prematurely, killing him instantly and fatally wounding the driver. He would not further identify the bomber.

A third occupant of the car was taken to a Tikrit hospital in a serious condition and will be questioned by U.S. forces later, Russell said.

Russell believed the men in the car had been tipped off to the presence of U.S. soldiers patrolling in Tikrit, and in their haste to attack them had detonated the radio-controlled bomb prematurely.

In another incident, an explosive device detonated on Saturday afternoon inside a Tikrit shop, blowing off the leg of the store’s owner and damaging his premises, Russell said. The injured man was apparently handling the device or preparing it for use when it exploded.

Tikrit, about 180 kilometres (120 miles) north of the capital Baghdad, is at the centre of the so-called Sunni triangle, a pro-Saddam area that has seen the bulk of the insurgent attacks against U.S. troops

[Joe Bonforte]

Looks like they're down to the third team. Bench is getting pretty thin over there.

[Peach]

One less Hussein in the world. Good.

[GirlShortstop]

"It was not a suicide bombing. It was a failed attempt to attack coalition forces and they (the car's occupants) killed themselves," Russell said.
      tsk, tsk   :-)

[Tijeras_Slim]

Nepotism does not mean you can make the transition from fuses to timers successfully.

[sd-joe]

The red wire goes to the black wire. No, the red wire goes to the blue wire. No.... boom.

[AnAmericanMother]

"Now pay attention. I'm only going to show you how to do this once!"

[RightOnline]

Some things just shouldn't be trusted to amateurs.

[listenhillary]

In his lap? Darwin award material.

Last thought? Noooo! I can't DO anything with my 72 virgins!

[ErnBatavia]

Someobody should take some post mortem photos and drop 'em by Saddam's holding cell. He's probably eager for news.

[armymarinedad]

I think I can speak for my son in Iraq on this one. COOL.

[Mercat]

"Russell said one of the two men killed was a nephew of one of Saddam’s brothers"

I'm so confused. Doesn't that make the man either Saddam's son or his nephew too?

[Pearls Before Swine]

I'm so confused. Doesn't that make the man either Saddam's son or his nephew too?

I think it makes him a second cousin. Or, if you like, a "nephew--once removed."

[verity]

ROTFLMAO!

[AngrySpud]

" ... blowing off the man's leg and damaging the premises."

So I wonder what happens to the man's business -- is it confiscated? Destroyed? The leg is a good down payment for his nefarious deeds, but since criminal activities were carried out in the business, he should lose all his assets, as well.

[BillM]

You'd almost think that the US is starting to use some of the radio transmitters that Israel has found useful for blowing up armed bombs in the area. There are too many of these 'Accidents' to be coincidence.

[Condor51]

''The red wire goes to the black wire. No, the red wire goes to the blue wire..''

Hey, you've been looking at the wiring in my house!
~sarcasm~

(If I ever find the electrician who did my wiring I'm going to KICK HIS A$$!)
*NOT* sarcasm

[sd-joe]

LOL. Sounds like my house also.

[Dave278]

Not only that I bet they are also running pretty low on virgins by now.

[traumer]

The gene pool is shrinking....