- It's unknown who took the photographs, apparently of
Saddam Hussein's capture, that have shown up on the Internet.
-
- CNN's Jamie McIntyre says new images, apparently of the
capture of Saddam Hussein, closely match U.S. military photos, but are
not official pictures (January 15)
-
- (CNN) -- New photographs that appear to be of Saddam
Hussein on the day of his capture by U.S. forces are circulating around
the Internet one month after the ousted Iraqi leader was found in a narrow
hole in the ground.
-
- One photo apparently shows Saddam shortly after he was
pulled from the infamous "spider hole" where he had been hiding
on December 13.
-
- Someone who could be a U.S. soldier, a translator or
another civilian working with the U.S. military is holding Saddam down
on the ground.
-
- Some people have suggested this image shows Saddam bleeding
from the mouth, but examination of the photograph has been inconclusive.
-
- Pentagon officials did not release the photographs nor
will they officially verify their authenticity and even comment on them.
-
- The photographs appear to have been taken by someone
in, or working closely with, the U.S. military when troops nabbed Saddam
on a farm compound near the village of Ad Dawr on the banks of the Tigris
River outside Tikrit.
-
- Soldiers said afterward that when Saddam was found he
said, in English: "I am Saddam Hussein. I am the president of Iraq.
I want to negotiate."
-
- The soldiers replied: "President Bush sends his
regards."
-
- Capt. Desmond Bailey, who led the close-in security team
as part of Operation Red Dawn, recalled at the time that "it wasn't
the blaze of glory we expected."
-
- One of the new photos shows dozens of military personnel
gathered around as Saddam is led into one of his former palaces in Baghdad
that is now serving as a military headquarters.
-
- Although CNN has not independently verified the authenticity
or source of the photos, they do appear genuine, according to a senior
U.S. government official.
-
- Certain key details known about the event match with
the photographs.
-
-
- For instance, Saddam appears to be wearing the same clothes
and the same beard as seen in the pictures officially released by the U.S.
military.
-
- Another new photograph of the box of U.S. currency found
with Saddam matches the green case of $750,000 dollars displayed by the
U.S. military after his capture.
-
- A new picture of Col. James Hickey, commander of the
1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, who directed the 600 troops who took
part in the capture, matches other photos of Hickey.
-
- The photos don't reveal much more about Operation Red
Dawn, whose mission was to capture or kill Saddam, but they do give a little
more of a look at how Saddam was handled in the hours after his capture
-
- The Pentagon is reportedly not happy the photographs
got out.
-
- But it is uncertain anyone will be reprimanded, because
almost every soldier carries a pocket camera these days, and that makes
it unlikely whoever took the photos will be identified.
-
- CNN's Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report.
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- http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/01/15/saddam.photos/index.html
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