NewsMine — war-on-terror — iraq — insurgency — 2005 — 05-apr-may — madaen-seige — Viewing Item

Iraqi forces free 15 held families { April 18 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=62329&d=18&m=4&y=2005 http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=62329&d=18&m=4&y=2005 Iraqi Forces Free 15 Hostage Families Naseer Al-Nahr, Arab News BAGHDAD, 18 April 2005 — Iraqi security forces, backed by the US military, yesterday circled a town south of Baghdad where a government official said raids freed about 15 Shiite families held captive by Sunni militants in Iraq’s “Triangle of Death.” As the sectarian standoff continued with fears for the lives of other possible hostages in Madaen, a government official said Iraqi and US forces could launch an all-out assault by week’s end. Legislators meeting in Baghdad urged a broad offensive to sweep the lawless region free of insurgents, many of them loyalists of the country’s most feared terror group, Al-Qaeda in Iraq. American soldiers in Humvees were seen in one area where Iraqi soldiers and police were operating yesterday outside Madaen, but the US military said it was not aware of any American role. The crisis erupted as Prime Minister-designate Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, a Shiite leader, tried to bring members of Iraq’s Sunni minority into a new Cabinet aimed at uniting all national groups after Jan. 30 national elections. Elsewhere, three American soldiers were killed and seven service members wounded overnight when insurgents fired mortar rounds at a US Marine base near Ramadi, 113 kilometers west of Baghdad. The assault raised to 24 the number of people who died in Iraq Saturday, including an American civilian, an Iraqi and another foreigner who died in a car bomb attack in the capital. The US Embassy identified the American as Marla Ruzicka, founder of the Washington-based Campaign for Innocent Victims In Conflict, but said it was still waiting for final confirmation from DNA tests. CIVIC began a door-to-door survey of civilian casualties in Iraq soon after the war ended to keep track of the number of Iraqis killed or wounded. Czech officials said the second foreign victim was born in the Czech Republic but may have held French citizenship. French officials later confirmed the report. Yesterday, insurgents killed eight Iraqis in scattered shootings around Iraq aimed at police and other employees of the US-backed interim government. — With input from agencies

Alqaeda says hostage crisis fabricated Coalition raid to free shia hostages { April 18 2005 } Iraq kidnap reports may be exaggerated Iraqi forces free 15 held families { April 18 2005 } Iraqi forces free shiite hostages { April 18 2005 } Iraqi troops find no hostages { April 17 2005 } Iraqi troops halt madain assault { April 17 2005 } Iraqi US forces hunt for shiite hostages Madaen seige headlines index Residents say hostage reports are hoax Files Listed: 10

Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security Archives

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information, go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purpose of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.