Saddam’s ‘Death
Squads’ Preventing Iraqi Surrenders
By Gerry J. Gilmore, AFPS (updated)
WASHINGTON,
March 27, 2003 – Fierce guerilla tactics of the type never
seen by the military have been reported by some journalists embedded
with the Coalition troops. Saddam’s extremes to stay in
power include forcing civilians to give up their lives–one account
in a European paper reports that civilians are forced to strap
themselves with explosives and lay in front of Coalition tanks
or their families will be executed.
Today, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld
gave reporters a three-word answer as to why more Iraqi troops
aren’t laying down their arms and surrendering to coalition forces:
Saddam’s death squads.
Saddam’s
death squads are "enforcers," part of Fedayeen Saddam–a
paramilitary organization headed by Hussein’s eldest son Uday.
The Fedayeen
"go into the cities and shoot people and threaten people
and insist that they not surrender and not rise up," the
secretary explained during a break in his testimony before the
Senate Appropriations Committee. "And, they’re vicious,"
he added, estimating Fedayeen Saddam has from 5,000 to 20,000
members.
The secretary related how the Fedayeen recently
dealt with an unfortunate Iraqi who opposed the regime. "They
left somebody in the center of Baghdad not too long ago with his
tongue pulled out until he had bled to death — cut his
tongue out," Rumsfeld said.
The Fedayeen aren’t just in Baghdad, but are deployed
across the country.
"And they’re shooting — executing — people in Basra,"
Rumsfeld declared.
The secretary noted that such horrific behavior
shouldn’t surprise anyone who has followed Hussein’s 20-plus year
career as Iraq’s dictator. Hussein, after all, has "used
chemicals on his own people, as well as his neighbors," Rumsfeld
pointed out.
More than
4,000 Iraqi troops are now in custody as prisoners of war U.S.
officials have reported.