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U.S. Sorts Out Iraq-Syrian Border Chase

Posted on: Tuesday, 24 June 2003, 06:00 CDT

Information from a former top aide of Saddam Hussein led American commando forces to chase a convoy of suspected Iraqi fugitives to the Iraqi-Syrian border.

The chase ended in a shootout with Syrian border guards. When the shooting was over, there was a scene of devastation with burned-out vehicles - and casualties and prisoners from both sides of the border.

Officials have disclosed few details of the incident last Wednesday, but U.S. forces ended up releasing some 20 people captured in the operation.

Working partly on information from the highest Iraqi captured so far - Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti - special operations soldiers attacked a convoy of several vehicles in an attempt to stop what they believed were high-level fugitives linked to the fallen Iraqi government, defense officials said.

Intelligence had indicated the convoy included a number of "higher-level Iraqis," although not necessarily Saddam, one official said.

The special "Task Force 20" commando team was joined in the convoy operation by an AC-130 gunship and other air support that attacked the vehicles along a known escape and smuggling route near the western city of Qaim, one official said.

At some point in the operation, an undisclosed number of vehicles in the convoy tried to make it over the Syrian border, officials said.

It was unclear who shot first and where Syrian border guards were positioned, but a firefight followed between Syrians and Americans. Five Syrians were injured; three were treated by U.S. forces.

None had been returned to their government as of late Monday, officials said. About 20 other people were apprehended during the operation, and most were released after it was determined they did not pose a threat, a senior defense official said.

The official would not disclose nationalities, nor would he say on which side of the Iraq-Syria border the clash with border guards occurred. Another official said Americans may have pursued part of the convoy across the border into Syria.

Yet another official said a site exploitation team would attempt to collect remains of the dead and that DNA testing would be done. He did not know the number killed and would not say how many vehicles were in the convoy.

All of the officials discussed the incident on condition of not being identified by name.

It was unclear whether human remains had been collected as of Monday.

State Department spokesmen did not return telephone queries asking when casualties among the border guards would be returned to Syria and what its effect on U.S.-Syrian relations was likely to be. Department spokesman Philip T. Reeker referred questions to the Defense Department. The senior defense official said he knew of no U.S. government contact with Syria on the issue.

U.S.-Syrian relations already had been strained over events in Iraq. Earlier this year, U.S. officials threatened sanctions against Syria because of allegations it harbored fleeing members of Saddam's deposed government and provided Iraq with military equipment.

The pressure led to speculation that Washington saw Damascus as the next U.S. military target after Iraq, but tensions eased after a May 3 visit to Damascus by Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Syrian President Bashar Assad later said his government had closed its border. He cited strong tribal connections between the two countries, however, and noted the vast desert areas on either side of the 300-mile Iraqi-Syrian border.

There were multiple reports over the weekend that Mahmud, captured a week ago, had told U.S. interrogators Saddam and his two sons survived the war, and at least the sons had escaped to Syria. Other reports said they were forced to return to Iraq. The claims could not be verified.

Mahmud was No. 4 on the U.S. list of the 55 most-wanted former Iraqi leaders, behind only Saddam and sons Qusai and Odai.

Some two dozen from the most-wanted list, and a number from another list of 200 other fugitives, have been taken into U.S. custody since the war to disarm Saddam ended.

A distant cousin of Saddam, Mahmud, 46, was often photographed standing behind Saddam. He was described by the U.S. Central Command as Saddam's national security adviser and senior bodyguard.

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