Samir Al-Aziz Al-Najim, Fourth Senior Member of Saddam Hussein's Regime, Arrested - 2003-04-18

U.S. forces in Iraq report that they have arrested the fourth senior member of Saddam Hussein's regime. A spokesperson for the U.S. military stated today that Samir Al-Aziz Al-Najim surrendered to U.S. forces near Mosul in northern Iraq, facilitated by Kurdish forces. Al-Najim was a regional commander of the ruling Ba'ath Party, and officials believe he may reveal internal secrets of Saddam's regime. Now that major combat operations in Iraq have concluded and the country is under the control of U.S. and British forces, the coalition's focus has shifted to restoring security and public services. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Iraqis protested today against the presence of U.S. forces in Baghdad. U.S. military officials said they view these protests positively as they indicate that the people of Iraq feel they have been liberated. They reiterated the U.S. position, stating that American forces will remain in Iraq only as long as they are needed. The Pentagon reported that U.S. forces have released 925 Iraqi prisoners in recent days after determining they were not hostile. The number of war prisoners in U.S. camps has now decreased to approximately 6,800.