4 arrests in abduction of American worker

[911SC Pilot]

BREAKING NEWS
NBC News and news services
Updated: 10:14 a.m. ET May 21, 2004BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi police have arrested four people suspected of being involved in the abduction of Nicholas Berg, the American civilian who was later beheaded, and believe a nephew of Saddam Hussein was involved, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Friday.


The suspects are former members of Saddam Hussein’s Fedayeen paramilitary organization, said an Iraqi security official, who spoke with the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. They were arrested a week ago at a home in an area north of Baghdad.

"The arrests are good," a high-ranking American offical in Baghdad told NBC News.

The official indicated that those in custody are believed to have abducted Berg, then "sold" him to a second group that killed him. That group, which the CIA believes includes senior al-Qaida figure Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is still at large.

Saddam nephew said to have been ringleader
The Iraqi source interviewed by the AP said those arrested were led by Yasser al-Sabawi, a nephew of Saddam's. The source added that American intelligence had asked Iraqi authorities to hand over the suspects, but they were still in Iraqi hands.

Al-Sabawi was not among those arrested, the Iraqi official said. Separately, a U.S. source told NBC News that the "primary target" of the raid was not captured

Police intelligence agents arrested the suspects on May 14 as they arrived at the home in Salaheddin province, which includes Tikrit, Saddam's hometown, the official said. The meeting was planned to “plot other major operations,” the official said without elaborating.

Four suspects had arrived early for the 7 p.m. meeting and were inside the house, waiting for a fifth associate who escaped arrest, he said. It was not immediately clear if the fifth persion was al-Sabawi or another alleged conspirator.

Police seized weapons and explosives at the site, the Iraqi official said, adding that the informant who tipped off authorities was killed by unidentified gunmen the day after the arrests.

Another Iraqi official confirmed to the AP that there were arrests in the Berg case, but would not comment further. The official also declined to be named.

Berg’s body was found in Baghdad on May 8. He had been decapitated and his murder was videotaped and posted on an Islamic Web site. The murderers said his killing was in response to the abuse of Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4953015/