Another most-wanted Iraqi official under US custody
US forces have
captured another Iraqi official who is listed as one
of the top-55 most-wanted Iraqis by the US military,
a US defense official said Tuesday.
Fadil Mahmud Gharib,
who was identified as a member of President Saddam
Hussein's Baath Party regional command, was taken
into custody in the past 24 hours, the official said
on the condition of anonymity.
The capture of Gharib,
ranked as No. 28 on the list of 55, brings to 21 the
total number of Iraqis on the list who are now in
the custody of US forces.
The US military did
not provide any details on how the US forces seized
Gharib, who is also known as Gharib Muhammad Fazel
al-Mashaikh.
91 killed in Saudi
suicide bombings
91 people were killed
in a series of suicide bombing attacks in the Saudi
capital of Riyadh Monday night, including some 10 US
citizens, US State Department officials said on
Tuesday.
One official said the
figure is expected to rise.
Earlier on Tuesday,
the Saudi Interior Ministry said that at least 29
people were killed, including nine suicide bombers,
and 194 injured in three suicide bombings attacks at
foreigners' compounds in Riyadh.
The killed included
seven Saudis, seven Americans, two Jordanian
children, two Filipinos, a Lebanese and a Swiss, in
addition to the nine charred bodies believed to be
the attackers, the ministry said in a statement.
The first explosion
at Al-Hamra compound killed 10 people, the second
one at Al-Jadawel compound killed two and eight at
the Vinnell building, the statement said.
Earlier in the day,
visiting US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who
arrived in Riyadh from Amman, said 10 Americans had
been killed in the worst terror attacks in the
kingdom.
Powell declared
terrorism to be "a threat to the civilized
world" in Riyadh while linking the latest
assaults to the al-Qaeda network led by Saudi-born
Osama bin Laden.
The suicide bombings
occurred during Powell's ongoing Middle East tour,
which has taken him to Israel, the Palestinian
territories, Egypt and Jordan.
Anti-American
sentiment is running high among Arabs because of the
US-led war on Iraq, and the US bias in favor of
Israel in its 31-month conflicts with Palestinians.
US president
condemns bombings in Saudi Arabia
US President George
W. Bush on Tuesday condemned the bombings in Saudi
Arabia, vowing that the United States will find the
killers and let them learn "the meaning of
American justice."
"These
despicable acts were committed by killers whose only
faith is hate and the United States will find the
killers and they will learn the meaning of American
justice," Bush said in Indianapolis, Indiana.
"Today's attacks
in Saudi Arabia, the ruthless murder of American
citizens and other citizens, remind us that the war
on terror continues." he said.
"Anytime anybody
attacks our homeland, or our fellow citizens, we
will be on the hunt," he said, vowing that the
United States "will bring them to
justice."
According to reports,
three deadly overnight bombings took place in
separate housing compounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
killing at least 20 people, including seven
Americans.
Britain warns
citizens against nonessential Saudi travel
Britain on Tuesday
advised its nationals to give up nonessential travel
to Saudi Arabia amid security concerns following
suicide bomb attacks against Western targets in the
Saudi capital city of Riyadh on late Monday.
"Following three
suicide bomb attacks in Riyadh on May 12, there
remains a high threat of further large or
small-scale attacks against Western interests in
Saudi Arabia. Terrorist attacks could involve the
use of chemical and biological materials," the
Foreign Office said in a statement.
"We advise
British nationals against all but essential travel
to Saudi Arabia," the statement said.
"If you choose
to travel to, or remain in, Saudi Arabia you should
take all necessary steps to protect your safety and
should make sure you have confidence in your
security arrangements," the statement added.
Earlier reports
quoted US State Department officials as saying that
more than 90 people, including 10 to 12 US citizens,
were killed in the suicide bombings that rocked
three housing compounds in Riyadh.
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