FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) Iraqi insurgents appear to be forcing
some followers to commit suicide car bombings by tying or binding
them inside explosive-carrying vehicles, the commanding general of
allied security forces in Baghdad said Wednesday.
''In one case, Iraqi police found pieces of a car after it
exploded which included an accelerator pedal that had the suicide
bomber's foot still taped to it, so that you can't chicken out and
leave,'' Maj. Gen. William G. Webster told reporters in a video
conference from Baghdad.
Webster, commander of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division and the
30,000-troop task force securing the Iraqi capital, said several
reports of bound attackers could indicate slipping support for the
insurgency.
''We think it means the insurgents had less support and less
ability to conduct these operations,'' he said. ''But we're not
willing to hang our hats on it or declare victory any time soon.''
Attacks using multiple car bombs intensified in Iraq after the
country's new Shiite-led government was announced April 28. Webster
said attacks in Baghdad have declined since U.S. troops and Iraqi
forces launched Operation Lightning last month.
The counterinsurgency campaign has allowed allied forces to
seize control of all entrances to Baghdad and has resulted in
nearly 900 arrests, which Webster said included many would-be
suicide bombers.
Webster said he has received ''five or more'' reports since
April of car bombers seen bound inside their vehicles, as if forced
into suicide.
''We've found some people who were literally tied or taped to
the steering wheel, reported by Iraqis who saw them just before
detonation with their hands tied to the steering wheel,'' he said.
While he anticipates more surges in violence, Webster said
insurgents are ''not capable of sustaining it for very long.''
Still, his forces are planning ''extraordinary security'' for three
high-profile events.
A nationwide vote on an Iraqi constitution is planned for
October, with another round of national elections following in
December. Meanwhile, the Iraqi government says it wants to begin
the trial of Saddam Hussein within the next two months.
Webster said his troops will be gathering intelligence and
conducting raids to stop anyone ''who will want to free Saddam, or
in some cases folks who may want to kill Saddam before the trial
takes place.''
