Iraq leaders sought after surrendering

Published 12:00 am Friday, April 11, 2003

The Associated Press

An entire army corps surrendered Friday in northern Iraq's largest city, leaving Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit as the last major holdout of his regime. The U.S. military issued a most-wanted list of 55 regime leaders who must be captured or killed.

The top U.S. commander, Gen. Tommy Franks, told his troops, "The Saddam regime has ended."

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Mosul fell without bloodshed. American special forces and their Kurdish allies arrived in convoy of trucks and SUVs after accepting the surrender of the Iraqi army's 5th Corps commander.

Looting and celebrations spread quickly. Some people grabbed wads of bills from the Central Bank; others shot out car windows and stole ambulances from Mosul's general hospital.

Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks of U.S. Central Command said the surrendering 5th Corps soldiers would be allowed to return home.

Brooks, at a news briefing, also discussed the list that has been compiled of 55 key regime leaders. Some may already have been killed, Brooks said; a deck of cards with names and photos are being distributed to coalition soldiers to help them identify those still at large.

Saddam's fate remains unknown, and Brooks said the coalition was focusing its efforts on the entire regime.

"There will also be attacks against key decision makers to kill or capture them," Brooks said. "There will be more in the coming days."

In Baghdad, where regime control collapsed Wednesday, U.S. troops were trying to curb looting that continued unabated for a third straight day.