Iraq: U.S. Military Launches Massive Counterinsurgency Operation

Baghdad, 29 June 2003 (RFE/RL) -- The U.S. military in Iraq today has launched a military operation to stop insurgents and capture senior members of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's ousted regime. Associated Press quoted U.S. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Young as saying the operation is taking place in a large area of central Iraq to wipe out what he said appears to be "an organized effort" against U.S. occupation forces in the country.

In Baghdad today an Iraqi civilian was killed and two U.S. military police servicemen were wounded when an explosion targeted a U.S. convoy.

In other developments, Paul Bremer, the top U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, met with the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party to discuss coalition plans for an interim Iraqi government.

Bremer today told BBC television that he thinks the chances of capturing Hussein are "very high."