US Says Iraq Moves Military Equipment Near Mosques

The Pentagon on Wednesday displayed a series of aerial photographs that it said showed Iraq is placing military equipment near mosques and other civilian sites in a bid to ward off attacks by U.S.-led forces or create an international incident if bombed. A senior defense official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, also said foreigners who have arrived in Baghdad to volunteer as “human shields” at key Iraqi sites may be considered war combatants rather than innocent civilians. He also said Iraq at some point might consider taking U.N. weapons inspectors hostage and placing them at key sites to try to ward off attacks by U.S. and British forces. The briefing marked the latest effort by U.S. officials to denounce Iraq for allegedly planning actions that violate the international norms of armed conflict. Previous sessions, presented with little supporting evidence beyond unidentified intelligence sources, have focused on U.S. allegations that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein plans to destroy Iraqi oil wells and manufacture civilian tragedies. The official presented aerial reconnaissance pictures he said dated from October 2002 showing what he said were Iraqi moves to place military assets near civilian sites. Full Story