Soldiers capture Saddam bodyguard, Republican Guard chief of staff in Tikrit sweep

TIKRIT, Iraq — U.S. soldiers captured a divisional chief of staff of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard and one of the dictator's former bodyguards today, the U.S. military said.

At least two of the 14 men seized in a sweep outside Saddam's hometown of Tikrit were on the U.S. black list of wanted Iraqis, said Lt. Col. Steve Russell, commander of the 22nd Infantry Regiment's 1st Battalion.

All the suspects belonged to a single family that had been a key backer of the deposed dictator's regime — and was believed to be supporting guerrilla resistance to U.S. occupying forces.

In the latest violence against American troops, a soldier was killed today when roadside bombs blasted a U.S. convoy west of the capital, Baghdad.

The Army's so-called black list is of Iraqis considered major catches but not as important as the top 55 most-wanted Iraqis featured on the Army's deck of playing cards, Russell said.

He said the series of raids lasted three hours but declined to identify the detainees or specify the location of the raid other than as a southern Tikrit suburb.

"We were targeting a specific family — one of the four controlling families of the former regime," Russell said.

"They were trying to support the remnants of the former regime by organizing attacks, through funding and by trying to hide former regime members," he added.

About 250 soldiers surrounded and searched 20 homes, carrying away a safe, photographs and computers that may be of intelligence value, Russell said.

The Army had been watching the family for weeks, because of intelligence pointing to their involvement in recent attacks on soldiers in Tikrit. They staged the sweep today when they thought they could catch the maximum number of people, he said.

During his reign, Saddam relied on four families for support and rewarded them with cash, prestige and land seized from other people, Russell said.

Tikrit has been a center of the hunt for Saddam, who the military believes is on the run, moving every three to four hours.

The U.S. soldier killed this morning was riding in a Humvee in Ramadi, 60 miles west of Baghdad. A military spokesman said his convoy was hit by three roadside bombs wired to exploded one after another. Two soldiers were wounded.