Tension high in Mosul as US takes another 'most wanted'

5.00pm - By MIKE COLLETT-WHITE

MOSUL, Iraq - Ethnic tensions simmered in Mosul today but the worst of the looting and violence that have plagued the northern Iraqi city appeared to have passed.

The US military made its presence felt, sending two fighter jets roaring over the city. They swooped to within a few hundred metres of the ground before climbing steeply, prompting traffic and passersby to stop and watch.

"So this is (US President George W.) Bush's freedom," shouted one local, voicing the resentment felt by many among the city's dominant Arab population at what they see as an occupying force.

Mosul residents who had crossed the Tigris river to the western part of the city, where Arabs are concentrated and where the worst of the looting and violence occurred, said that the situation was mainly calm today.

Reuters reporters were advised by Kurdish fighters and locals east of the river not to enter the western part of the city of more than one million people.

The residents said most shops were still shut there, in stark contrast to the bustling trade in fuel and vegetables in the eastern sector, where most of the city's minority Kurds live.

"The situation now seems to be more stable," said Mahar Aziz, a grocer working on the eastern bank of the river. "I saw some small-scale looting yesterday, but the Americans are patrolling the streets constantly."

One small US patrol was seen on the east of the Tigris and a small convoy of five Humvee offroad vehicles with supplies arrived in Mosul from the Kurd-controlled city of Arbil in the early evening. Warplanes could be heard flying overhead.

Within hours of falling to US and Kurdish fighters last Friday, the city, which is a focus of historic rivalry between Arabs and Kurds, descended into anarchy as looters swooped on public buildings in a frenzy of arson and plunder.

In one incident on Tuesday, US troops killed at least seven Iraqis in Mosul when a demonstration against their presence in the city turned violent.

Mashaan al-Juburi, the self-proclaimed governor of the city some 385km north of Baghdad, said the clash occurred when US forces tried to raise the American flag over the governor's building.

But Mosul locals blamed Juburi and senior members of the Ba'ath party of ousted leader Saddam Hussein for whipping up trouble in an attempt to undermine the US military.

Kurdish forces near Mosul yesterday handed to the US military Samir Abulaziz al-Najim, a Ba'ath party regional commander and number 24 on Washington's list of most wanted Iraqi leaders.

He is the fourth of 55 top members of Saddam Hussein's regime to be taken into custody by the US. He was pictured as the four of clubs on a pack of cards distributed to US troops searching for members of the regime.

A Kurdish "peshmerga" guerrilla commander in Mosul said more US troops were needed to secure the city, where relations between Arabs and Kurds were still strained.

"If we (the Kurds) interfere then this tends to create tension, but with greater cooperation from the Americans the situation should stabilise," said the commander, who asked not to be named.

Several Arab locals said they welcomed the US forces into Mosul and were glad to see the back of Saddam's regime. But they also wanted the Americans to leave as soon as possible.

"When the situation calms down then they must leave," said Ayad Daudi, a doctor.

A senior US Army officer told reporters on Friday the Marines in Mosul had been too heavy-handed and were stirring up resentment.

"The Marines are messing this up for us, because that's how they operate," the officer said. "They don't do this kind of thing (policing) very well."

Herald Feature: Iraq