SADDAM ESTABLISHES URBAN WARFARE UNIT

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has established a new
unit to prevent insurgents from attacking regime interests in major cities.

Iraqi opposition sources said Saddam has established militias in Baghdad
with orders to fire on suspicious people. The sources said a curfew has been
imposed at night in the Iraqi capital.

"In Baghdad, he has distributed weapons, and there are cells in Baghdad with
instructions to impose basically a curfew and to fire upon anybody that is
seen walking in the streets," Iraqi National Congress spokesman Sharif Al
Hussein said.

Opposition sources said Saddam has focused his defensive capabilities in
protecting Baghdad. They said the military would be sheltered in civilian
areas and troops would be ordered to prevent any U.S. ground invasion of the
Iraqi capital.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: The above is not the full item.

This service contains only a small portion of the information produced daily
by Middle East Newsline. For a subscription to the full service, please
contact Middle East Newsline at:
editor@menewsline.com for further details.