CENTCOM NEWS RELEASE

August 16, 2003
Release Number: 03-08-35

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORMER REGIME LOYALIST DETAINED
Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division detained Said Ali Al Karim, a cleric in Ba’qubah Aug 11, pending charges of distributing materials to incite violence against Coalition forces, funding attacks against Coalition forces, and possession of illegal weapons.

Fourth Infantry Division soldiers conducted a raid on his home August 10. The Division conducted a previous raid on his home July 3. As a result of the information found during the second raid, Said Ali Al Karim was taken into custody.

Documents asking the Iraqi people to fight against U.S. forces and one letter supporting the September 11th attacks against the United States were retrieved from Said Ali Al Karim’s home. Additional documents found were checks to other suspected former regime loyalists, as well as a one billion Iraqi Dinar stock receipt from Saddam’s bank issued to an individual in the former regime.

In April 2003 he issued a Fatwa to wage a holy war against U.S. Forces. Karim is also suspected of placing a 50 million Iraqi Dinar bounty on a U.S. commander. Weapons seized during the raids included AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenade equipment.

Said Ali Al Karim, known as “The Prophet,” is a former regime loyalist leader, a member of the former Ba’athist party and a counselor to Saddam Hussein.

Oh...and a real bastard too.