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U.S. military defends decision

WASHINGTON july 24. Military commanders in Iraq and Pentagon officials in Washington on Wednesday defended the decision to storm the safehouse in Mosul where the toppled Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein's sons were hiding rather than try to encircle it and force them to surrender, much as the United States did with Gen. Manuel Noriega in Panama in 1989.

``The option to surround the house and wait out the individuals in the house was considered and rejected,'' Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, the allied ground commander in Iraq, told reporters on Wednesday. ``The commanders on the ground made the decision to go ahead and execute and accomplish their mission of finding, fixing, killing or capturing.''

He added, ``That was the right decision.'' — New York TImes

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