An Iraqi man suspected of having explosives in his car is held after being arrested by the U.S army near Baquba.
Jorge Silva: “It was referendum day, when the people would decide on the country's controversial new post-Saddam constitution. Providing security during the historic referendum and keeping the voting stations safe was a key issue for U.S.-led forces, in order to validate the referendum results.
Baquba had emerged as one of the heaviest guerrilla enclaves, only 30 miles northeast of Baghdad. Several bans where announced for that day after Sunni groups urged a boycott of the vote. Gatherings of more than five men were not allowed, and a driving ban for all non-military or police vehicles was in place.
Since the early morning I had been on patrol with a company, visiting polling stations. The day was tense. Suddenly we ran into an old red car driving fast just in front of us. When the driver saw the army caravan, he turned around and accelerated, and a pursuit began.
He drove off the road onto a dusty path, which as we advanced narrowed into a wheat field. The path was difficult to navigate what with the size of the Hummers, and it began to look like a trap.
After some minutes of pursuit, with our vehicle almost stuck in the path, the soldiers became very nervous. One of them started screaming: 'It’s an ambush, it’s an ambush”.
The vehicle was intercepted some 100 yards in front of us by another Hummer, which drove on an alternate path.
When I reached the car, he was already being blindfolded and he was praying aloud. A U.S. captain approached him and was reflected in the window. He asked the translator what he was saying. “He's asking God to save him,” the translator said. The answer triggered laughter from the soldiers. At the same time, a helicopter flew over us and they turned their heads looking for it.
The man was arrested, accused of having explosives in his car. But nothing was found in his vehicle. He said he didn't know anything about the ban or the referendum.
I never knew what happened to this man.
At the end of the day, five US soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in a nearby village.
The next day, the U.S. bombed the area saying 70 militia members were killed. Witnesses said several of the casualties were civilians.”