Bounty Placed on Heads of Iraqi Leaders

"BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi insurgents, run out of their northern stronghold in Tal Afar for the second time in a year, counterattacked with an Internet propaganda offensive Monday that put a bounty of about $200,000 on the heads of top Iraqi leaders.

Violence flared again in the ancient city late Monday when Iraqi soldiers trapped insurgents in basement hideouts, killing 40 militants in fierce combat, the military said. Most insurgents had fled Tal Afar as the U.S.-backed offensive began Saturday, many escaping through tunnels.

The new fighting raised the insurgent death toll in Tal Afar to near 200, the government said. Officials said seven Iraqi soldiers and six civilians died in the three-day offensive, while the U.S. military said no American soldiers were hurt.

Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari flew to Tal Afar on Monday to congratulate his army, and Al-Iraqiya state television said he went despite insurgent threats "to attack the city with chemical and biological weapons.""
MyWay