Four arrested in beheading of American but two to go free

COALITION forces arrested four men suspected of beheading the American captive Nicholas Berg in Iraq, but two were released, a US military spokesman said yesterday.

The suspects were detained during a raid in Baghdad on Wednesday, said Brigadier-General Mark Kimmitt.

Mr Berg’s decapitation was captured on a videotape released by his killers. His body was found on 8 May near a highway overpass in Baghdad.

"Coalition forces conducted a raid to capture four individuals suspected of involvement in the Nicholas Berg assassination," Brig-Gen Kimmitt said. "Four persons were detained and questioned. Two personnel were released and the other two are still being questioned."

Earlier, an Iraqi security official said four people were arrested one week ago in the hunt for Mr Berg’s killers, and that the group of suspects was led by a nephew of Saddam Hussein.

It was unclear whether Brig-Gen Kimmitt and the Iraqi security official were referring to different groups.