Official: Some Iraqis Forced to Be Bombers

BAGHDAD, July 23, 2004 — -- It is one of the most frightening forms of violence in Iraq today — dozens of human bombers willing to die for their cause. But Brig. Gen. John Custer, the director of intelligence for Central Command, told ABC News he believes many of the bombers are forced to carry out the attacks.

Custer said there was evidence some bombers were physically chained inside the vehicles used in the attacks.

"What we've found in a number of places are hands chained to a steering wheel," he said. "Up in Irbil, we found a foot roped into the car, unable to escape. Their children were kidnapped and held — they were forced. We've seen faces blown off and been able to identify the perpetrator."

Officials are not certain who is forcing people to do this, but he says the idea that Iraq is being badly infiltrated by outsiders is wrong.

"The big myth is that the foreign fighters are everywhere, that there are thousands," Custer said. "My feeling is that that's largely that Arab street [spreading the myth]. That's the story everybody wants to hear, and Iraqis don't want to admit that some of [the bombers] might be Iraqis."

There are serious concerns that violence will increase in the next few months with the approach of the Iraq elections. They primary concern: Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Zarqawi has been blamed for much of the violence in Iraq. Today U.S. warplanes attacked what the military said was a gathering site for his followers in Fallujah.

"Zarqawi has certainly become the rock star terrorist in the past two months," Custer said. "Not to the degree most people can claim and not to the degree they want to be seen."

Custer said he sees possible links between Zarqawi and al Qaeda, but beyond that, he said, "I don't see a lot of evidence in Iraq of al Qaeda."

Custer insisted progress has been made in going after the insurgents in Iraq, but he acknowledged the extremist networks are proving very difficult to crack.

ABC News' Martha Raddatz filed this report for World News Tonight.