GWT: WRAP Marines detain bank looters, on night patrol

(17 Apr 2003) SHOTLIST 1. Tracking shot from armoured vehicle driving down street 2. Mural of Saddam Hussein on side of building 3. US Marines outside bank 4. Marines entering bank Nightscope vision 5. Various, marines inside bank 6. Man emerging, hands on head 7. Man being searched by marines 8. Marine with weapon 9. Man emerging from building, hands on head 10. Marines with detainees 11. Detainess being taken away 12. Various, marines searching interior of building 13. Marines outside bank 14. Marine next to sign 'Rasheed Bank' 15. Various, marines searching detainee 16. Marines removing detainees 17. Various, detainees being loaded onto vehicle All double nightscope vision (accounts for slow-motion effect) 18. Group of men being arrested by US Marine Special Forces 19. Close shot, car 20. US marine searching boot of car 21. Marines with guns and torches 22. Marines searching interior of car 23. Various, arrested men kneeling on ground, surrounded by marines 24. Marines searching car Nightscope vision 25. Marine donning protective gloves 26. Marines attending to badly-wounded man 27. Close shot, man's face 28. Various, marines tying detainees' hands and searching them 29. Mid shot, detainee 30. Mid shot, guns 31. Moon behind clouds STORYLINE The US Marines Special Forces - also known as 'Force Recon' - were called to the financial district of Baghdad on Thursday, home to several big banks. There had been reports of looters in the area and the marines duly patrolled the district, checking out each bank. They found the district relatively quiet - in fact, the banks had been virtually stripped bare by looters over the past few days. The US troops did stumble across four looting suspects. One man was found trying to open a vault with a blow-torch, although it was unclear whether there were any valuables inside. The marines detained the looters, put masking tape over their mouths, covered their heads and took them away. The Americans have been patrolling Baghdad night and day in an effort to crack down on looting and anarchy. APTN joined one patrol doing the rounds in the al-Kifah area of southern Baghdad. The al-Kifah area is where people go to change dollars to dinars and vice versa on the black markets. The area is said to be rough and unsafe, even in peace times. At one point, the Americans received reports of looting. As they went to investigate, they came across a group of suspect looters. The men were reported to have opened fire and the marines responded with like. One of the suspects was fatally wounded in the exchange and died later on Thursday morning. Another five or six were arrested. US officials said automatic weapons were found in the men's car and a magazine clip containing ammunition in the pocket of one of the detainees. Overall in Baghdad, the situation is said to have improved since the US marine patrols began. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...