BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi apparently suspected by U.S. troops of
taking part in attacks in Baghdad accused U.S. forces on Tuesday of
taking his mother and sister hostage to pressure him and his brothers
into surrendering for questioning.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Friday two Iraqi women detained for six days had been held on suspicion of complicity in insurgent attacks, not used as hostages to pressure fugitive male relatives to surrender.

"U.S. forces do not take hostages, nor do we participate in blackmail activities," Lieutenant Colonel Clifford Kent, spokesman for the 3rd Infantry Division, said in a statement.

The women, 60-year-old Salima al-Batawi and her daughter Aliya, were arrested by U.S. troops and Iraqi police last Saturday and were released by U.S. forces Thursday.

"We strongly believed they had both direct and indirect knowledge of the planning and coordination of attacks against Iraqi security forces and coalition forces," Kent said.

"Sources told us the women were present during meetings to plan attacks against coalition forces and that they had knowledge of terror cell leaders and the location of weapons caches in the area."

The two women told Reuters Friday that soldiers had informed them they would be detained until they revealed the whereabouts of male relative suspected of insurgent attacks, or until the wanted male relatives turned themselves in.

Arkan Mukhlif al-Batawi, the son of Salima and brother of Aliya, told Reuters Tuesday that the women were being held to pressure him and his brothers Muhammad and Saddam to surrender.