The men were trying to leave Iraq on a bus, Brigadier General Vincent Brooks told reporters at Central Command's forward planning base in Qatar.

"At a checkpoint in the west, coalition special operations forces stopped a bus with 59 military aged men. In their possesion were letters offering financial rewards for killing American soldiers and 630,000 US dollars in 100 dollar bills," he said.

"The men and all their possessions were taken into coalition control."

Brooks said he did not know whether they were Iraqis or not.

SPACE.WIRE