US arrests sixth Saddam aide

US arrests sixth Saddam aide

Abd al-Khaliq Abd al-Gafar was the 54th most wanted

The United States military says its forces in Iraq have captured a sixth member of Saddam Hussein's former regime.

A statement from US Central Command in Qatar said Abd al-Khaliq Abd al-Gafar, who was minister of higher education and scientific research, was taken into custody on Saturday.

In a separate development, an Iraqi political party says that Saddam Hussein's son-in-law, Jamal Mustafa Sultan, has given himself up to them.

Mr Gafar is ranked 54th on the US list of 55 wanted Iraqi leaders, who are pictured on packs of cards handed out to US forces in Iraq. Mr Jamal is ranked 40th.

The Iraqi National Congress, which was exiled before the American-led invasion of Iraq, said Mr Jamal - who is married to Saddam Hussein's youngest daughter - would be handed over to US forces.

CAPTURED IRAQI LEADERS (AS RANKED BY US FORCES)

24. Samir al-Aziz al-Najem

45. Hikmat Ibrahim al-Azzawi

51. Watban Ibrahim al-Tikriti

52. Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti

54. Abd al-Khaliq Abd al-Gafar

55. General Amir al-Saadi (surrendered)

A spokesman for the group said Mr Jamal had been in Syria, but had been persuaded to return to Baghdad to give himself up.

"We told him there would be a better future for him if he surrendered," INC spokesman Faisal Qaragholi told the BBC.

The arrest has not been confirmed by Central Command officials, who say they are looking into the claim.

The capture of Mr Gafar means the coalition forces have now seized four leaders of the Iraqi regime in the past four days.

The BBC's Richard Galpin, in Baghdad, says the net appears to be slowly closing on the more senior members of the old regime.

The more top officials are captured, the more intelligence the US military can obtain in their hunt for Saddam Hussein himself, he adds.