Baath Party official in US custody

10.30am

The US military said today that a former member of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party who is on Washington's list of most-wanted Iraqis was in the custody of US-led forces in Iraq.

The US Central Command said in a statement that Ugla Abid Sighar al-Kubeiysi was a Baath Party regional chairman in Maysan governorate and was number 50 on the wanted list.

"(He) is now in custody of coalition forces," the statement said without giving further details.

The United States issued a list of most-wanted Iraqis after ousting Saddam on April 9, three weeks after US-led forces invaded Iraq. Kubeiysi's surrender brings to 24 the number of the 55 wanted fugitives now in US custody.

His arrest follows the surrender of one of Saddam's most trusted generals, the former secretary of the feared Republican Guard, to US forces on Saturday.

Kamal Mustafa Abdallah Sultan al-Tikriti, who is also Saddam's cousin, became only the second top 10 figure from a US list of 55 wanted fugitives to be taken into US custody.

Tikriti was 10th on the list, one place behind former deputy prime minister Mohammed Hamza al-Zubeidi who was captured by Free Iraqi Forces last month.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq