Iraq’s ‘Dr Germ’ surrenders to coalition forces

COALITION forces have taken custody of the Iraqi scientist known as ‘Dr Germ’ for her work in creating weapons-grade anthrax, according to Pentagon officials, who said they also had initial field reports that the head of Saddam Hussein’s military has been captured.

The scientist, Dr Rihab Rashid Taha had been negotiating her surrender for days and turned herself in over the last 48 hours, said Major Brad Lowell of the US Central Command.

UN weapons inspectors nicknamed Taha ‘Dr Germ’ because she ran the Iraqi biological weapons facility where scientists worked with anthrax, botulinum toxin and aflatoxin. A microbiologist, Taha holds a doctorate from the University of East Anglia in Britain.

Also reported captured was Armed Forces Chief of Staff Ibrahim Ahmad Abd al Sattar Muhammad al Tikriti, Pentagon officials said, citing initial reports from the region. He is number 11 on a list issued last month of the 55 most wanted former members of Saddam’s regime and the jack of spades in a card deck issued to troops looking for regime leaders. No details of his capture were available.

Taha is not on the list of the 55, but among 200 Iraqis that Defense Secretary Donald H Rumsfeld has said are sought but who have not all been named publicly. Taha once said in a radio interview that Iraq was justified in producing germ weapons for its self-defence. Taha is married to Amer Rashid, who held top posts in Saddam’s missile programs and was oil minister before the war.

Rashid, the six of spades had already surrendered.

The new US civilian administrator for Iraq Lieutenant Paul Bremer, arrived in the country yesterday to take over its reconstruction and political rehabilitation after the war.

Bremer, who flew to the southern city of Basra from neighbouring Kuwait, said: “It’s a wonderful challenge to help the Iraqi people basically reclaim their country from a despotic regime.”

He flew in with General Richard Myers, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Jay Garner, the retired general Bremer has replaced as the senior US civilian in Iraq.

Bremer’s appointment was part of a shake-up in the US post-war team in Iraq, amid continuing frustration over its efforts to restore essential public services and stability to the country. Iraqis have criticised the progress as too slow.