US captures Iraqi spy chief with suspected al-Qaida links

A FORMER Iraqi intelligence official allegedly linked to al-Qaida has been captured by US forces, American officials said yesterday.

The announcement came a day after the surrender of Saddam loyalist Tariq Aziz, for years the regime's most public face.

Farouk Hijazi, who most recently served as Iraq's ambassador to Tunisia, was once a senior official in the Mukhabarat, Saddam Hussein's intelligence service.

Although Hijazi was not on the most-wanted list, he is "the biggest catch so far", former CIA director James Woolsey said. "We know this man was involved with al-Qaida."

In December 1998, while serving as Iraq ambassador to Turkey, Hijazi travelled to Afghanistan and reportedly met with Osama bin Laden, according to US officials.

Aziz who had been Saddam's deputy prime minister was being questioned yesterday.

American officials hope Aziz and Hijazi will give up information about the fate of Saddam and the status of any illegal weapons programmes.

Also yesterday, US officials said oil has begun flowing again from Iraq's northern oil fields to fuel power plants in the north of the country.

Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said that Washington won't allow an Iranian-style Islamic government in Iraq.

Iran in turn rejected US accusations that it is interfering in Iraq. It said the United Nations not the United States should run any interim postwar government.

The commander of US-led forces in Iraq, Gen Tommy Franks, said troops could remain for "months, or a year or two" to ensure stability as Iraq develops its new government.

"The fact is we don't know how long it'll take ... because we don't yet know how devoted the Iraqis themselves will be in getting over their own tribal, ethnic and religious difficulties," he said.

Those difficulties could include a drive for an Islamic government by Iraq's Shi'ite Muslim majority, which was repressed under Saddam.