Three Saddam aides captured in Iraq

Three more of Saddam Hussein’s top officials have been captured in Iraq, the US army said today.

First caught was a man said to be a close confidant of the deposed Iraqi leader, has been captured in Baghdad

Mizban Khadr Hadi, a member of Saddam’s Revolutionary Command Council and a top Baath Party leader, was arrested yesterday, said the US army’s V Corps.

Hadi is listed as number 41 of the 55 most-wanted figures and is depicted as the nine of hearts in the “deck of cards” issued by the US military to track them.

The director of Iraq’s office of military industrialisation and one of Iraq’s two vice presidents under Saddam have also been held, said US Central Command announced.

It identified the detained men as Abd al Tawab Mullah Huwaysh, director of the Office of Military Industrialisation, and Taha Muhyl al Din Maruf, an Iraqi vice president and member of the Revolutionary Command Council.

Hadi was among Saddam’s most trusted aides, who were elevated by the Iraqi leader in March to command the country’s four military regions in an attempt to delegate command and strengthen the defence of the country against the American invasion that came later that month.

Hadi was placed in charge of the area that included the Shiite Muslim holy cities of Karbala and Najaf.

Saddam’s regime was made up primarily of Sunni Muslims, although they are a minority in the country.

In May 2001, Hadi was put in charge of the party’s Farmers’ Central Office.

He was reportedly extremely close to Saddam and has been one of his advisers, especially on Shiite affairs, since the early 1980s.

He has been a minister without portfolio since June 1982 and before that was Governor of Najaf. He was decorated by Saddam for his services during the 1991 Gulf War and the month long Shiite rebellion that followed Iraq’s defeat.