Baghdad, 18 June 2003 (RFE/RL) -- The United States military says U.S. forces have captured the number four on the list of 55 most-wanted Iraqis -- Abid Hamid Mahmood al-Tikriti (pictured), who was presidential secretary to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. He is the highest-placed Iraqi to be captured by U.S.-led forces so far.
No information was immediately available on where in Iraq al-Tikriti was captured. He was believed to be fourth in power in the Iraqi regime behind only Saddam Hussein and his sons Qusay and Uday.
The U.S. military said American forces had raided two farmhouses near Saddam's hometown of Tikrit and captured up to 50 people believed linked to the former president's security or intelligence forces, including one man believed to be a Saddam bodyguard.
Officials said U.S. forces seized $8.5 million in U.S. cash, hundreds of millions of Iraqi dinars, and an undetermined amount of British pounds and euros in the raids.
No information was immediately available on where in Iraq al-Tikriti was captured. He was believed to be fourth in power in the Iraqi regime behind only Saddam Hussein and his sons Qusay and Uday.
The U.S. military said American forces had raided two farmhouses near Saddam's hometown of Tikrit and captured up to 50 people believed linked to the former president's security or intelligence forces, including one man believed to be a Saddam bodyguard.
Officials said U.S. forces seized $8.5 million in U.S. cash, hundreds of millions of Iraqi dinars, and an undetermined amount of British pounds and euros in the raids.