U.S. special forces Thursday captured a half brother of Saddam Hussein who, according to one American commander, has ``extensive knowledge'' of the toppled regime's inner workings.
Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, in a briefing at U.S. Central Command, said Barzan Ibrahim Hasan, a top adviser to Saddam, was captured alone in Baghdad. No casualties were sustained by the special forces or the U.S. Marines who provided support.
Brooks declined to give details about the operation, but said it resulted from information provided by Iraqis. The U.S.-led coalition is ``relentlessly pursuing the scattered members of a fractured regime,'' Brooks said.
Another of Saddam's three half brothers, Watban Ibrahim Hasan, was captured previously; he once served as Iraq's interior minister. Both are considered likely to have information about any weapons of mass destruction developed by Saddam's regime.
The third half brother, Sab'awi Ibrahim Hassan, reportedly took refuge in Syria.