Iraqi police arrested Saddam Hussein's former finance minister and turned him over to the Marines, the U.S. Central Command said Saturday.
Hikmat Mizban Ibrahim al-Azzawi, who also served as a deputy prime minister, was apprehended Friday in Baghdad, the command said.

Hikmat Ibrahim al-Azzawi was number 45 on a list of 55 Saddam supporters most wanted by the United States and was also a deputy prime minister.

Azzawi was the eight of diamonds in a deck of cards issued to U.S. troops hunting the overthrown Iraqi administration.

He was captured the same day that one of Saddam's top scientists - depicted as the mastermind of Iraq's nerve agent program - turned himself in to the Americans. The apprehension of Emad Husayn Abdullah al-Ani raised hopes of a breakthrough in the as-yet-fruitless search for banned chemical and biological weapons inside Iraq.

Other figures from the most-wanted list captured previously include Saddam's top science adviser, Lt. Gen. Amer al-Saadi; Saddam's half brothers Watban Ibrahim Hasan and Barzan Ibrahim Hasan, and Samir Abd al-Aziz al-Najim, a senior leader of Saddam's toppled Baath party.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!