Captured pair could lead way to Saddam

The capture of two of the former Iraqi regime's most wanted members could lead to the capture of Saddam Hussein.

Saddam's son-in-law Jamal Mustafa Sultan Abdullah al-Tikriti, who surrendered in Damascus, was one of the Iraqi leader's trusted inner circle.

Married to Saddam's younger daughter, Hala, he is listed as the nine of clubs in a pack of cards that was handed out to US troops showing the 55 most wanted figures of Saddam's regime.

Moments after he gave himself up US Central Command announced that Saddam's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Humam Abd al-Khaliq Abd al-Ghafar - the four of hearts - was in coalition custody.

Yasser Alaskary, media affairs director of the Iraqi Prospect Organisation, which has been pressing for democratic change in Iraq, said Jamal was bound to know the whereabouts of Saddam.

"Jamal's bound to know where Saddam Hussein could be, because he's married to Saddam's daughter and it's very likely that she knows where he is," he said.

"Saddam is very close to all his sons and daughters and Hala is very likely to know where he is."

Jamal reportedly stayed close to his father-in-law right to the end - even though Saddam had had his two other sons-in-law executed in the mid 1990s.

Ahmed Shames, chair of the Iraqi Prospect Organisation, said Jamal "is known to be very loyal and part of Saddam's inner circle".

He said: "He comes from Tikrit, where Saddam comes from himself. After Saddam and his sons, he probably knows the most about what is going on."

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