The Command Post
Iraq
April 23, 2003
Three Four top Iraqi officials turned in to coalition

Fox News: Three top officials in the Saddam Hussein regime have been captured, including "Queen of Diamonds," Muzahim Sa'b Hasan Al Tikriti, who was commander of the Air Defense Forces. Another official who was not in the Iraq Deck 55 was captured in a special forces raid, according to Fox.

See highlights from this Reuters story and this AP report below.

Update: AP has updated the story to include all four officials. The officials are Muzahim Sa'b Hassan al-Tikriti (#10 most wanted/ Queen of Diamonds), Gen. Zuhayr Talib Abd al-Sattar al-Naqib (#21 most wanted/7 of Hearts), Muhammad Mahdi al-Salih (#48 most wanted/6 of Hearts) and Salim Said Khalaf al-Jumayli, who was not on the 55 most wanted list.

The latest, most complete AP Story

American forces in Iraq captured four top officials of Saddam Hussein's former government Wednesday, including the air defense force commander and the former head of military intelligence.

The highest-ranking official in the group is Muzahim Sa'b Hassan al-Tikriti, who headed Iraq's air defenses under Saddam. He was No. 10 on the U.S. list of the top 55 most wanted officials from Saddam's regime.

Gen. Zuhayr Talib Abd al-Sattar al-Naqib, the former head of the Directorate of Military Intelligence, surrendered to U.S. troops Wednesday, a senior Pentagon official said.

The directorate monitored the loyalty of Iraq's regular army, provided security at Iraqi military facilities and collected intelligence on military forces opposing Iraq. The Pentagon official said Naqib's American equivalent would be the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Naqib was No. 21 on the 55 most wanted list and was the seven of hearts in the deck of cards produced by the U.S. military with pictures of Saddam's associates.

Also captured Wednesday was Muhammad Mahdi al-Salih, the former Iraqi trade minister and No. 48 on the most wanted list.

Naqib was a professional soldier who rose through the ranks of the Iraqi army, U.S. officials said. The military intelligence directorate he headed was separate from the Iraqi Mukhabarat, which gathered strategic intelligence and conducted covert operations aimed at maintaining government authority.

Also Wednesday, allied special operations troops captured a Mukhabarat officer formerly in charge of American operations, a senior U.S. official said.

Jim Wilkinson, director of strategic communications for U.S. Central Command, identified the prisoner as Salim Said Khalaf al-Jumayli. He was not among the 55 most wanted.

Al-Jumayli is suspected of having knowledge of Iraqi intelligence activities in the United States, including names of people spying for Iraq, Wilkinson said in a statement from Doha, Qatar.

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Earlier versions of this story are posted below
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Reuters:

Gen. Zuhayr al Naqib, who headed military intelligence in President Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government, surrendered to U.S. forces in Baghdad on Wednesday, while another former official was captured, U.S. defense officials said.

In addition, U.S. special forces in the Iraqi capital captured Salim Sa'id Khalaf Al-Jumayli, the former chief of the Iraqi Intelligence Service American desk, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

"He is suspected of having knowledge of Iraqi Intelligence Service activities in the United States, including names of persons spying for Iraq. There was one enemy casualty and no friendly casualties," according to the statement by Central Command spokesman Jim Wilkinson.

Associated Press:

The former head of Iraqi military intelligence surrendered to U.S. forces in Baghdad Wednesday, a senior Pentagon official said.

Gen. Zuhayr Talib Abd al-Sattar al-Naqib was director of the Directorate of Military Intelligence, which monitored the loyalty of Iraq's regular army, provided security at Iraqi military facilities and collected intelligence on military forces opposing Iraq. The Pentagon official said Naqib's American equivalent would be the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Naqib was No. 21 on the U.S. list of the 55 most wanted officials from Saddam Hussein's government.

Naqib was the seven of hearts in the deck of cards produced by the U.S. military with pictures of Saddam's associates.

[...]

Also Wednesday, allied special operations troops captured an Iraqi Intelligence Service officer formerly in charge of American operations, a senior U.S. official said.

Jim Wilkinson, director of strategic communications for U.S. Central Command, identified the prisoner as Salim Said Khalaf al-Jumayli. He was not among the 55 most wanted.

Posted By Martin Devon at April 23, 2003 06:06 PM | TrackBack
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Sha-wooo! That was close. I was nervous we might not get another card dealt out today...

Hit Me... Hit me again...I'll hold.

Posted by: Capsu78 at April 23, 2003 06:21 PM

Do we have a full house yet?

Posted by: michele at April 23, 2003 06:26 PM

The four captured officials apparently include Sir Not Appearing in this Movie.

Posted by: BH at April 23, 2003 06:28 PM

There needs to be some kind of game associated with this. We could guess the type of hand most likely to be dealt.

Posted by: Phil Hornsey at April 23, 2003 07:03 PM

Even if we don't get a full house right away, it's already got the makings of an awesome game of WAR! ;)

Posted by: SR at April 23, 2003 08:37 PM

If I were commander of Iraqi air defenses I wouldn't admit it. Maybe I would say I was Saddam's butler.

Posted by: Fred Boness at April 23, 2003 08:40 PM

Fred, considering what we are learning about Saddam, I would not under any circumstances want to admit being a part of Saddam's household, and close enough to him that he trusted me.

Think aobut it.

Posted by: Jrm at April 23, 2003 09:11 PM

Jrm, it's sort of like being accused of being a child molester and copping to being just a flasher as a defense. None of these guys are going to want any of the last thirty years on their resumes.

Posted by: Fred Boness at April 23, 2003 10:10 PM
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