Muhammad Hamza al-Zubaydi, who played a key role in the suppression of the Shiite uprising of 1991, was arrested Monday in Iraq, the U.S. Central Command said.
Al-Zubaydi, a former member of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council and central Euphrates regional commander, was no. 18 on a list of the 55 most-wanted figures from Saddam Hussein's regime.
Al-Zubaydi, a former prime minister and deputy prime minister, was one of the key figures in suppressing the Shiite uprising that followed the 1991 Gulf War and overseeing the destruction of southern marshlands populated by the Marsh Arabs.
Known as Saddam's "Shi'a thug", he was featured in Iraqi news film kicking and beating captured Shiite rebels. He was relieved in May 2001 of positions as Deputy Prime Minister and member of the Ba'ath Party Regional Command.
With Monday's capture, eight of the most-wanted members of Saddam's inner circle are now in custody, though none of them are from the very top of the list. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
