US occupation forces have captured Abd al Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti, Saddam Hussein's presidential secretary and No. 4 on the U.S. most-wanted list of Iraqi leaders, the U.S. military said Wednesday.
U.S. forces captured Mahmud on Monday in Iraq, a statement from U.S. Central Command said.
Third in power only to the former Iraqi president and his younger son, Qusai, Mahmud controlled access to Saddam and was one of the few people he is said to have trusted completely, a U.S. official said, according to AP.
A distant cousin of the ousted leader, the U.S. military calls Mahmud Saddam's national security adviser and senior body guard.
In the 1990s, Mahmud was put in charge of several security portfolios, including responsibility over places Iraq has been accused of hiding weapons programs. He started his career as a non-commissioned officer in Saddam's bodyguard, eventually being promoted to lieutenant general. (Albawaba.com)
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