Sonia talks to Karunakaran, end to crisis in sight

US says Iraqi finance minister captured in Baghdad

Former Iraqi Finance Minister and deputy prime minister Hikmat al-Azzawi

BAGHDAD, April 19 -- The United Sates said Saturday that its troops have captured Iraqi Finance Minister Hikmat al-Azzawi in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.File photo: Former Iraqi Finance Minister and deputy prime minister Hikmat al-Azzawi Al-Azzawi, also a deputy prime minister, ranks 45th on a list of 55 Iraqi officials most wanted by the United States in form of a deck of cards. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is listed as "theace of spades."

According to reports reaching here from Doha, Major Randi Steffy said at the Central Command that the minister "was capturedby Iraqi police in Baghdad and turned over to the First Marine Division on Friday."On Thursday, Saddam Hussein's half brother, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, was captured by the US Special Forces.Barzan, Iraqi's former permanent delegate to the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, ranks 38th in the list.

In order to hunt for the top Iraqi leaders, the US-led coalition forces have distributed a deckof cards with pictures of the 55 most wanted Iraqis to soldiers. Saddam and his two sons, Qusay and Uday, are at the top of the list.Following is a list of the five Iraqis on the list who have so far been arrested:

Samir Abul Aziz al-Najim, the Baath party regional command chairman for East Baghdad, ranks 24th on the list. He was handed over to the US troops on April 17 by Iraqi Kurds near Mosul. Hikmat Ibrahim al-Azzawi, Saddam's finance minister and a deputy prime minister, is No.45. He was taken into custody in Baghdad on April 19 after being captured by Iraqi police.

Watban Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, Saddam's half-brother and presidential adviser, ranks 51st. He was arrested on April 13 nearthe Syrian border.Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, Saddam's half-brother who once ran Iraq's intelligence service, is No.52. He was captured by U.S.-led special forces on April 17 in Baghdad.Amer Hammoudi al-Saadi, Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser,ranks 55th on the list. He surrendered on April 12 in Baghdad.

Sonia talks to Karunakaran, end to crisis in sight

Thiruvananthapuram,Saturday, April 19, 2003: The crisis in the Kerala unit of Congress over the just-concluded Rajya Sabha polls appeared to be veering round to an end today with AICC chief Sonia Gandhi having a telephone talk with senior party leader K Karunakaran, who had put up a rebel candidate against the official nominees.

"Yes, we had a seven-minute talk today. I will be going to Delhi on Apr 21 and will be meeting the AICC chief," Karunakaran told mediapersons who met him at his residence. He said Gandhi had called him as there had been conflicting reports on the crisis in the state Congress. "Some people in the party want action against KPCC chief K Muraleedharan. Some others want action against me. However, senior leaders have apprised the high command that any such action would not be in the interests of the party," he said.

Asked whether he had any suggestions to end the present crisis, Karunakaran said he had not thought about it. The `I' group's decision to put up a rebel candidate against official nominees was not to defy the high command, but to register protest against the neglect of the faction, he said.
Karunakaran said the high command appeared to have understood the political reality in the state and would take a appropriate decision. "If problems can be solved, we will not stand in the way," he said.