Spy chief's capture is 'the biggest catch'

The capture of a former Iraqi intelligence chief near the Syrian border was hailed by the former CIA chief James Woolsey yesterday as "the biggest catch so far".

Farouq Hijazi, who was once in charge of the Iraqi intelligence agency's external operations, is suspected of plotting to assassinate former president George Bush during his visit to Kuwait in 1993.

It has also been claimed in the US that he liaised between the Baghdad regime and al-Qaida. Under interrogation he may cast some light on whether such claims have substance.

A US official confirmed that he was arrested yesterday, but gave no details.

Mr Hijazi was not included on America's most-wanted list, apparently because he was not thought to be in Iraq.

Before the invasion he was serving as Iraq's ambassador in Tunisia.

Last week Washington said it believed that he had fled to Syria, and demanded that Damascus hand him over, along with half a dozen other named Iraqi officials. Syria denied that he or any other Iraqi officials had entered the country.

But as the tension between Washington and Damascus shows signs of easing, there was speculation yesterday that the Syrian authorities may have bundled Mr Hijazi over the border into Iraq, or facilitated his arrest in some other way.

In 1998, after ostensibly retiring from intelligence work, he was named ambassador to Canada, but Canada rejected him.

He was then appointed ambassador to Turkey.

Shortly after taking up his post in Turkey, Mr Hijazi allegedly met Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan.

Newsweek magazine reported that he had also met Mohammed Atta, the leader of the September 11 hijackers, in Prague in April 2001, but other sources have cast doubt on that.

About six months ago, after reports linked him to Bin Laden, Mr Hijazi was recalled from Turkey and sent to Tunisia as ambassador.