COOL

It took time and patience for U-S forces to capture the most wanted Iraqi in the troubled province west of Baghdad.

The commander of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division tells The Associated Press that his troops pursued Khamis Sirhan al-Muhammad relentlessly for weeks, following up on intelligence and making around a dozen raids together with Special Forces.

A tip led to his capture last Sunday...

Al-Muhammad is suspected of having had direct contact with Saddam Hussein and of directing the ambushes on U-S troops, dynamiting electric pylons and oil pipelines -- and robbing trains.

He reportedly divulged details of 20 guerrilla cells, leading to the capture of 41 insurgents and two former Iraqi generals.