Iraq frees Saddam's interior minister

Iraqi authorities have released the country's former interior minister Mohmoud Dhiyab al-Ahmed from prison, according to an official with Ministry of Justice. "Iraqi authorities released Mohmoud Dhiyab al-Ahmed, who served as interior minister for the former regime, after ending his sentence of seven years in prison," Xinhua quoted Haidar al-Saadi, spokesperson of the ministry as saying here Monday. The release came after the authorities confirmed that Al-Ahmed was no more wanted for other cases, Saadi said. Al-Ahmed, the interior minister under the toppled Saddam Hussein regime, had been taken into custody Aug. 9, 2003 after the US-led invasion of Iraq. He was one of the most wanted senior officials by the US forces.