Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

U.S. troops in Iraq have arrested the U.S.-appointed administrator of the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf on charges of kidnapping and corruption.

U.S. officials say 61 of Abu Haydar Abdul Mun'im's aides were also detained.

A statement from the U.S.-led provisional authority said the arrests were made at the request of an Iraqi investigative judge.

In recent weeks, Najaf residents have protested against the presence of Mr. Mun'im in local government, accusing him, among other things, of links to Saddam Hussein's banned Baath party.

In other developments, the United States has returned five Syrian border guards recently wounded in a U.S. attack on the border between Syria and Iraq. Details of the handover have not been reported.

The five Syrians were seized earlier this month when U.S. forces raided what they termed a suspicious convoy near the Iraq-Syrian border. The incident has contributed to rising tensions between the two countries.

Meanwhile, U.S. troops are continuing their sweep in central Iraq, seeking to crush armed resistance and those responsible for the almost daily attacks against coalition forces.

Officials say the sweep, dubbed "Operation Sidewinder," is targeting former Iraqi military leaders, Ousted Baath party loyalists, and terrorists suspected of carrying out a series of hit-and-run attacks against U.S. forces.

Central Command says a just completed two-week operation resulted in more than 1,300 detentions, and the recovery of weapons, ammunition and vehicles, as well as millions of dollars in cash and gold bars.

At least 22 American soldiers have been killed in attacks since May 1, when U.S. President George W. Bush declared the end of major combat in Iraq.

Some information for this report provided by AP, Reuters and AFP.