The woman who ran Iraq's secret biological laboratory, has been taken into American custody. British-educated Dr Rihab Taha was not on the list of the 55 most wanted Iraqis but her detention is seen a major step in a search for possible weapons of mass destruction. US forces have also detained the former armed forces chief of staff, Ibrahim Ahmad Abd al Sattar Muhammad, listed eleventh on the list. He was designated as the jack of spades in the deck of cards published to illustrate fugitive Iraqis and his apprehension means that 20 of the 55 now have been apprehended, with another three dead. Only one other captured official from Saddam Hussein's former government ranks higher on the list. Dr Taha, who received her doctorate from the University of East Anglia before guiding Iraq's biological arms development, was taken into custody over the weekend. She is the wife of Iraq's former oil minister General Amer Mohammed Rashid, who surrendered to US forces on April 28. "She has a background in biological weapons, and so that is obviously important to us," said Major Brad Lowell, a spokesman for US Central Command. Officials indicated that Taha surrendered but did not provide details. Previously Dr. Taha has admitted producing germ warfare agents, including anthrax and botulinum but said all such Iraqi weapons were destroyed. **PHOTO CAPTION*** U.S. forces have taken into custody the former Iraqi armed forces chief of staff, Ibrahim Ahmad Abd al Sattar Muhammad May 12, 2003. (DOD/Reuters)