WASHINGTON, Dec 14: US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld called President Bush on Saturday afternoon and informed him that Saddam Hussein has been captured, the White House said on Sunday.

At a special briefing at the White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters that Mr Rumsfeld called President Bush at 3.15 pm on Saturday and said “Gen. Abizaid (commander of the US Central Command) called me, he feels confident that we got Saddam Hussein.”

“The president and the secretary discussed the potential that this could be an impostor, so they were still cautious at that point,” said Mr McClellan.

Mr Rumsfeld checked with Gen. Abizaid again and told Mr Bush: “Gen. Abizaid had confirmed through some identifying marks on Saddam Hussein.”

Then President Bush called Vice President Dick Cheney and his national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and informed them. Ms Rice informed Secretary of State Colin Powell and CIA Director George Tenet.

Then at 5:14 on Sunday morning US administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, called Ms Rice and confirmed that it was Saddam Hussein and she conveyed the message to Mr Bush.

President Bush then shared the news with US lawmakers and international leaders. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, America’s staunchest ally in the Iraq war, was the first world leader Mr Bush called at 8 am Sunday.

Mr Bush also spoke with Adnan Pachachi, the acting president of the Iraqi Governing Council and congratulated him.