The move affects Saddam, who is being held prisoner by the coalition, his wife and children abroad, and former officials who held ministerial posts and within the ruling Baath party, he told AFP.

"This list of names was transmitted by the interim Governing Council to the finance ministry which has decided to freeze the assets, in movable and immovable property, of these people," said Kilani.

The newspaper Baghdad, whose board is headed by Iyad Allawi, a member of the council, published a list of the 3,000 names, including former army and intelligence services officials.

Among the names were Saddam's half-brothers Barzan and Watban al-Tikriti, the vice chairman of the once all-powerful Revolutionary Command Council, Izzat Ibrahim, and deputy prime minister Tareq Aziz.

Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, who was Iraq's president between 1968 and 1979, is also listed.

The newspaper said the finance minister has instructed the tax authorities to freeze their assets "pending further instructions".

"Some former officials have tried to withdraw money from their deposits in banks in Iraq, including Saadun Hammadi," a former speaker of parliament, and others have tried to falsify property deeds to avoid the freeze, it said.

TERRA.WIRE