21.   Former prime minister Tengiz Sigua and former defence minister Tengiz Kitovani, two key opposition figures, refused to sign the peace pact Wednesday.

22.   French intelligence services tapped the phones of aides to former defence minister Francois Leotard after the election of President Jacques Chirac last year, a report said Monday.

23.   General Abacha, a former defence minister, has repeatedly promised to hand over to civilian rule.

24.   Giorgadze also masterminded a bid to assassinate former Georgian defence minister Georgi Karkarashvili, Iosseliani added.

25.   Hassan is a son-in-law of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and a former defence minister.

26.   He also accused former defence minister Narcis Serra and socialist party leader Txiki Benegas of setting up the GAL.

27.   He identified the three as former justice minister Mullah Toorabi, former defence minister Mullah Obaidullah, and former industry and mines minister Mullah Saaduddin.

28.   He said former defence minister Pavel Grachev was involved in the scams, adding that the prosecutor-general should investigate the deals.

29.   He said forces loyal to Ahmad Shah Masood, the former defence minister, had taken position near a cluster of huts in the town and set up bunkers.

30.   He said the area had a cluster of small hutments and the ousted government forces led by former defence minister Ahmad Shah Masood had taken position there.