Posted on 04/23/2008 5:27:31 PM PDT by blam
Saddam Hussein's ally Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri 'captured' in Iraq
By Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:57am BST 24/04/2008
American forces have captured Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party heir, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the most wanted former regime official still at large, it has been reported.
A Middle Eastern television channel said Douri, a key force in the country's devastating insurgency, had been seized in a mountain raid in Saddam's home province of Salahaddin.
Most wanted: Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri
Douri was King of Clubs in the deck of cards of most wanted Iraqis issued to American soldiers after the war.
But he was almost unique in evading capture within the top rungs of the regime deposed by the US-led coalition in 2003.
A US spokesman said the Baghdad command was unable to confirm his capture, but the television reports said he had been handed to US forces and DNA tests would be carried out to confirm his identity.
Abu Mohammed, described as Douri's representative in Syria, claimed the reports were fabricated, saying Douri was free and "leading the resistance and jihad in Iraq".
Western intelligence credited Douri, whose name derives from the neighbouring village to Saddam's native town, with a continuing important role in the insurgency.
A wizened bureaucrat with red hair, the former vice-chairman of Saddam's Revolutionary Command Council was not cut out for the underground but he survived for five years on guile and a broad range of connections.
Mowafaq al-Rubaie, Iraq's National Security adviser, told a Saudi newspaper that Syria was sheltering Douri and accused the 65-year-old of playing a key role connecting former regime officials with al-Qa'eda followers.
As the last recognised leader of the Iraqi Ba'ath Party, he found post-war support in Syria and used his position in Damascus to frustrate attempts by moderates to start negotiations with democratic regimes.
Known since childhood as the Ice Man, his state of health was rumoured to be fragile and several reports had said he died of leukaemia.
But he enjoyed strong tribal support among Sunni Muslim sympathisers as well as Al-Qa'eda sympathisers.
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An Iraqi court announced that Tariq Aziz, the urbane Christian Iraqi who was the dictatorship's voice to the world, would face trial for the persecution of Baghdad merchants in the 1990s.
The announcement of charges for Aziz and six other top officials, including Saddam's half brother, Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan, dashed hopes in the Vatican that the long-serving foreign minister would be freed on grounds of ill-health.
The trial centres on the execution of 42 merchants rounded up after the first Gulf War and accused of profiteering from Iraq's isolation.
Scott Speicher bump
Finally! That guy has been very evasive.....excellent news.
Chalk up another one for the good guys!
So far, I have not seen confirmation of this.
What you have so far is a slow newsday combined with RUMINT.
MNF-I is not confirming...
What’s with the ‘ ‘ around captured? No asking you blam, just wondering why the Telegraph did that.
Best news of the day, besides the continued infighting between Hillary and Obama.
LOL. Yup, that’s why we’re paying $3.50 per gallon.
He looks like a Baathist Richie Cunningham.
Damn.it.
Probably means whoever is detaining him is waiting for his 10million reward to be broken into small bills first.
Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri was captured by Iraqi security forces and handed over to the US Army.
Gee, I wonder how his day is going, so far...
>Uh, say what?
Why is the Vatican trying to intercede for this scumbag?
[To clarify, I note that you weren't referring to Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, but to Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan.]
Because they are trying to be Christian. Let he who has not smashed someone's head to a pulp cast the first stone and all that... I mean, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Just to remind folks...here is an overview of the accused, and here is a witness' statement against Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan:
"[The prisoner's alleged crime was that] he had driven through a red traffic light...Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan...was holding a wooden club with a round head which is covered in tar (a traditional tribal weapon)...the man was made to crouch down into a painful position in front of the other prisoners. Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan began to strike the man who screamed and begged for him to stop until he fell down on the ground...Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan then stood close to the man on the ground and with the great violence hit him approximately ten more times from the side until his face and skull was smashed to pulp...Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan then shouted so that every one including the other prisoners could hear words to the effect of 'take away this dog'."Of course, as with anything in that region, everything on both sides must be taken with a grain of salt. "Truth" has a different meaning in Iraq...it tends to be defined as "the story that benefits me."
Yep. Good idea to keep this one at home. Get some info on Scott Speicher before they stretch the rope.
I hear you. Iran is our big problem now, and there is no love lost between Saddam's men and the Iranians.
Izzat Ibrahim has been reported captured before...He’s been reported to have *died* before...not that many nelieved it.
So until a US spojkesman says that they have him, and the DNA test has confirmed it’s him...I’m not holding my breath.
And one can understandably see why the “” were in the story... It’s not been officialy confirmed by a trustworthy source. Many times in the last 5 years Iraqi spokespeople have claimed captures and kills, that turned out not to be true.
Yep. Sometimes it just doesn’t pay to get up and leave the cave. Gitmo’s way too good for this animal. Keep him there and treat him to some of his own inventions.
I have been searching, but cannot find an article that mentioned we’d made him a generous offer to come over to the good side, since we were rapidly obliterating his dark forces anyway, and we needed his help.
I was shocked then, too, at the concept, but it had a ring of truth to it.
He’s 70 or so, has leukemia and isn’t long for the world.
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