Saddam Hussein’s right-hand man, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, a longtime fugitive, has died, according to the late Iraqi dictator’s daughter and his Ba’ath party.
After Saddam’s capture following the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the wiry, red-haired general remained the “king of clubs” in Washington’s deck of cards of wanted regime figures, with a $10m bounty on his head.
“I offer condolences … to all Iraqis and all his [Douri’s] admirers in the Arab world and around the world,” tweeted Raghad Saddam Hussein, along with a picture of Douri and her father, who was convicted and hanged in 2006.
The Ba’ath party, which ruled Iraq until Saddam’s overthrow, issued a statement announcing the death of Douri, 78, but giving no details.
Known as “the iceman” for his humble origins selling blocks of ice, Douri has previously been reported dead or captured, only to resurface in audio or video messages.
In 2016, an unauthenticated recording purportedly captured Douri praising al-Qaida and Islamic State.
Douri rose to become the number two in the all-powerful Revolutionary Command Council of Saddam’s regime. Disaffected ex-Ba’athists reportedly played a key role in insurgencies after the invasion.
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