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US: Reports of Saddam aide's death could
be a ruse
14.11.2005
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BAGHDAD- U.S.-led
forces in Iraq are treating with caution reports
that Saddam Hussein's deputy has died because it
could be a tactic to mislead those still hunting for
him, the U.S. military said on Sunday.
Conflicting reports continue to circulate about
whether Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the most senior
member of Saddam's deposed government still at
large, is alive or dead.
"How much of this is pure propaganda to say he is
dead is hard to know," said U.S. military spokesman
Lieutenant Colonel Steven Boylan. "He's an important
figure for us to know whether he's alive or not."
Ibrahim's whereabouts remain unknown two-and-a-half
years after Saddam was ousted, making his fate
uncertain, and there has been no independent
confirmation of his death.
Al Arabiya satellite television reported on Friday
that Ibrahim had died after a long illness. Apparent
confirmation came from Baath party supporters in a
statement on Saturday on a Web site used by
supporters of Saddam's outlawed party.
But other media reports said the former
Revolutionary Command Council deputy chairman might
be still alive and there was no conclusive evidence
either way. |
Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri,
former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's
second-in-command, is shown in this March 6, 2003
photo. (AP Photo)
Saddam Hussein's former deputy, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri |
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One family member in Tikrit, where Ibrahim grew up
in humble circumstances, said he could well be dead.
"We expected him to be dead because he was ill for a
long time with cancer. But actually we don't know
where he is now," the relative, who asked not to be
identified, told Reuters.
Ibrahim, with distinctive red hair and a pencil-thin
moustache, rose from lowly beginnings with only a
basic education to become one of Saddam's most loyal
followers.
He was number six on the U.S. military's list of the
55 most-wanted Iraqis, with a $10 million reward
offered for his capture.
"When you've got that much money on your head you'd
expect they would have to be fairly careful about
the way they move about," Boylan said.
"We rely on the Iraqi people to let the Iraqi
security forces know where these people are," he
said, adding that the military was still "actively
searching" for Ibrahim and others on the list.
Ibrahim has been credited with a major role in
organising the bloody insurgency by militants in
Iraq's once-dominant Sunni Arab minority against the
Shi'ite and Kurdish-led government.
Analysts say his death could change the shape of the
insurgency in Iraq because he believed in armed
struggle and opposed Baathists who supported joining
the political process.
Reuters
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