Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri
عزة إبراهيم الدوري
Portrait of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri
Portrait of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri
Secretary General of the National Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party
In office
30 December 2006 – 25 October 2020
Preceded bySaddam Hussein
Succeeded bySalah Al-Mukhtar[1]
Regional Secretary of the Iraqi Ba'ath Party
In office
3 January 2007 – 25 October 2020
Preceded bySaddam Hussein
Succeeded byUnknown (most likely Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed)
Deputy Secretary of the Regional Command of the Iraqi Regional Branch
In office
September 1991 – 3 January 2007
Preceded byTaha Yassin Ramadan
Succeeded byUnknown
Vice President of Iraq
In office
16 July 1979 – 9 April 2003
Serving with Taha Yassin Ramadan (after 1991)
PresidentSaddam Hussein
Preceded byTaha Muhie-eldin Marouf and Saddam Hussein
Succeeded byTaha Yassin Ramadan
Vice Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council
In office
16 July 1979 – 9 April 2003
PresidentSaddam Hussein
Preceded bySaddam Hussein
Succeeded byPost abolished
Member of the Regional Command of the Iraqi Regional Branch
In office
October 1966 – 9 April 2003
Personal details
Born(1942-07-01)1 July 1942
Ad-Dawr, Saladin, Kingdom of Iraq
Died25 October 2020(2020-10-25) (aged 78)
Political partyIraqi Ba'ath
Spouse(s)Jawhar Majid Khalil and four other wives
Children
  • Ahmed
  • Ibrahim
  • Ali
  • Suleiman
  • Hamd
  • Yusef
  • Khaled
  • Mustafa
  • Abbas
  • Omar
  • Hawazin
  • Abla
  • Amra
NicknameGhost
Military service
Allegiance Iraq
Naqshbandi Army
Branch/serviceIraqi Army
Years of service1962–2003
RankIraqi field marshal Field marshal
UnitPolitical Guidance Directorate
Commands2nd Infantry Division
(1977–1981)
Battles/warsIran–Iraq War

1991 Gulf War

1991 uprisings in Iraq Iraq War
2013–2017 War in Iraq

Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri (Arabic: عزة إبراهيم الدوري, romanizedIzzat Ibrāhīm ad-Dūrī; 1 July 1942 – 25 October 2020) was an Iraqi politician and army field marshal. He served as Vice Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council until the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and was regarded as the closest advisor and deputy under President Saddam Hussein. He led the Iraqi insurgent group Naqshbandi Army.[2][3]

Al-Douri was the most high-profile Ba'athist official to successfully evade capture after the invasion of Iraq, and was the king of clubs in the infamous most-wanted Iraqi playing cards. Al-Douri continued to lead elements of the Iraqi insurgency such as the Naqshbandi Army against the then-occupation forces and waged an insurgency against the current regime in Baghdad. Following the execution of Saddam Hussein on 30 December 2006, al-Douri was confirmed as the new leader of the banned Iraqi Ba'ath Party on 3 January 2007.[4]

Al-Douri was reportedly killed in action—along with his nine bodyguards[5]—on 17 April 2015 in a large-scale military operation by Shiite militias and Iraqi forces near the Al-Alaas oil fields in Hemreen east of Tikrit.[6][7][8][9] The Shiite militant organization Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq has alleged that it killed him and transported his apparent body to Baghdad to confirm its identity.[5][10] According to the BBC, Shiite militias claimed to have killed him, but the Iraqi Baath party denied his death.[11] A Kurdish news source also reported that Iraq did not have al-Douri's DNA to confirm his death.[12] Al-Douri appeared in videos talking about events that took place after his alleged death.[13] He died on 25 October 2020.[14][15][16]

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

Born in 1942, al-Douri was born in Ad-Dawr, near the Iraqi town of Tikrit, to Ibrahim Khalil al-Douri, a farmer, and Hamdah Saloum al-Douri.[17] His family belonged to the Al-Shuwaikhat clan of the Jabour tribe. Nicknamed "the Iceman" for his humble origins selling blocks of ice, he became involved in revolutionary politics in his late teenage years, despite having had only a primary school education.[18] He befriended Saddam Hussein in 1963, then they both served in the early intelligence apparatus of the Ba'ath Party and participated in what would be known as the 17 July Revolution in 1968.[19][20][21]

During the Ba'athist government[edit]

Al-Douri was a senior member of the Ba'athist government under Saddam Hussein. This was due to the fact that both al-Douri and Saddam came from the same Tikriti tribal background. When the Ba'athists seized power in 1968, he was made interior minister where he oversaw efforts to sideline political rivals to the Ba'ath Party, mainly the Iraqi Communist Party.[22] Al-Douri became the vice chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council prior to 2003, giving him unprecedented amounts of power and influence within the Iraqi political sphere.[2][3]

As vice chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, al-Douri was involved in the wars against Iran and Kuwait. During the 1988–1989 Al-Anfal Campaign, al-Douri was said to have ordered Ali Hassan al-Majid (aka 'Chemical Ali') to use Mustard and Sarin nerve gas on Kurdish fighters in Halabja.[23] He was complicit in the invasion of Saudi Arabia and the attack on the town of Khafji in January 1991.[24] During the 1991 uprisings in Iraq, he was involved in the suppression of the revolt led by the Iraqi marsh Arabs.[25] When the Kurds rebelled again in 1991, al-Douri warned them "If you have forgotten Halabja, I would like to remind you that we are ready to repeat the operation."[22]

In 1993, al-Douri was involved in the state-sponsored Return to Faith Campaign (al-Hamlah al-Imaniyyah), which sought to encourage devotion to Islam in Iraqi social life. This saw aspects of Islam fused into the Iraqi media, education system and judicial system.[26]

In October 1998, al-Douri escaped an assassination attempt when visiting Karbala.[18][27]

Following the October 2000 events, Arab leaders including al-Douri gathered in Cairo condemning Israel's reaction to the protests. In response to the Palestinian protests, Al-Douri was said to have remarked "The Jews will be taught a lesson."[28]

On 5 March 2003, during an emergency summit of the then Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation, al-Douri made a heated address where he accused the neighbouring Gulf states of being "traitors" for cooperating with the United States and Israel. He blamed Kuwait for being responsible for Iraq's suffering and scrutinised the United States of America's aggressive stance towards Iraq. These comments sparked the Kuwaiti representative to stand up and protest to which al-Douri responded "Shut up, sit down you small American agent, you monkey!"[29]

Al-Douri, a member of the Naqshbandi Order, was able to use his position in the regime to leverage support to the Naqshbandi community within Iraq. This form of patronage would eventfully culminate in the rise of the Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order during the Iraqi insurgency, of which al-Douri would play a leading role.[30]

Personal life[edit]

Al-Douri married for the first time in 1968; however, he married five times in total and had 24 children: 13 daughters and 11 sons.[31] In a sign of loyalty, al-Douri consented to marry his daughter Hawazin to Saddam's eldest son, Uday. Al-Douri's influence with Saddam was so substantial that he could even levy a condition, that the union would not be consummated, and later made a successful petition that his daughter be permitted to divorce Uday.[32]

Al-Douri is believed to have suffered from leukemia and was said to have undergone blood transfusions every six months. In 1999, he visited Vienna, Austria for treatment. A Vienna city councillor submitted an request for the arrest and investigation on al-Douri for war crimes, but the government allowed him to leave the country.[33][18][34] His son was reportedly killed in Tikrit in July 2014.[35]

Fall of the Ba'ath regime and Iraqi insurgency[edit]

The 2003 US invasion of Iraq[edit]

On 20 March 2003, U.S.-led coalition forces invaded Iraq, leading to the toppling of the regime of President Saddam Hussein on 9 April 2003. Following the fall of Baghdad, al-Douri went into hiding. U.S. officials claimed that he was involved in the subsequent Iraqi insurgency against U.S. forces, directing and funding attacks, as well as brokering an alliance between Ba'athist insurgents and militant Islamists.

In November 2003, the U.S.-led coalition issued a US$10 million bounty for any information leading to al-Douri's apprehension by authorities in response to coordinating attacks against Coalition forces.[36] One of al-Douri's wives and a daughter were captured in the same month, to be questioned about his whereabouts.[37]

Al-Douri was made the King of Clubs in the famous most-wanted Iraqi playing cards, making him among the top 8 "most wanted" figures in Saddam Hussein's regime.[38]

At the time of the invasion of Iraq, al-Douri, along with Saddam and Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan, were among the three surviving plotters who had brought the Ba'ath Party to power in a coup in 1968.[39]

The Iraqi insurgency and disappearance[edit]

In an interview in May 2008, al-Douri detailed his strategy, indicating that "any negotiations with the invaders without it represents a desertion and treason, and is refused by all national, Pan-Arab and Islamic factions of the resistance."[40] During the interview, al-Douri made the following demands:

  1. An official pronounced recognition of the armed and unarmed national resistance, including all its factions and (political) parties, as the sole legitimate representative of the people of Iraq
  2. An official declaration of unconditional withdrawal from Iraq by the U.S. leadership
  3. Declaring null and void all the political and legislative institutions, as well as all the laws and legislation issued by them, since the occupation, with the de-Ba'athfication law in the forefront, and compensating all who were adversely affected by them
  4. A stop to raids, prosecutions, arrests, killings and displacement
  5. Release of all prisoners of war (POWs), prisoners and detainees without exception and compensating all for their physical and psychological damage
  6. Reinstating the army and the national security forces in service in accordance with their preoccupation laws and regulations, and compensating all who were adversely affected by dissolving them
  7. A pledge to compensate Iraq for all the material and moral losses it incurred because of the occupation

Al-Douri was reportedly the head of the Iraqi rebel group Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order as well as the Supreme Command for Jihad and Liberation based on his longstanding positions of leadership in the Naqshbandi sect in Iraq.[41]

Whereabouts[edit]

Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri depicted as the King of Clubs in the US Department of Defense's "Most-wanted" playing cards.

Sometime after the Fall of Baghdad, al-Douri evaded capture and went into hiding.[42] There are many different reports on his whereabouts. Several sources close to al-Douri's family reported to Al Jazeera that they had not heard of al-Douri since April 2003 and did not know where he was hiding.[43]

According to veteran intelligence consultant Malcolm Nance and a U.S. telegram cable, al-Douri and the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council were rumoured to have developed deep relations with Hafez al-Assad and the Syrian Ba'ath party, despite historical differences between the two Ba'ath factions. Al-Douri urged Saddam to open oil pipelines with Syria, building a financial relationship with the Assad family.[25][44] Nance would also allege that al-Douri fled to Syria after the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, where he organised the National Command of the Islamic Resistance which co-ordinated major combat operations during the Iraqi insurgency.[25]

The RAND Corporation reported prior to the capture of Saddam Hussein, al-Douri served as "Saddam’s point of contact in Diyala Governorate" and that he's visited Diyala twice to meet with leaders to organize the insurgency inside Iraq.[45]

There were reports from al-Hayat that al-Douri was allegedly in Mosul visiting his wife, before fleeing to an undisclosed location.[46][47] NBC News reported that al-Douri was rumoured to be hiding in Syria or elsewhere.[48]

In 2007, Iraqi security forces raided a hideout in Tikrit belonging to al-Douri, the raid was based on "confirmed intelligence" that al-Douri was holding meetings with his aides at the hideout. Al-Douri however was not caught.[citation needed] In early 2007, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani claimed al-Douri was not in Syria, but that he was in Yemen, he says that the Iraqi government has had this information for a while and has been tracing al-Douri's movements.[49] A U.S. intelligence source told the Long War Journal, that al-Douri was being sheltered in northern Iraq.[50] Iraqi tribal expert and senior fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, Amatzia Baram, claimed that al-Douri is likely in hiding somewhere between Mosul and the Turkish border.[51] Middle East expert Juan Cole believes that al-Douri is likely in the Mosul area and not Syria.[52]

The U.S. claimed that al-Douri resurfaced in Syria in 2008,[44][better source needed] however, Al-Mawqif Al-Arabi, an Egyptian newspaper which interviewed al-Douri that same year, told reporters that he was "on the battlefield" and on a "combat field while weapons were talking", presumably meaning he was still fighting in Iraq.[40] The Combating Terrorism Center reported that al-Douri was still "politically active within Iraq."[53] The Irish Times reported that it was believed that al-Douri was hiding somewhere in Iraq.[54] Likewise, The Times reported that it was believed that al-Douri was hiding around Mosul or Tikrit.[55] Other reports claimed that al-Douri was in the Iraqi town of Ad-Dawr and Iraqi Kurdistan.[56]

General David Petraeus who was at the time heading the United States Central Command, told reporters from Al Arabiya that al-Douri was still residing in Syria with "complete freedom".[57] The Syrian government denies that al-Douri is residing in Syria. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki claimed to U.S. officials that a Syrian offered to show him al-Douri's home in Damascus during a visit.[58] However, Iraqi intelligence sources in 2009 have emphasized that al-Douri was residing in the southern suburbs of Diyala in an Islamic State of Iraq stronghold.[59]

Unconfirmed speculations located al-Douri somewhere in Gulf or the southern Arabian Peninsula,[60] or in Qatar,[61] while other theories claimed that al-Douri had stayed in Iraq permanently since 2003,[62] or that he had "a number of safe houses in and around Muqdadiya."[63][better source needed]

Despite allegations from U.S. and Iraqi officials that al-Douri was residing in Syria, al-Douri had opposed and even attempted to oust the Syrian-backed Iraqi Ba'athist, Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed, from the party and he had also criticized the Syrian government for being part of an American conspiracy to undermine the Iraqi Ba'ath Party.[64] Furthermore, analysts have noted that "Douri deeply distrusts working with the Syrians because he distrusts the Iranians, who are strong allies with Syria".[65] In an interview on 26 May 2008, al-Douri boasted that his resistance was not supported or incubated by any outside powers.[40]

Some leaders such as former national security advisor Mowaffak al-Rubaie and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki have accused the Assad government of harbouring and supporting Iraqi militants.[66][67] A charge Syria heavily denies and demands be proven with evidence.[68]

While U.S. telegram cable claimed by at least October 2009 that al-Douri was no longer part of the "former regime elements" living in Syria,[44][better source needed] U.S. intelligence believed al-Douri operated out of Syria until the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, when he may have moved to safe houses across the North-western Iraq province of Nineveh.[69][70] Malcolm Nance, however claims that al-Douri was still in Syria by as late as 2013, before moving to Tikrit in 2014.[25]

Iraqi insurgency and resurfacing[edit]

On 10 November 2011, a man claiming to be Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri released an audio tape condemning a recent arrest campaign targeting suspected Ba'ath Party members.

The first visual evidence of his survival surfaced on 7 April 2012 when a video posted online[71] showed him giving a speech. In the shots, he is seen wearing an olive military uniform and glasses, denouncing the Shiite-led government in Baghdad and interference in Iraqi politics by regional Shia powerhouse Iran. "Everyone can hear the sounds of danger echoing daily and threatening this country," al-Douri says during the hour-long broadcast. Prime Minister Maliki's personal adviser, Ali al-Moussawi, said the tape had a propaganda function but that he doubted al-Douri was still in Iraq as he required extensive medical care for a number of illnesses.[72]

On 5 January 2013, a 53-minute video was released on YouTube in which al-Douri encouraged recent Sunni protests in Nineveh and Anbar Governorates against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, saying that "the people of Iraq and all its nationalist and Islamic forces support you until the realization of your just demands for the fall of the Safavid-Persian alliance." The message, which showed the Ba'athist leader sitting behind a desk with a small Saddam-era Iraqi flag on it, was partially broadcast on the Al Arabiya news channel. In the video, released just before the Iraqi Army Day on 6 January, Douri claimed to be somewhere in Iraq's Babil Governorate.[73][74] However, former U.S. intelligence officials believe it was filmed in Damascus, Syria.[25] Hours after the tape was released, Iraqi military intelligence arrested Abdul Rahman Mohammed Ibrahim, the nephew of al-Douri, in Saladin Governorate.[75]

In April 2013, the Iraqi government claimed to be closing in on al-Douri, who they claimed was moving between Tikrit and the towns of Hawija and Dour, which is alleged to be an area of strong support for al-Douri, and also where he is claimed to have owned a villa.[76]

In 2014, al-Douri returned to Tikrit during the Iraqi Civil War.[25]

The fall of Mosul and Iraqi Civil War[edit]

Al-Douri played a role in the Northern Offensive as commander of the Naqshbandi Army. Reports soon surfaced that he had links with the jihadist group ISIL, helping them take the city of Tikrit and coordinating attacks against Iraqi security forces.[77] On 13 June, a Twitter account, @wikibaghdadi, claimed a "Meeting between ISIS and Naqshbandi Army near al-Qayara area south of Mosul had taken place with representatives from Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi."[78] In July 2014, al-Douri issued an audio recording praising "the heroes and knights of al Qaeda and the Islamic State" forces in attacking Iraqi government positions within Saladin, Kirkuk, Diyala, and Nineveh Governorates. His connections with Islamist elements in Iraq is said to have emerged as far back as during Saddam's regime.[79] According to the Soufan Group, al-Douri had close ties with senior ISIL officials Abu Muslim al-Turkmani and Abu Ayman al-Iraqi. Both men had served in the Ba'athist regime under Saddam Hussein, with al-Turkmani being a Lieutenant colonel and serving in the Istikhbarat and Special Republican Guard. Al-Iraqi had been a Colonel in Iraq's Air Defense Intelligence.[80]

Al-Douri has been pointed out as one of the main commanders responsible for successful takeover by rebel groups of North Iraq and the city of Mosul in June 2014.[81] The Naqshbandi Army, along with other groups led by former Ba'ath officers, are reported to have assumed an increasingly large role in the governance and administration of occupied cities. Militants were reported to have appointed fellow Ba'ath generals Azhar al-Obeidi and Ahmed Abdul Rashid as the governors of Mosul and Tikrit.[82] Shortly afterwards, unverified reports emerged that the Ba'ath Party, under al-Douri's leadership, declared war on ISIL in response to the displacement of Christians from Mosul.[83] Other reports still maintained that there was a limited degree of cooperation between the two groups.[84][85]

Iraqi Civil War and resurfacing[edit]

In May 2015, an audio recording alleging to be that of al-Douri, criticized both ISIL and Iran. He also hailed the Saudi-led alliance targeting the Houthi militias in Yemen. On ISIL he stated "We do cross paths ... but what stops us from meeting is that even if we wanted to, they would not accept because they consider the Ba'ath infidels". He claimed that the group was detaining a third of the Ba'ath's command, and then went on to claim the number of ISIL victims in Iraq "does not equal 1% of those killed by the militias". On Iran, al-Douri called for the "Iraqis in Al-Anbar and Karbala to strongly fight the Persian criminal plan, which aims at swallowing Iraq." He stressed that Iran is the main player in Iraq and it is working through the Quds Force.[21][86]

In October 2015, it was reported that al-Douri's Naqshbandi Army was involved in secret discussions with the Iraqi government, alongside other insurgent groups, as part of a move to create a new Sunni force to fight ISIL in Iraq.[87]

On 7 April 2016, he released a video in which he sits at a desk in military uniform, flanked by two bodyguards and reads a statement. He calls on 'mujahideen' in Iraq to fight the Shia militias and combat Iranian influence in Iraq under the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism created by Saudi Arabia on 15 December 2015. He said: "We consider everything that is happening in Iraq from Iran, its agents, militias, and its security apparatus, is the responsibility of the United States". He added: "If it [U.S.] did not move to save Iraq and its people from Iran's hegemony, control and occupation, and to stop bloodshed, destruction, burning and the changing demographic, then Iraqi people should resist [the occupation]." He stated that one of the ways to deal with the issue in Yemen was to make Iran and its allies adhere to the Security Council decision on ceasefire.[88][89][90][91]

In April 2018, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri released a new video commemorating the 71st anniversary of the Baath party and vowing that U.S. President Donald Trump "will never attack Iran until the Resurrection Day."[92]

In an article published by NRT News, reports an Iraqi politician, Hassan Alawi, meeting Al-Douri in the Kurdistan region of Iraq multiple times, the latest at 17 August 2021, implying that he is alive.[93]

Allegations of death[edit]

In November 2005, Arab media reported that al-Douri died of natural causes, probably in Iraq.[94] On 17 April 2015, al-Douri allegedly died during a military operation conducted by the Iraqi Army near Al-Alaas oil fields in Hamrin Mountains, east of Tikrit. Iraqi security forces and Shia militias opened fire at a convoy believed to be carrying al-Douri and nine bodyguards, resulting in a 25-minute firefight. General Haider al-Basri, a senior Iraqi commander, announced to state television that the man believed to be al-Douri and his guards were killed.[7][8][9][95] The Shi'ite militant organization Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq claimed to have killed him, saying that his body was being transported to Baghdad to confirm its identity.[96][97] Before delivering the body to Baghdad, Shi'ite militias did DNA tests on the body and confirmed the results on 19 April.[98] The body was delivered to Baghdad on 20 April,[99] with the government starting the DNA tests a day after, on 21 April.[100] The governor of Salahaddin province, Raed al-Jabbouri, characterized al-Douri as a "mastermind of Islamic State in Iraq (ISIS)" and stated that his death would be a blow to the group.[101]

On 24 April 2015, the Iraqi Health Ministry spokesman, Dr. Ziyad Tareq, said: "The ministry does not have any DNA test (results) for any relative of al-Douri at the present time, and further efforts will be made to achieve a DNA result."[102][103][104]

On 15 May 2015,[citation needed] a Ba'athist television channel released an audio recording, purportedly made by al-Douri, in which the speaker referred to events that had happened since al-Douri's reported death on 17 April.[105]

In June 2018, Raghad Saddam Hussein was reported to have sent a note of condolence to Al Douri's family, with the source saying that "Douri died of a hematological illness at a Tunisian hospital."[106]

Several Arabic language media outlets reported that the Baath Party announced his death on 25 October 2020.[14][107] It is unknown what he died of.[108] Al-Baath Party issued a statement following his death, which read: "Today, the knight of the Baath and the Iraqi national resistance has dismounted from his horse".[31]

Saddam's daughter, Raghad, tweeted a message regarding Al-Douri's death on 26 October.[109]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Преемником Иззата Ибрагима ад-Дури на посту Генерального секретаря партии «Баас» стал заслуженный дипломат Саддама Хусейна Archived 7 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine // Голос Арабов, 18 лістапада 2020 (суполка ў «УКантакце»)
  2. ^ a b "Saddam's No. 2 seeks help for insurgency". USA Today. 27 March 2006. Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  3. ^ a b Dougherty, Beth K. (15 June 2019). Historical Dictionary of Iraq. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 219–220. ISBN 978-1-5381-2005-7.
  4. ^ "Saddam aide is new Ba'ath leader" Archived 16 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 3 January 2007.
  5. ^ a b "Saddam Hussein's former top aide killed in Iraq military operation". foxnews.com. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Top Saddam aide Izzat al-Douri reportedly killed". IBTimes. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  7. ^ a b "مقتل عزة الدوري في عملية عسكرية بحمرين شرق تكريت" (in Arabic). Skypressiq.net. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  8. ^ a b "أنباء عن مقتل عزة الدوري شرق تكريت وبعد ماكو ثلج لأن مات ابو الثلج (صور)" (in Arabic). Erem News. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  9. ^ a b "الجبوري يعلن مقتل عزة الدوري بعملية أمنية شرقي تكريت" (in Arabic). algahadpress.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  10. ^ "العصائب تتبنى عملية قتل عزة الدوري وتؤكد أن الجثة في طريقها لبغداد" (in Arabic). sotaliraq.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  11. ^ "Saddam aide Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri 'killed' in Iraq". BBC News. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Official: Iraq lacks DNA to identify body of Izzat Douri". Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  13. ^ "Saddam's 'king of clubs' reappears on Baath anniversary". Rudaw. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  14. ^ a b "ترجل اليوم من على صهوة جواده فارس البعث والمقاومة الوطنية العراقية رمز الشجاعة والبطولة والتضحية القائد المؤمن الهمام الرفيق عزة إبراهيم". thiqar.net (in Arabic). 25 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Saddam's former right-hand man Izzat al-Douri dies". The Arab Weekly. 26 October 2020. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  16. ^ "Iraq: Saddam Hussein's right-hand man dies after years as fugitive". The Guardian. 26 October 2020. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  17. ^ Who's who in the Arab World (Snippet view ed.). Publitec Editions. 1984. p. 676. ISBN 978-2-9031-8802-3. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  18. ^ a b c Joffe, Lawrence (29 October 2020). "Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  19. ^ Michael Knights (24 June 2014). "Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri: Is Saddam Hussein's Pal Key to Stopping ISIS?". The New Republic. Archived from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  20. ^ "King of Clubs Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri: Saddam's ally and enforcer". BBC. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  21. ^ a b "Iraqi audio recording shows Saddam Hussein's deputy may still be alive". The Guardian. 16 May 2015. Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  22. ^ a b "Izzat al-Douri: Last survivor of Saddam Hussein's inner circle who allied with Islamic State". 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  23. ^ "An Intelligence Vet Explains ISIS, Yemen, and "the Dick Cheney of Iraq"". Gawker. 22 April 2015. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  24. ^ McNabb, James Brian (9 March 2017). A Military History of the Modern Middle East. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 259. ISBN 978-1-4408-2964-2.
  25. ^ a b c d e f "An Intelligence Vet Explains ISIS, Yemen, and "the Dick Cheney of Iraq"". 22 April 2015. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  26. ^ Jordan, David (10 November 2021). ""So Let Today Be All the Arabs Muḥammad": The Prophet in the Discourse of the Iraqi Baʿth Party". The Presence of the Prophet in Early Modern and Contemporary Islam. 2. Brill: 323–345. doi:10.1163/9789004466753_014. S2CID 244288193. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  27. ^ The Middle East and North Africa 2004. Psychology Press. 30 October 2003. p. 466. ISBN 978-1-85743-184-1.
  28. ^ Jeffrey Goldberg (2006). Prisoners: A Muslim and a Jew across the Middle East. Knopf Doubleday. ISBN 9780307265975. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  29. ^ "Tempers flare at Islamic summit". CNN. 5 March 2003. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  30. ^ Michael Weissman, Hassan Hassan (2015). "ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror". University of Chicago Press. Retrieved 7 April 2015.[permanent dead link]
  31. ^ a b "A Top Aide to Saddam Hussein Is Reported Dead". The New York Times. 29 October 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  32. ^ "Saddam Hussein's Faithful Friend, the King of Clubs, Might Be the Key to Saving Iraq". New Republic. 24 June 2014. Archived from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  33. ^ Nowak, Manfred; Birk, Moritz; Monina, Giuliana (2019). The United Nations Convention Against Torture and Its Optional Protocol: A Commentary. Oxford University Press. pp. 260–261. ISBN 978-0-19-884617-8.
  34. ^ "Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri: the King of Clubs is back, and he may yet prove to be Saddam Hussein's trump card". The Daily Telegraph. 18 May 2013. Archived from the original on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  35. ^ "Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri's son reportedly killed in Tikrit – Iraqi News". 6 July 2014. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  36. ^ Dexter Filkins (19 November 2003). "U.S. Offers $10 Million Reward in Hunt for Top Hussein Aide". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  37. ^ "Arrests in Iraq". The New York Times. 27 November 2003. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  38. ^ "Iraq War: Top 8 most wanted". CNN. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  39. ^ "Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri: Profile". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  40. ^ a b c Nasser, Nicola (10 June 2008). "Izzat Ibrahim Al-Douri Outlines Anti-US Strategy, Tactics of Resistance, an Interview Translated". Cross-Cultural Understanding. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  41. ^ "The JRTN Movement and Iraq's Next Insurgency". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  42. ^ Iraqis arrest former top aide in Saddam's regime Archived 24 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. McClatchy
  43. ^ Is it a coincidence? Archived 25 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Al Jazeera
  44. ^ a b c REVENGING AFLAQ (I): FORMER IRAQI BAATHISTS IN SYRIA -- WHO ARE THESE GUYS? Archived 24 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine.WikiLeaks
  45. ^ Occupying Iraq: A History of the Coalition Provisional Authority pg. 95. RAND Corporation
  46. ^ Saddam's former deputy Izzat Ibrahim a father at 61 Archived 23 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine EKurd Daily
  47. ^ Al Duri Leads Baath Birth Of His Archived 25 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Informed Comment
  48. ^ US continues hunt for Saddam's ex-No. 2 Archived 7 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine. NBC News
  49. ^ Iraq seeks wanted Saddam's aides in Syria Archived 24 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Reuters
  50. ^ Saddam henchman escapes raid by Iraqi forces Archived 25 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Long War Journal
  51. ^ IRAQ: The Most Wanted Archived 23 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Council on Foreign Relations
  52. ^ Note To Bush And Edwards On How There Archived 25 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Informed Comment
  53. ^ The JRTN Movement and Iraq’s Next Insurgency Archived 30 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine. CTC Sentinel
  54. ^ Iraqi exiles plot fall of Maliki from Damascus Archived 13 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine. The Irish Times
  55. ^ Saddam Hussein’s deputy and ‘Isis mastermind’ al Douri ‘killed in Iraq’ Archived 26 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. The Times
  56. ^ Saddam Hussein's Faithful Friend, the King of Clubs, Might Be the Key to Saving Iraq Iraqi Archived 28 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine. The New Republic.
  57. ^ "US giving security support to Yemen: Petraeus". Al Arabiya. 13 December 2009. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  58. ^ CG, CDA AND PM DISCUSS FOREIGN VISITS, SECURITY AND DEFENSE COOPERATION Archived 24 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. WikiLeaks
  59. ^ Iraq: Saddam’s Aide Al-Duri Hiding in Diyala Archived 24 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Asharq Al-Awsat
  60. ^ Violence in Iraq Archived 23 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Middle East Review of International Affairs
  61. ^ "Fars News Agency :: Iraqi MP: Qatar Shelters Saddam's Vice-President". Archived from the original on 12 April 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  62. ^ Last man standing: Saddam's longtime veep Archived 26 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. UPI
  63. ^ How Iraq’s Civil War Broke Out In Diyala Province Interview With Former Interrogator Richard Buchanan Archived 26 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Musings on Iraq
  64. ^ Ali, Fadhil (5 January 2007). "Reviving the Iraqi Ba'ath: A Profile of General Muhammad Yunis al-Ahmad" (PDF). Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2009.
  65. ^ Syria Is Said to Be Strengthening Ties to Opponents of Iraq’s Government Archived 15 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine. New York Times
  66. ^ "Iraq asked Syria's Assad to stop aiding 'jihadists': Former official". 20 October 2015. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  67. ^ "Maliki blames Syria for attacks, Assad denies claim". 4 October 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  68. ^ Farouk Al-Sharaa Interview Archived 7 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. SBS World News
  69. ^ Nance, Malcolm (18 December 2014), The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq
  70. ^ "Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri: the King of Clubs is back, and he may yet prove to be Saddam Hussein's trump card". Telegraph. 18 May 2013. Archived from the original on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  71. ^ "Al-Douri's full statement on YouTube (arabic)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  72. ^ "Iraq: Video appears to show top Saddam deputy".
  73. ^ "Baath Leader Urges Sunnis to Protest Iraqi Premier". The New York Times. 5 January 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  74. ^ "Fugitive Saddam-era VP backs Iraq demos in video". The Daily Star Lebanon. Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  75. ^ "Nephew of Izzat Al-Douri arrested". National Iraq News Agency (NINA). Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
  76. ^ al-Salhy, Suadad (18 April 2013). "Iraqi forces hunt Saddam's former deputy". Baghdad: Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 April 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  77. ^ Arango, Tim (19 June 2014). "Former Loyalists of Saddam Hussein Crucial in Helping ISIS". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  78. ^ Siegel, Jacob (18 June 2014). "Someone Is Spilling ISIS's Secrets on Twitter". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 9 July 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  79. ^ Dettmer, Jamie (17 April 2015). "He Served Saddam. He Served ISIS. Now Al Douri May Be Dead". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 23 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  80. ^ "The Islamic State" (PDF). Soufan Group. November 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  81. ^ "Iraq Militants, Pushing South, Aim at Capital". The New York Times. 12 June 2014. Archived from the original on 22 July 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  82. ^ Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)#cite note-74
  83. ^ "Baath in Iraq declares war on ISIS". Archived from the original on 22 August 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  84. ^ "Naqshbandi Army Statement – 7 August: Analysis and Translation". 7 August 2014. Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  85. ^ Mellor, Noha; Rinnawi, Khalil (10 June 2016). Political Islam and Global Media: The boundaries of religious identity. Routledge. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-317-26709-6.
  86. ^ "Al-Douri criticises ISIS, Iran, hails Operation Decisive Storm". Middle East Monitor. 16 May 2015. Archived from the original on 7 October 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  87. ^ Neurink, Judit (5 October 2015). "War on Isis: Iraq seeks Sunni militia support for fight against Islamic State". The Independent. Erbil. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  88. ^ العراقي الاسطورة 2 (7 April 2016). "خطاب القائدالمهيب الركن عزة ابراهيم الدوري بمناسبة الذكرى 69لتأسيس حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي". Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2016 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  89. ^ "Saddam's top aide appears, criticizes US on Iran". english.alarabiya.net. 7 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  90. ^ Spencer, Richard (7 April 2016). "Saddam's former deputy resurfaces a year after he was 'killed'". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  91. ^ "Video suggests aide to Iraq's Saddam may still be alive". Reuters. 7 April 2017. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  92. ^ "YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 20 February 2019.[dead link]
  93. ^ Corporation, Nalia. "سياسي عراقي يفجر مفاجأة ويلتقي بـ 'عزت الدوري' داخل العراق ويكشف عن مكانه الحقيقي". nrttv.com. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  94. ^ "Saddam's former deputy reported dead as Sunnis start to sign up for Iraq poll". The Guardian. 12 November 2005. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  95. ^ "Iraq testing body of suspected Saddam VP". Agence France-Presse. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  96. ^ "Saddam Hussein's former top aide killed in Iraq military operation". Fox News. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  97. ^ "Iraq's King of Clubs crossed out". Politico. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  98. ^ "Iraqi Shi'ite militia says DNA tests prove Saddam aide dead". Reuters. 19 April 2015. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  99. ^ "Iraqi government received the body of who is thought to be Izzat al-Douri" (in Arabic). Radio Sawa. 20 April 2015. Archived from the original on 23 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  100. ^ "Ministry of Health starts the DNA tests on Izzat al-Douri's body" (in Arabic). Independent Press Agency. 21 April 2015. Archived from the original on 23 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  101. ^ "Top Saddam aide Izzat al-Douri reportedly killed". Al Arabiya News. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  102. ^ "Iraq lacks DNA results to test body of 'Saddam deputy'". 24 April 2015. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  103. ^ "Lack of "basic DNA samples" to check Douri's dead body, Ministry". Iraq tradelink news. 24 April 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  104. ^ "Official: Iraq lacks DNA to identify body of Izzat Douri". Rudaw. 24 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  105. ^ "Izzat Ibrahim al Douri emerges in new audiotape". Long War Journal. 17 May 2015. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016. According to The Guardian, Al Douri commented on the deployment of Shiite militias in Nukhayb: 'Nukhayb represents a strategic position for Iran inside Iraq, and one of the aims of occupying Nukhayb is to open a front against Saudi Arabia.' The deployment of these militias happened after he was reported killed on 17 Apr..
  106. ^ "Saddam Hussein's daughter mourns father's deputy Douri: source". 21 June 2018. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  107. ^ "عزة الدوري المطارد منذ 17 عاماَ "يرحل" بهدوء". BBC (in Arabic). 26 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  108. ^ "Saddam Hussein's aide Izzat Al-Douri dies in Iraq". Middle East Monitor. 26 October 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  109. ^ @RghadSaddam (26 October 2020). "أعزي نفسي وكل العراقيين عمّي الغالي الرفيق المناضل عزة إبراهيم الدوري" (Tweet) (in Arabic) – via Twitter.
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Ba'ath Party
2006–2020
Succeeded by

External links[edit]