Iraq’s hunt for Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri Proves Unsuccessful

Iraq’s hunt for Izzat Ibrahim
al-Duri Proves Unsuccessful
Security forces carry out ultimately unsuccessful hunt for
highest-ranking member of Saddam Hussein's regime still on the run.


King of
clubs in US deck of cards

Middle East Online BAGHDAD: Iraqi
security forces have carried out an ultimately unsuccessful hunt for the
highest-ranking member of Saddam Hussein's regime still on the run, the deputy
interior minister said on Thursday.
Authorities received information that Izzat
Ibrahim al-Duri was hiding out in the town of Dur, north of Baghdad, and
launched a cordon and search operation but did not find him.
Yesterday (Wednesday) evening, we received
information that he (Duri) is in Dur, and we cordoned off the area," Adnan
al-Assadi said, adding that security forces based in Salaheddin province, where
Dur is located, "launched a search operation but we did not find him."
Duri, 70, was Saddam's vice president and has in
the past year made rare public pronouncements, typically via videos uploaded to
YouTube, most recently on January 4.
The Baath party, the ruling party in Saddam's
Iraq, said Duri, the king of clubs in the US deck of cards showing the
most-wanted members of Saddam's regime, had died in 2005, but audio messages
attributed to him were broadcast in 2006, 2008 and 2010, in addition to an April
2012 video.