Announcement of Douri’s Arrest Sparks Speculation

Arrest of Saddam's former vice president came as polls opened in Iraq's first elections since the withdrawal of US troops in 2011.

A member of the Iraqi security forces stand guard outside a polling station during provincial elections on April 20, 2013, in the northern city of Kirkuk. (AFP PHOTO/MARWAN IBRAHIM)

Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Rumors that Iraqi officials were searching for Izzat Al-Douri, Saddam Hussein’s former vice president and current secretary of the now-outlawed Ba’ath party, emerged late last week. The news came on the eve of Iraq’s first elections since US withdrew its troops in December 2011. Reports of Douri’s arrest have since been proven false.

Observers have speculated on the timing of the announcement, noting that the capture of the most senior member of Saddam’s regime who has thus far evaded capture could bolster support for Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s government in both the recent provincial elections and the national elections scheduled for next year.

Authorities received information that Douri was hiding out in the town of Dur, north of Baghdad. They cordoned off the area and launched a search operation, but the former vice president was not found.

Douri, 70, was Saddam’s vice president. He has made very few public statements over the past year, typically in videos uploaded to YouTube. The most recent of these was posted on January 4 of this year.

There have been a number of reports of Douri’s arrest over the years.

A security source speaking on the condition of anonymity informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “information about Izzat Al-Douri’s presence in these areas is nothing new. There are elements within the Ba’ath party that like to propagate such news.”

The Iraqi security source went on to say that the despite reports to the contrary, the latest information on the whereabouts of Saddam’s former deputy places him inside Iraqi territory.

Controversial Iraqi politician Misha’an Al-Juburi believes the announcement of Douri’s arrest is a pretense used by some militias to legitimatize their activities.

“This is a form of media fabrication by some militias, which want to justify their violent actions in the Saladin province,” Juburi told Asharq Al-Awsat from Syria, where he has been in exile for nearly eight years.

“There is no indication that Douri is in any of these areas,” he added.

The Iraqi Ba’ath party said Douri, who is among the most wanted members of Saddam Hussein’s regime, died in 2005. Audio messages attributed to him were broadcast in 2006, 2008 and 2010, in addition to an April 2012 video.

Asharq Al-Awsat

Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities. Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan-Arab and international affairs, offering its readers in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab world.

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