Saddam's 'Red Devil' Is Reportedly Dead

Saddam Hussein's former right-hand man and one of the most wanted men in the world has been reported dead. Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the former vice chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council who was promoted to head of the Ba'ath Party after Hussein's execution and evaded capture even as his family was detained, was age 78, according to a party announcement, which did not provide details. Douri, who had a $10 million bounty on his head, was reportedly suffering from several long-standing ailments, per the Jerusalem Post, which notes this is at least the fourth time the general has been reported dead.

Known as the "red devil" owing to his red moustache, he was said to have been killed by Iraqi security forces in April 2014 after surfacing amid the rise of the Islamic State. But he gave interviews in later years and released a 2018 video criticizing the Iraqi government for destroying cities while battling ISIS. "I offer condolences … to all Iraqis and all his admirers in the Arab world and around the world," Hussein's daughter, Raghad Saddam Hussein, tweeted alongside a photo of Douri and her father, per the Guardian. The party said it was Douri's will "to continue, perpetuate and enhance the momentum of our struggle for our people." (More Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri stories.)