Saddam Regime’s Fugitive ‘King of Clubs’ Appears in New Video?
A video posted online Saturday purports to show the highest-ranking fugitive member of Saddam Hussein’s ousted regime lashing out against Iraq’s Shiite-led government.
It was not possible to verify the authenticity of the video or determine when it was made.
The man in the video, which was posted on a website linked to Saddam’s now-outlawed Baath party, was introduced as Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri. He bore a striking physical resemblance to the former Saddam deputy. He noted that nine years had passed since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, suggesting the video was made recently.
The man resembling al-Douri sat in a Saddam-era uniform in front of the old Iraqi flag, flanked by a group of bodyguards, just as he did when delivering speeches in the past.
Al-Douri was the deputy head of Iraq’s Revolutionary Command Council under Saddam, a Sunni who was toppled after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. He took over the Baath Party leadership after Saddam was executed in 2006.
‘Sounds of danger’
The man criticized Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government, led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and what he said was meddling by neighboring Shiite powerhouse Iran.