Saddam's captured half-brother proves 'instantly co-operative'

The times ^ | April 19, 2003 | Glen Owen

[MadIvan]

THE half-brother of Saddam Hussein captured by special forces on Thursday has disclosed valuable information about the former regime, American military sources said yesterday.

Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, who worked closely with Saddam for more than two decades, was said to have been instantly co-operative. His response has raised hopes that he will lead troops to the fugitive Iraqi leader or provide details of weapons systems.

The reports came as a fourth member of the regime was seized. Samir al-Aziz al-Najim, regional chairman of the Baath party in east Baghdad, was handed to US troops by Iraqi Kurds near Mosul. He was Minister of Oil and Saddam’s chief of staff for several years after the first Gulf War.

Coalition commanders were confident that Barzan, a financier, diplomat and intelligence chief, would co-operate because of his brittle relationship with Saddam: Barzan was said to have been placed under house arrest in March for challenging Saddam’s decision to groom his son, Qusay, as his most likely successor.

Two other Iraqi officials are also in custody: Watban Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, another of Saddam’s three half-brothers, and Amer Hammoudi al-Saadi, Saddam’s senior scientific adviser. All are believed to be held at separate locations where they are being questioned by agents from the CIA.

Brigadier-General Vincent Brooks told a briefing at Central Command in Qatar that some of the prisoners were proving more co-operative than others.

He said: “Some are providing useful information that leads to the arrest of regime leaders. In some cases we’re led to sites that may have suspicious activities. In some cases, we are led to places where we find more information.”

He declined to comment on the conditions they were being held in or the techniques being used to extract the information. By co-operating, Barzan, who is accused by human rights groups of personally using torture during his interrogations of alleged opponents of Saddam’s regime, will have avoided some of the CIA’s more uncompromising “stress and duress” techniques.

Mr Al-Najim, designated the four of clubs in a pack of cards of the most-wanted fugitives, is a Sunni Muslim from Baghdad who took part in Saddam’s attempt to kill Abdel Karim Qassem, the Prime Minister, in 1959. Ten years later, after the Baath party came to power, Mr al-Najim assumed key responsibilities, including overseeing intelligence.

Reports were also circulating yesterday that Ali Hassan al-Majid, the Iraqi commander known as “Chemical Ali” who was thought to have been killed in an airstrike in the third week of the war, had been seen alive.

Three Iraqi soldiers told the BBC that they had seen him in his home town of al-Amara in southeast Iraq the day after the raid. Colonel Chris Vernon, the British Forces spokesman, said he was “99 per cent sure” that Ali had been killed.

[MadIvan]

I have to admit, I'm smiling.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Grampa Dave]

Good news. Now for a math question.

If we capture Soddomites three half brothers will that equal 1.5 Soddomites?

[Arkinsaw]

He declined to comment on the conditions they were being held in or the techniques being used to extract the information.

WHO is holding him at the moment is the question that would answer the other questions.

[Bigg Red]

...“Chemical Ali” who was thought to have been killed in an airstrike in the third week of the war, had been seen alive.

What's up with all of these people that we targeted showing up alive? Why can't they just stay dead?

[Grampa Dave]

Good now some of Soddomite's relatives and others are apparently rolling over and telling all when captured.

[Shermy]

Barzan didn't even try to flee to Syria, apparently, just hunkered down and waited for arrest.

I wonder if he just had enough of it all, or similar feeling.

[Dog Gone]

What's up with all of these people that we targeted showing up alive? Why can't they just stay dead?

Because these people deserve more than one killing.

[Bigg Red]

LOL!

[Mr. Mulliner]

Why can't they just stay dead?

Now you know how the Sanhedrin felt about 2,000 years ago.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, who worked closely with Saddam for more than two decades, was said to have been instantly co-operative. His response has raised hopes that he will lead troops to the fugitive Iraqi leader or provide details of weapons systems.

LOL, like a singing bird….

[GovernmentShrinker]

My guess is that they don't really have to put much pressure on him. He probably just assumes, based on the way the regime he was a part of ran things, that anything short of instant and full cooperation will land him in a torture chamber.

[Dog]

Thanks for the ping..

[brewcrew]

If we capture Soddomites three half brothers will that equal 1.5 Soddomites?

Nope. It equals 0.125 Soddomites.

0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 = 0.125, or 1/8 of a Soddomite.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

By co-operating, Barzan, who is accused by human rights groups of personally using torture during his interrogations of alleged opponents of Saddam’s regime, will have avoided some of the CIA’s more uncompromising “stress and duress” techniques.

He must have some knowledge about the more advanced techniques to cooperate so quickly!

[WOSG]

so, what kind of hand do we hold now?

two pairs?
good enough for winning at bridge?

[Mister Baredog]

WHO is holding him at the moment is the question that would answer the other questions.

I'll bet there's some US lawyers looking to represent these scumbags, they are being hidden from the lawyers.

[6ppc]

I was thinking it's more like a poker run. What are the cards so far?

[ConservativeMan55]

Actually break it down even further...this guy had a false leg....Apparently Uday shot thus guy's leg off in a family argument.

[ConservativeMan55]

thus = this