 BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Conflicting claims emerged Saturday over the reported death of Saddam Hussein's chief lieutenant - believed by the United States to have played the key role in organizing the insurgency and the highest-ranking fugitive at large from the former regime.
| Conflicting claims is always good... |
| Unanimity is plus good. Unanimity with his head on a stick is double-plus good. |
A Baathist Web site reported his death on Saturday, but another Web site, also purporting to carry statements from the banned party, maintained Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri was still alive and apologized for the death report.
| "Really. He ain't dead yet!" |
A relative in Iraq said the family was unsure.
| "I dunno. He looks pretty dead to me! His face is all blue and his tongue's hangin' out, and his eyes are rolled up in his head." |
"In the pure land of Iraq, the soul of comrade Izzat Ibrahim returned to God on Friday at dawn," one statement said.
| "Hi, God! I'm here! Saaaay! Those're some mighty nice horns You've got there!" |
It described al-Douri as the "field commander of the heroic resistance" and was signed by the Baath party's "political media and publishing office."
"Here! Sign this!"
"You're sure he's dead?"
"Yeah." |
That statement appeared Saturday on a Web site believed run by Salah al-Mukhtar, who was Saddam's ambassador to India and head of the External Information Department. The death announcement appeared to confirm an e-mail announcing the death of al-Douri that circulated a day earlier. He was believed to be at least 62. But a later statement on a second Web site said "we apologize from our brothers and sisters for publishing a statement announcing the death of brother Izzat al-Douri, may God extend his life."
"There! See? He's breathing!"
"He ain't breathing. That was a death rattle!" |
"We have learned a while ago from the dear brother Salah al-Mukhtar that the announcement of death was baseless and that warrior Izzat al-Douri is fine."
| "Salah? He's starting to smell funny!" |
Abdul-Rahman Mohammed Ibrahim, nephew and son-in-law of al-Douri, said he had no independent confirmation of the death, but some people close to Saddam outside the country were treating it as accurate.
| We'd like ot see a picture of the corpse, if you don't mind. |
| I'll settle for his head. I'll provide the stick. |
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