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Iraq
TIME interviews Izzat Ibrahim
2006-07-25
Via written questions and answers passed back and forth by trusted intermediaries in Iraq, Time has conducted the first-ever Western media interview with Izzat al-Douri, former lieutenant of Saddam Hussein and the most senior member of the Ba'athist regime still at large. Today, al-Douri is America's most wanted Iraqi fugitive, and a leading figure in the Iraqi insurgency.

TIME: Does the Ba'ath Party still have a role in Iraqi politics?
Izzat al-Douri: If you mean the current political process, the Ba'ath Party rejects it, because it was manufactured by and serves the occupying force and is destructive of our country. The political role of the Ba'ath in the struggle [against the occupation of Iraq] is to mobilize and bring together the energies of the people for the fight to expel the occupation and liberate our country.
Posted by:Fred

#7  Former Iraqi Air Force General Georges Sada in his book Saddam's Secrets ridiculed Izzat al-Douri
thusly (pp90-91):
"Whenever Saddam wanted to confer an honor on one of his handpicked favorites, he would give them a high rank in the military or any other honor he could think of. He did this most conspicuously, perhaps, for a man named Izzat al-Douri, when he raised him to the rank of four-star general. To understand the significance of that, you should know that before being appointed a four-star general, Izzat was the ice seller in the village of Dour, [my italics] which is just accross the river from Tikrit where Saddam was born.
At Saddam's whim, Izzat was put in charge of several divisions of Iraqi soldiers. At last report, Izzat the ice seller was very ill, suffering from leukemia. Some have suggested he may have been a leader of the insurgency in Iraq, helping to plan attacks on Americans and destabilize the new government. In reality he's not smart enough to lead anyone in battle. But he was incredibly loyal to Saddam who had trusted him enough to put him in such a lofty position."
Posted by: Odysseus   2006-07-25 11:09  

#6  Dang! Journalists NEVER ask the typing of probing questions I'd ask. Such as: what's the longitude and latitude of your "safe" house?
Posted by: DMFD   2006-07-25 09:57  

#5  Time found a cutout who probably used e-mail or made it up himself.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-07-25 08:08  

#4  Way too much to fisk, but he'll be dead soon. Although Time might beat him to it with this kind of reporting.
Posted by: phil_b   2006-07-25 08:00  

#3  Time can find him but DoD, CIA, and FBI can't. And can't even follow around Time guys either - it would violate thier rights of privacy and free press I bet.
Posted by: glenmore   2006-07-25 07:51  

#2  An irrelevant rag interviewing an irrelevant former Nazi.
Posted by: cruiser   2006-07-25 02:47  

#1  gosh too bad he didn't ask what we were really interested in hearing ... like
how many children did you rape in front of their parents and send home in body bags?
Did you enjoy putting people in shredders?
How many people did you massacre?
What is the longest you ever tortured someone before they died?
Posted by: 2b   2006-07-25 01:46  

00:01