Watban Ibrahim

Watban Ibrahim al-Nasiri (Arabic: وطبان إبراهيم الناصري‎; 1952 – 13 August 2015) was the Interior Minister of Iraq. He was the half-brother of Saddam Hussein and the brother of Barzan al-Tikriti. He was taken into coalition custody 13 April 2003, following his capture as he tried fleeing to Syria. He died in prison of natural causes in 2015.

Watban Ibrahim
وطبان ابراهيم
Interior Minister of Iraq
In office
1991–1995
PresidentSaddam Hussein
Prime MinisterSaddam Hussein
Ahmad Husayn Khudayir as-Samarrai
Muhammad Hamzah az-Zubaydi
Sa'dun Hammadi
Personal details
Born1952
Tikrit, Kingdom of Iraq
Died13 August 2015(2015-08-13) (aged 62–63)
Baghdad, Iraq
Political partyBa'ath Party
RelationsSabawi (brother)
Barzan (brother)
Daham (half-brother)
Saddam (half-brother)
Khairallah (uncle and father-in-law)
Abd al-Latif (uncle)
Badra (aunt)
Rafi (cousin)
Hani (cousin)
ChildrenAhmed and Adnan Watban Ibrahim al-Nasiri

As Saddam's half-brother, Watban was a close advisor of his, belonging to Saddam's inner circle while also holding several high-profile security apparatus roles. In those roles, he allegedly took part in the genocidal Al-Anfal Campaign against the Kurds in Northern Iraq. He became Interior Minister in 1991, and in that role was accused of having overseen the detention, torture, and executions of hundreds of prisoners.[1] Some of those executions were reportedly taped, with copies kept at the ministry. As Interior Minister, Watban was also involved in suppressing the 1991 uprisings in Iraq, specifically in the Baghdad suburbs of Thawra, Shu'la, Hurriya' Bayya', the village of Yousiffiya and the nearby districts of Mahmoudiyah. Government suppression of the uprising in these districts often involved mass executions.[2]

Watban was a member of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. Despite his high-profile roles, he was believed to not have been fully trusted by Saddam.[2] In 1995, he was shot nine times in the leg by Uday Hussein, Saddam's oldest son, reportedly during an argument over Watban's growing popularity among Iraqis. He reportedly lost his leg, genitals, and part of his stomach as a result. After the incident, Saddam ordered Watban to a position of relative obscurity in Tikrit.

After the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition, Watban was the five of spades in the U.S. military's most-wanted Iraqi playing cards.[1] He was taken into coalition custody 13 April 2003, following his capture as he tried fleeing to Syria.

On 11 March 2009, Watban was sentenced to death by hanging for his role in the execution of 42 merchants accused of manipulating food prices.[3]

On the morning of 14 July 2011, the U.S. handed Watban over to Iraqi authorities, expecting that he would be executed within a month.[4] Instead, he remained imprisoned until his death from natural causes on 13 August 2015.[5]

In 2017, Uday’s son Massoud claimed that his body was stolen by the Iranian government although this was never proven.[6]

References
  1. "US hails capture of Saddam brother". BBC News. 18 April 2003. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  2. "Watban Ibrahim Hassan al-Tikriti". Trial International. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  3. "Saddam's deputy PM Tariq Aziz gets 15-year prison sentence". CBC News. CBC. 11 March 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  4. "Half brothers of Saddam Hussein to be executed in Iraq within a month". The New York Post. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  5. "Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan, half brother of Saddam Hussein, has died". Iraqi News. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  6. "Saddam Hussein's grandson asks Trump for help against Iran". Daily Sabah. 27 February 2017.
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