Claims by Ba'ath Party Television: Saddam's Deputy is Alive

A television network affiliated with the Ba'ath Party of Iraq claimed that a speech by an individual was that of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the former deputy leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, who was reported dead last month. According to a report by Agence France-Presse, the speech was aired by the Al-Taghyeer television network on Friday, May 25, and a two-hour version of the speech was subsequently released. The speech refers to events in Iraq over the past month, while the governor of Salah al-Din and leaders of Shiite militia groups in the country announced on April 28 that Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri had been killed during a military operation in Salah al-Din province. The Hezbollah Brigades of Iraq later stated that the final results of the DNA test of the body attributed to Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri confirm that the body belongs to Saddam Hussein's deputy; however, statements from Iraqi officials indicated that there were no existing DNA samples of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri to conduct this test. Mohammad Baqerzadeh, one of the commanders of the Iranian armed forces, refers to the body attributed to Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri. The voice attributed to Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, aired by Al-Taghyeer television, states: '[The region] Nukhayb is considered a strategic position for Iran in Iraq, and one of the goals of occupying Nukhayb is to open a front against Saudi Arabia and connect to fronts in Syria and Lebanon, while northern routes are blocked.' He continues: 'I emphasize in this meeting that what is happening today in our country is a direct and comprehensive occupation of this country by Iran, carried out under the guise of hateful sectarianism.' Iran plays a significant role in the battle of the Iraqi army against the group known as the 'Islamic State' and is attempting to end this group's control over parts of Iraqi territory by supporting the Iraqi government and army. Meanwhile, images of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force, and some other Iranian commanders have been published in the media, indicating their presence in several operations against the 'Islamic State' group. After the news of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri's death was published last month, the Mehr news agency released a photo showing Mohammad Baqerzadeh standing over a body and confirming that it is Saddam Hussein's deputy. Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri was one of the targets pursued by the United States, having fled after Saddam Hussein's fall in 2003.