Saddam deputy 'in contact with Iraqi officials before death'

Saddam Hussein's former deputy was in contact with senior Iraqi officials in the days before his death last week, according to the leader of a militia group who claims to have killed him.

Izzat al-Douri, reportedly killed in Salaheddin province on 17 March, was believed to have played a key role in the violent opposition to the US occupation of Iraq, and had recently allied with the Islamic State group.

Hussein al-Rida, the leader of the Shia militia Aṣayib al-Haqq, which claims to have killed Douri, said in a statement this week: "A smartphone was found on Douri's body, containing the names of senior officials in government, parliament and the military, all of whom are from a certain segment of society."

Rida added: "On the phone there were text messages between Douri and these officials and details of bank and financial transfers that prove the Iraqi Baath party has relations with the intelligence services of neighbouring countries. Douri's personal information was also on the phone."

Douri made several telephone calls to a number of these officials the day before he was killed. -Unnamed source.

Government DNA tests on the remains have yet to be published, even though the body was sent to the ministry for testing four days ago.

Reports about the phone found with the body and the numbers and texts it contained emerged two days ago.

Calls for those in contact with Douri to be prosecuted

A militia-run television station reported unnamed sources as saying: "Douri made several telephone calls to a number of these officials the day before he was killed. The names may be published in the media and the Iraqi judicial system will deal with the case, prosecuting the people involved regardless of their positions."

Hamdiya al-Husseini, a representative of the National Iraqi Alliance, called for all numbers and communications on the phone to be released.

"Revealing the numbers and communications Douri had with senior political officials will root out the criminals and possibly lead to them being taken to court so they can be duly punished," he said.

However, Ibrahim al-Fahdawi, an expert in militant groups, stated: "It is still uncertain whether the phone belongs to Douri or if this is even his body. The militias are using this to get rid of their political opponents and put political pressure on some officials to impose their own agendas.

"The militant conflict in Iraq is developing dangerously, every day the militias grow stronger without any effective government measures to hold them back."

The only statements made on the issue of Douri's death thus far have been from Salaheddin governor Raid al-Jabouri and local militia leaders.

Locals have said the body belongs to a man called Hajj Shalaan al-Bachari, a well-known shepherd in the area who resembles Douri.

The authorities in Salaheddin announced on March 17 that Douri had been killed along with his guards in an ambush near the Hamrin mountain area on the border with Kirkuk province.

Douri, nicknamed "The Iceman" for his humble origins selling blocks of ice, was the King of Clubs in the US deck of cards depicting the most-wanted fugitives of Saddam Hussein's regime.

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.