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| Iraq | |
| Iraq Requests Extradition Of Saddam Nephew | |
| 2005-11-17 | |
Sanaa, 17 Nov. (AKI) - Iraq has asked Yemen to extradite one of former dictator Saddam Hussein's nephews to face charges of "committing acts of terror" and presented a formal extradition request to Interpol. It is not known whether Omar Sabawi Ibrahim Hassan al-Tikriti is actually in Yemeni custody, but a statement issued by the US military said the authorities "fully expect Yemen's cooperation with Interpol in extraditing Omar Sabawi from Sanaa to Baghdad."
Omar, who is believed to be around 35, is the son of one of Saddam's half-brothers and is wanted in Iraq for funding and leading insurgent groups, especially around the northern city of Mosul. "His efforts resulted in many deaths, injuries and destruction of property," the statement said, adding that several other members of the same family were already in custody for backing "terrorist activities". Last month, one of Omar's brothers, Yassir Sabawi Ibrahim, was captured in Baghdad, accused of being one of the main financiers for the insurgency activities. Following his arrest, the Iraqi interior minister Bayan Jabr said Yassir had told interrogators he had been receiving money from someone "from the family of Saddam" living in "other Arab countries" to deliver to insurgents in Iraq. In September, another of the brothers, Ayman, was given a life sentence on charges of helping fund the insurgency and bomb-making. Their father was caught in Syria and handed over to the Iraqi authorities in July, the same month as the US Treasury blocked the assets of all six of his sons, "based on information that the men have been providing financial and tactical support to insurgents attacking coalition forces and Iraqi civilians." Last month, a Yemeni businessman accused of murdering another of Saddam Hussein's relatives in February this year was freed after one million dollars in blood money was paid out to the victim's family. Ali Ahmad Hassan al-Majeed, nephew of Ali Hassan al-Majeed - another of Saddam's half brothers, and better known as Chemical Ali - was shot dead at a Chinese restaurant in the Yemeni capital Sanaa after a heated argument with a businessman over the former Iraqi dictator. | |
| Posted by:Steve |