Iraqi Commanders
 

Saddam Hussein



Command: Supreme Commander-in-Chief
Details: President since July 16, 1979, Prime Minister since May 1994
Born April 28, 1937 near Tikrit, Iraq



Qusay Hussein



Command: Supervisor of Republican Guard, Special Republican Guard, head of Iraqi Special Security Organization
Details: Born in 1966, he is Saddam's second son and is said to be first in line to succeed his father.



Staff Gen. Sultan Hashim Ahmad al Jabburi Tai



Command: Army's Minister of Defense since 1995
Details: He served Saddam during the 1980-1988 war with Iran and later in the 1991 Gulf War, signing the cease-fire that ended it. Ahmed began his career in military intelligence after graduating from Baghdad's National Security Institute in 1975.



Lt. Gen. Ali Hassan al Majid



Command: Member of the Revolutionary Command Council
Details: One of his closest advisers, he is considered Saddam's troubleshooter and chief enforcer. Known as "Chemical Ali" for orchestrating gassing the Kurds to suppress their rebellion in 1988, he also served as governor of occupied Kuwait in 1990 and 1991 and currently serves as governor of south Iraq.



Izzat Ibrahim



Command: Deputy Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council
Details: Born in 1942, he has long been one of Saddam's closest advisers. He helped plot and carry out the 1968 coup that made Saddam secretary and acting deputy chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council and eventually brought Saddam to power. In 1999 Ibrahim traveled to Austria for medical treatment. He left quickly after he was threatened with arrest on human rights charges.



Taha Yasin Ramadan



Command: Vice President
Details: Helped plot and carry out 1968 coup that eventually brought Saddam to power. Ramadan is Kurdish and has survived several assassination attempts.