Medical tests have indicated that a man being held in Iraqi custody is not former president Saddam Hussein's deputy, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, Interior Ministry spokesman Sabah Kadhim said Monday.
"The required tests to identify him showed he is not Izzat al-Douri," Kadhim told The Associated Press. However, Kadhim said the man being held is related to al-Douri.
Iraqi officials on Sunday said they had nabbed al-Douri during a shootout north of Baghdad, but later in the day the Iraqi defense minister said word of his arrest was "baseless."
Meanwhile, a Turkish driver taken hostage in Iraq was released by his captors on Monday, Turkey's Foreign Ministry said. In a related development, Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Moasher announced the release of four hostages, including three Jordanian nationals, abducted in Iraq. (albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
