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Click
on the squares below to find out more about Saddam's family.
Saddam
Hussein was born into the al-Khatab clan, which was based in
a village of mud-brick houses near Tikrit, a decayed textile
town in the plains of northern Iraq.
The tribal people of Tikrit and the surrounding area belonged
to the Sunni Muslim sect. They had long been known as a difficult
lotăcunning, secretive and warlike. After World War I, one British
official wrote about their "ancient reputation for savagery
and brutality." And Iraqi writer Kamran Karadaghi has cited
the Tikritis' favorite saying as "Kill him and end his news."
Many men from this region saw the army as their route to power,
and Saddam Hussein was no exception. He just went farther than
most, first moving into regional leadership, then beyond.
By the time Saddam reached the national stage, Baghdad hadn't
witnessed such unchecked power since the days of the medieval
caliphs. And as in the kingdoms of yore, where the ruler's extended
family constituted a court, with princes, great nobles and lesser
lords, Saddam Hussein appointed his extended family members
to the senior ranks of his regime. His rule has always reflected
intense loyalties based on clan connections and bloodlines --
but it also has been characterized by interfamily tension, betrayals
and defections.
As one of Saddam's associates once said, "There is no real mystery
about the way we run Iraq. We run it exactly as we used to run
Tikrit."
Links
Relevant to This Feature:
Secrets
of His Life and Leadership
Visit the FRONTLINE Web page "The Survival of Saddam"
and read an interview with journalist Said Aburish, author of
The Politics of Revenge, who shares insights on the influences
of tribal society on Saddam's rule.
Tales
of the Tyrant
Read a chilling study of Saddam Hussein and his daily life by
Mark Bowden for The Atlantic Monthly.
NEXT:
Read
about Uday Saddam Hussein: The Second-Most Feared Man in Iraq
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Producer:
Angela Morgenstern; Designed by: Fluent
Studios; see full
web credits.
Photo:
Hussein Kamel
Credit: Agence France-Presse
Photo:
Saddam sons
Credit: Agence France-Presse
Photo:
Family portrait
Credit: Agence France-Presse
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