View source for Watban Ibrahim

{{Short description|Iraqi politician (1952–2015)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| native_name         = {{lang|ar|وطبان ابراهيم}}
| native_name_lang    = ar
| image               = Minister_Watban_Ibrahim.jpg
| caption             = 
| order               = [[Ministry of Interior (Iraq)|Interior Minister of Iraq]]
| term_start          = 1991
| term_end            = 1995
| president           = [[Saddam Hussein]]
| primeminister       = Saddam Hussein<br>[[Ahmad Husayn Khudayir as-Samarrai]]<br>[[Muhammad Hamzah az-Zubaydi]]<br>[[Sa'dun Hammadi]]
| birth_date          = 1952
| birth_place         = [[Tikrit]], [[Kingdom of Iraq]]
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|2015|8|13|1952|||df=yes}}
| party               = [[Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region|Ba'ath Party]]
| relations           = [[Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti|Sabawi]] <small>(brother)</small><br>[[Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti|Barzan]] <small>(brother)</small><br>[[Daham Ibrahim Hassan|Daham]] <small>(half-brother)</small><br>[[Saddam Hussein|Saddam]] <small>(half-brother)</small><br>[[Khairallah Talfah|Khairallah]] <small>(uncle and father-in-law)</small><br>[[Abd al-Latif Talfah|Abd al-Latif]] <small>(uncle)</small><br>[[Badra Talfah|Badra]] <small>(aunt)</small><br>[[Rafi Abd Latif Tilfah|Rafi]] <small>(cousin)</small><br>[[Hani Abd Latif Tilfah|Hani]] <small>(cousin)</small>
| children            = [[Ahmed Watban Ibrahim al-Nasiri|Ahmed]] and [[Adnan Watban Ibrahim al-Nasiri|Adnan]]
| death_place         = [[Baghdad, Iraq]]
}}

'''Watban Ibrahim al-Nasiri''' ({{langx|ar|وطبان إبراهيم الناصري}}&lrm;; 1952 – 13 August 2015) was an Iraqi politician and former [[Ministry of Interior (Iraq)|interior minister]] of [[Iraq]]. He was the [[Sibling|half-brother]] of [[Saddam Hussein]] and the brother of [[Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti|Barzan al-Tikriti]]. He was taken into [[Coalition Provisional Authority|coalition]] custody on April 13, 2003, following his capture as he tried fleeing to [[Syria]]. He died in prison of natural causes in 2015.

As Saddam's half-brother, Watban was a close advisor of his, belonging to Saddam's inner circle while also holding several high-profile security apparatus roles. In those roles, he allegedly took part in the genocidal [[Anfal campaign|Al-Anfal Campaign]] against the Kurds in Northern Iraq. He became Interior Minister in 1991, and in that role was accused of having overseen the detention, torture, and executions of hundreds of prisoners.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|date=18 April 2003|title=US hails capture of Saddam brother|publisher=[[BBC News]]|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2956983.stm|access-date=2 March 2019}}</ref> Some of those executions were reportedly taped, with copies kept at the ministry. As Interior Minister, Watban was also involved in suppressing the [[1991 Iraqi uprisings|1991 uprisings in Iraq]], specifically in the Baghdad suburbs of [[Sadr City|Thawra]], Shu'la, Hurriya' Bayya', the village of Yousiffiya and the nearby districts of [[Mahmoudiyah, Iraq|Mahmoudiyah]]. Government suppression of the uprising in these districts often involved [[mass execution]]s.<ref name="trial-ch">{{cite web|title=Watban Ibrahim Hassan al-Tikriti|url=https://trialinternational.org/latest-post/watban-ibrahim-hassan-al-tikriti/|publisher=Trial International|date=31 October 2011|access-date=2 March 2019|archive-date=2 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190302090630/https://trialinternational.org/latest-post/watban-ibrahim-hassan-al-tikriti/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Watban was a member of the [[Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region|Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party]]. Despite his high-profile roles, he was believed to not have been fully trusted by Saddam.<ref name="trial-ch"/> In 1995, he was shot nine times in the leg by [[Uday Hussein]], Saddam's oldest son, reportedly during an argument over Watban's growing popularity among Iraqis. He reportedly lost his leg, genitals, and part of his stomach as a result. After the incident, Saddam ordered Watban to a position of relative obscurity in [[Tikrit]].

After the 2003 [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]] by a [[Multi-National Force – Iraq|United States-led coalition]], Watban was the [[playing card|five of spades]] in the [[United States Armed Forces|U.S. military's]] [[most-wanted Iraqi playing cards]].<ref name="bbc" /> He was taken into coalition custody on April 13, 2003, following his capture as he tried fleeing to Syria.

On 11 March 2009, Watban was sentenced to death by hanging for his role in the execution of 42 merchants accused of manipulating [[food prices]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/saddam-s-deputy-pm-tariq-aziz-gets-15-year-prison-sentence-1.789502|title=Saddam's deputy PM Tariq Aziz gets 15-year prison sentence|date=11 March 2009|department=[[CBC News]]|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]|access-date=2 March 2019}}</ref>

On the morning of 14 July 2011, the U.S. handed Watban over to Iraqi authorities, expecting that he would be executed within a month.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2011/07/15/half-brothers-of-saddam-hussein-to-be-executed-in-iraq-within-a-month/|title=Half brothers of Saddam Hussein to be executed in Iraq within a month|work=[[New York Post]]|date=15 July 2015|access-date=2 March 2019}}</ref> Instead, he remained imprisoned until his death from natural causes on 13 August 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.iraqinews.com/features/watban-ibrahim-al-hassan-half-brother-saddam-hussein-died/|title=Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan, half brother of Saddam Hussein, has died|publisher=Iraqi News|date=13 August 2015|access-date=2 March 2019}}</ref>

In 2017, Uday's son Massoud claimed, without sharing any evidence, that his body had been stolen by the [[Iranian government]]. The claim was never proven.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dailysabah.com/mideast/2017/02/27/saddam-husseins-grandson-asks-trump-for-help-against-iran/amp | title=Saddam Hussein's grandson asks Trump for help against Iran | website=[[Daily Sabah]] | date=27 February 2017 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{YouTube|2yLVyJBIt5c|Video showing Ibrahim overseeing the torture of two Iraqi police officers, while Ibrahim was Interior Minister, one of the videos that surfaced after the 2003 US-led invasion}} [''[[wikipedia:Link rot|permanent dead link]]'']

{{Saddam Hussein}}
{{U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watban Ibrahim}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region politicians]]
[[Category:Interior ministers of Iraq]]
[[Category:Iraq War prisoners of war]]
[[Category:Iraqi generals]]
[[Category:Iraqi mass murderers]]
[[Category:Iraqi people who died in prison custody]]
[[Category:Iraqi prisoners of war]]
[[Category:Iraqi prisoners sentenced to death]]
[[Category:Prisoners sentenced to death by Iraq]]
[[Category:Prisoners of war held by the United States]]
[[Category:Prisoners who died in Iraqi detention]]
[[Category:Tulfah family]]