Lably
Skip to content

Family of Saddam Hussein

  • 6 min read
  • 4 chapters

Explore on Lably

ToursExplore Lably’s 3D tours

Al-Tikriti family is originally from Al-Awja, about 13 kilometers from Tikrit, and are members of the minority Sunni population. They are members of the al-Bejat tribal group, a sub-group of the Al-Bu Nasir tribe. Since records are scant, the generation who controlled Iraq primarily are only known to stem from Albejat subtribe of Albunaser including the subclan of Khairallah Talfah, who later became Saddam's father-in-law. All the members of the Hussein or extended Talfah family have the Arabic surname Al-Nasseri and trace their origins to Al-Awja or several surrounding villages.

During the rule of Saddam Hussein, family connections became a crucial part of Iraqi politics and many of his close family members were in charge of the ministries, military, and the Security Services.

Origin

The Talfah family descends from Talfah ibn Musalat, grandson of the emir Omar Bey III of Tikrit and army officer who died a few years after the birth of Subha. He had several children: Subha, Khairallah, Abd al-Latif and Badra.

Subha's family

  • Subha Talfah (c. 1910s–1982)
    With Hussein Abd al-Majid (c. 1900s–1937)
    • Unknown son, died of cancer around at age 13 around 1937.
    • Saddam Hussein (1937–2006), President of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. Prior to that, he was vice-president during the 70s. He was married to his cousin Sajida Talfah and had five children.
  • With Ibrahim al-Hassan Muhammad
    • Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti (1947–2013), director of the DGS.
      • Ayman (born 1971), reported Guerrilla fighter who is aiding the Iraqi Insurgency.
      • Ibrahim (1983–2015), reported Guerrilla fighter, killed in battle.
    • Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti (1951–2007), director of the Mukhabarat
      • Saja, briefly married to Uday Hussein in 1993.
    • Watban (1952–2015), former Interior Minister of Iraq
    • Siham (c. mid-1930s), sister and briefly president of the Iraqi Women's Union. She was married to Arshad Yasin, private bodyguard and personal pilot of Saddam.

Khairallah's family

  • Khairallah Talfah (1910–1993), Mayor of Baghdad from 1979 to 1981
    With Lilo Wahib
    • Sajida (born 1935), wife of Saddam Hussein and First Lady of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. Was a primary school teacher prior to marrying Saddam.
    • Adnan (1940–1989), Minister of Defence from (1977–89), killed in a helicopter crash though it has been alleged that he was assassinated.
    • Ilham (1955–1999), wife of Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, died of cancer in 1999
  • With Fatima Hassan al-Majid
    • Lo'uay Khairallah, close associate with Uday. Reportedly suffered from severe drinking problems.

Abd al-Latif's family

  • Abd al-Latif Talfah (?–?)
    • Rafi (born 1954), director of the General Security
    • Hani (born 1962), director of the SSO

Sign in to keep reading

3 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

More in Contemporary