A series of videos appeared online Saturday purporting to show Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri , the highest-ranking member of Saddam Hussein 's regime to evade capture , deriding Iraq 's current leadership . Al-Douri , who the U.S. military says helped finance the Sunni insurgency in Iraq , was the `` king of clubs '' in a deck of playing cards used by American troops following the 2003 invasion to identify the most-wanted regime officials . There have been several claims that al-Douri was either killed or captured , though a man claiming to be al-Douri has released a number of audio messages over the years taunting Iraqi and U.S. officials . Al-Douri , who served as a military commander and vice president in Hussein 's Sunni-dominated regime , was last seen on video shortly after the invasion of Iraq . CNN can not independently verify the authenticity of the videos posted on YouTube or the identity of the man , though he bears a striking resemblance to al-Douri . In the clips , the man who claims to be al-Douri wears an olive military uniform and sits behind a desk with an Iraqi flag in the background . He derides Iraq 's Shiite-dominated government , led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki , as well as what he describes as meddling by neighboring Iran . Al-Maliki 's Dawa party , says al-Douri , `` has announced Iraq as the Shiite capital . '' He said nine years have passed since the invasion and Iraq is still in peril . `` Everyone can hear the sounds of danger echoing daily and threatening the country , '' he said . The videos were posted on what is the 65th anniversary of the Arab Socialist Baath Party , a political party founded in Syria that later provided the political basis for Iraq 's now outlawed Baath Party . The U.S. military has said al-Douri helped finance the Sunni insurgency with money he transferred to Syria before the government collapsed shortly after the U.S.-led invasion . Al-Douri was the deputy chairman of Hussein 's Revolutionary Command Council , and U.S. officials have said he played a key role in the 1988 chemical attack on the Kurdish city of Halabja that left thousands dead and thousands more wounded . He also is accused of playing a role in the brutal crackdowns on Kurdish and Shiite revolts in Iraq that followed the 1991 Persian Gulf War .
Al-Douri was the `` king of clubs '' in a deck of playing cards used to identity wanted officials . In the video clips , a man who says he is al-Douri derides Iraq 's Shiite leaders . He also calls on his followers to take up arms against their government and fight for an Islamic state.