Profile: Qusai Hussein
July 22 -- — Qusai Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti, the younger son of Saddam Hussein, was the Iraqi dictator's heir apparent when the Hussein regime was overthrown in 2003.
As a leading member of the Iraqi Baath party and the head of the all-powerful Special Security Organization — which comprised an extensive network of intelligence, security and paramilitary wings that once permeated all levels of Iraqi society — Qusai was the second-most powerful man in Iraq before the war.
He is the ace of clubs in the U.S. deck of most wanted Iraqis.
Qusai was believed to have been with his father at a Baghdad restaurant when it was struck by a U.S. missile on April 7. But he later appeared at Saddam's side in video footage that was allegedly shot on April 9, hours before the capital fell to U.S. forces.
The younger of Saddam's two sons, Qusai was a quieter, less public figure than his notorious elder brother, Odai. But following a succession of violent, embarrassing rages by Saddam's eldest son and a 1996 assassination attempt that left Odai paralyzed and barely able to walk, Qusai appeared to be the first in line to succeed his father.
As head of the Special Security Organization, Qusai was responsible for protecting the regime and its weapons and ensuring loyalty.
He was reportedly active in helping Saddam eliminate any threat — real or perceived — and was ruthless in doing so, employing all manner of repression, from blackmail, to beatings, to execution.
Quiet Son
As the younger son of Saddam and his first wife, Sajida — who was also Saddam's cousin — Qusai grew up in the shadow of his flamboyant elder brother, who was widely known to be Saddam's favorite child.
As a young man, Qusai studied law and kept a low profile. But his quiet, secretive disposition proved helpful in the long run, when his brother's excesses led Saddam to increasingly trust his younger son.
Although Qusai did not have brother's reputation for senseless cruelty, he was very much a part of Saddam's brutal regime and proved to be a loyal son and efficient commandant.
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