Barzani authorized passport for Saddam Hussein’s son-in-law

Massoud Barzani authorized a passport for Hala Saddam Hussein’s husband

ERBIL,— Saddam Hussein’s son-in-law, Jamal Mustafa, claimed during a televised interview that he was granted a passport on the direct order of Massoud Barzani, KDP party leader and former president of the Kurdistan Region. Hussein, who served as Iraq’s president from 1979 until his ousting in 2003, was overthrown following the U.S.-led invasion.

The statement was made during an episode of the “Political Memory” program, which aired on the Saudi-based Al Arabiya television network on July 6. Mustafa, a former Iraqi official and Hussein’s second secretary, spoke at length about his imprisonment, release, and events following his departure from Iraq.

According to Jamal Mustafa, after serving an 18-year prison sentence in Iraq following the fall of Hussein’s regime in 2003, he traveled to Erbil, where he met with Barzani. During their meeting, he said, Barzani asked if there was anything he could do to assist him.

“I told him I needed a passport,” Mustafa said in the interview. “He immediately ordered one of his officers to handle the matter. The procedures were carried out accordingly.”

However, Mustafa added that the passport was to be delivered in Baghdad, where Iraqi officials reportedly declined to hand it over. He eventually received the document with the help of the Emir of Qatar, according to his account.

Jamal Mustafa in an interview with Al Arabia TV, July 2025

Mustafa, full name Jamal Mustafa Abdullah Al-Sultan, was born in Tikrit on October 1, 1964. He served as a lieutenant colonel in the Iraqi army and was part of Saddam Hussein’s personal security detail. In 1994, he married Hala Saddam Hussein, the former leader’s youngest daughter. He later rose to become Saddam’s deputy for tribal affairs.

Following the fall of Baghdad in 2003, Jamal Mustafa was detained by U.S. forces on April 21 and listed as number 22 on the U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis. His brother, Kamal Mustafa Abdullah Sultan Al-Tikriti, was also among those listed.

Mustafa was one of several senior officials who appeared in court during Saddam Hussein’s trial, offering testimony in the defense of the ousted president. The proceedings were televised nationwide.

Jamal Mustafa with his wife Hala Saddam Hussein,1994. Photo: SM

He was held at Al-Hout prison in Nasiriyah until June 17, 2021, when he was released. After leaving custody, he traveled to Erbil, then later moved to Doha, Qatar, where he currently resides with his wife Hala and her mother, Sajida Khairallah Talfah.

In 2017, the Iraqi Parliament passed legislation that mandated the seizure of assets — both movable and immovable — belonging to Saddam Hussein’s relatives and close associates, including Mustafa.

Despite his long imprisonment, Mustafa appears to maintain ties with key regional figures, including Barzani.

His remarks on Al Arabiya have sparked renewed discussion about the influence of former regime members in post-conflict Iraq and their relationship with the Kurdish ruling family.

(With files from Awene | wikipedia)