Saad Abdullah Othman

From the news reports:

Othman, for example, began as a student activist in Irbil, joined the party and led militia troops in numerous battles against the Iraqi army. During the 1980s, Iraqi troops pursued Kurdish forces deep into the northern mountains. Othman took refuge near the Iranian border and sent his family to Iran for a time.

When the Kurds rose up against Hussein in 1991, Othman led forces in villages to the south and held the town of Qorei against an army onslaught. When government forces assaulted Irbil, he went underground, refusing to leave the city, friends and relatives said.

During the 1990s, he was named KDP agriculture minister. Last month he became head of the KDP's Irbil operations.

WP 03 Feb 2004