THIS SEEMS LIKE GOOD NEWS:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The most-wanted Saddam Hussein aide in Iraq, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, was captured in the town of Tikrit on Sunday, Iraq’s defense ministry said.

The ministry said Ibrahim was captured by members of Iraq’s national guard backed by U.S. forces. Tikrit was Saddam’s hometown and one of the powerbases of his regime.

Iraqi Minister of State Wael Abdul al-Latif told Reuters it was “75 to 90 percent certain” the captured man was Ibrahim. He said 70 of the man’s supporters were killed and 80 captured when they tried to prevent him being seized.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Wizbang: “I question the timing.”

ANOTHER UPDATE: Izzat him? Maybe not, according to this report. But it must have been somebody important, if they put up that much of a fight, I’d think.