Saddam Hussein's half brother dies of cancer

Saddam Hussein's half brother died of cancer on Monday in a Baghdad hospital, Iraq's Ministry of Justice confirmed. Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, who had received several death sentences, was transferred to the hospital from prison as his health deteriorated at dawn. His body will be handed over to his family. ??"The convicted Sabawi Ibrahim died in a Baghdad hospital at 0500 hrs on Monday after ?being transferred by the prison management due to his deteriorating health condition," the ministry's spokesman Wesam al-Frayji said in a statement. "The medical report issued by the hospital states that the cause of death was cancer,” he added. Al-Hassan served as head of intelligence and security during the 1991 Gulf War. He then ran the general security service until 1996, when he took up his final post of presidential adviser to Saddam. Saddam's half brother was number 36 on the US list of the 55 most-wanted Iraqis at the time. He was detained in Syria and deported to Iraq in 2005.