Most-wanted Iraqi playing cards

In the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition, the U.S. military developed a set of playing cards to help troops identify the most-wanted members of President Saddam Hussein's government, mostly high-ranking Baath Party members or members of the Revolutionary Command Council. The cards were officially named the "personality identification playing cards".

As of March 2011, 10 of the original 55 are still at large and at least seven of the 55 are dead.

About the cards

Each card contains the wanted person's name, a picture if available, and the job performed by that individual. The highest-ranking cards, starting with the aces and kings, were used for the people at the top of the most-wanted list. The ace of spades is Saddam Hussein, the aces of clubs and hearts are his sons Qusay and Uday respectively, and the ace of diamonds is Saddam's presidential secretary Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti. This strict correspondence to the order of the most-wanted list was not carried through the entire deck, but some time later in 2003, the list itself was renumbered to conform (almost) to the deck of cards.

According to Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jim Brooks, a spokesman for the Defense Intelligence Agency, such playing cards have been used as far back as the Civil War and again in World War II—Army Air Corps decks printed with the silhouettes of German and Japanese fighter aircraft fetch hundreds of dollars today—and in the Korean War. Troops often play cards to pass the time, and seeing the names, faces and titles of the wanted Iraqis during their games will help soldiers and Marines in case they run into the wanted individuals in the field, Brooks said.^[1]

Developed by five US Army soldiers, 2LT Hans Mumm, SSG Shawn Mahoney, Sgt. Andrei Salter, Sgt. Scott Boehmler, and Spc. Joseph Barrios, who were assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency,^[2] the deck of cards was first announced publicly in Iraq on April 11, 2003, in a press conference by Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, deputy director of operations at U.S. Central Command. On that same evening Max Hodges, a Houston-based entrepreneur, found and downloaded a high-resolution artwork file for the deck from a Defense Department web server. Discovering the following day that the file had vanished from the military web server he became the first eBay seller to offer the artwork file, in PDF, which could be used to reproduce the deck.^[3] He quickly contracted Gemaco Playing Card Company to print 1,000 decks for about $4,000 and started selling both the decks, in advance of receiving them from the printer, on eBay, Amazon.com and his own web site. When some of his early auctions for a $4 deck of cards quickly rose to over $120,^[4] it did not take long for other eBayers to jump on the bandwagon and print or order decks of their own to sell. In just a few days hundreds of sellers materialized and the price dropped to just a few dollars per deck.

Texas-based Liberty Playing Card Co. received an order to manufacture the cards for the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait and by claiming to be "the authorized government contractor" quickly became another popular domestic supplier for the commercial market. The U.S. military inadvertently included in the jokers the trademarked Hoyle joker owned by the United States Playing Card Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. Although The U.S. Playing Card company does not object to the government's use of the image, they do object to other companies using the trademarked image. Thus, in some sense, the U.S. military inadvertently granted The U.S. Playing Card Company exclusive rights to manufacture the authentic decks, if the trademarked images on the jokers are considered a requirement for being authentic.

The deck of cards spawned many imitations and parodies, such as decks featuring members of the Bush administration and the Republican Party, as well as prominent liberals and members of the Democratic Party. Other decks were created to commemorate the subsequent Presidential Election, including the colorfully balanced Presidential Poker^[5] deck which contains a suit for each political point-of-view (positive Republicans, negative Republicans, positive Democrats, negative Democrats) along with a unique poker variation that lampooned the issues contests in the 2004 race. There has been criticism of the Bush administration for being preoccupied with Iraq and losing focus of Osama bin Laden and the most wanted al-Qaeda members; those of this view often cite as an example that the government has not made up a similar deck of cards for the top al-Qaeda members.

Spades

• Ace ♠: Saddam Hussein, president (#1 on most-wanted list) (Executed 2006).
• King ♠: Ali Hasan Al-Majid, presidential adviser/Revolutionary Command Council member better known as "Chemical Ali" (#5) (Executed 2010).
• Queen ♠: Muhammad Hamza Zubaydi, retired RCC member (#9, but was originally #18) (Died in Custody 2005).
• Jack ♠: Ibrahim Ahmad Abd al-Sattar Muhammad, Iraqi armed forces chief of staff (#13, was #11) (Died in Custody 2010).
• Ten ♠: Hamid Raja Shalah, Air Force commander (#17, was #15) (Captured 2005).
• Nine ♠: Rukan Razuki Abd Al-Ghafar Sulayman Al-Majid, head of tribal affairs office (#21, was #39) (Whereabouts Unknown).
• Eight ♠: Tariq Aziz, deputy prime minister (#25, was #43) (Surrendered 2003, Sentenced to Death).
• Seven ♠: Mahmud Dhiyab, minister of interior (#29, was #46) (Surrendered 2003).
• Six ♠: Amir Rashid Muhammad al-Ubaydi, presidential adviser/former oil minister (#33, was #47) (Surrendered 2003).
• Five ♠: Watban Ibrahim Hasan, presidential adviser (#37, was #51) (Captured 2003, Sentenced to Death).
• Four ♠: Muhammad Zimam Abd al-Razzaq, Baath Party regional command chairman (#41, was #23) (Unknown).
• Three ♠: Sa'd Abdul-Majid Al-Faisal, Baath Party Regional command chairman (#55, was #36) (Unknown).
• Two ♠: Rashid Taan Kazim, Baath Party regional chairman (#49, was #30) (Unknown).

Clubs

• Ace ♣: Qusay Saddam Husayn, son of Saddam(#2), killed in standoff with US Army in Mosul, Iraq 2003.
• King ♣: Izzat Ibrahim, RCC vice chairman (#6).
• Queen ♣: Kamal Mustafa Abdallah Sultan, secretary of the Republican Guard (#10, was #8).
• Jack ♣: Sayf Al-Din Fulayyih Hasan Taha Al-Rawi, Republican Guard chief of staff (#14, was #12).
• Ten ♣: Latif Nusayyif Jasim, Baath Party military bureau deputy chairman (#18, was #37).
• Nine ♣: Jamal Mustafa Abdallah Sultan, deputy head of tribal affairs (#22, was #40).
• Eight ♣: Walid Hamid Tawfiq, governor of Basra (#26, was #44).
• Seven ♣: Ayad Futayyih Khalifa, Quds forces chief of staff (#30, was #20).
• Six ♣: Husam Muhammad Amin, head of National Monitoring Directorate (#34, was #49) (Released 2005).
• Five ♣: Barzan Ibrahim Hasan, presidential adviser (#38, was #52) (Executed 2007).
• Four ♣: Samir Abd Al-Aziz, Baath Party regional command chairman (#42, was #24).
• Three ♣: Sayf al-Din Al-Mashhadani, Baath Party regional command chairman (#46, was #27).
• Two ♣: Ugla Abid Saqr, Baath Party regional chairman (#50, was #31).

Hearts

• Ace ♥: Uday Saddam Husayn, son of Saddam Hussein, killed in standoff with US Army in Mosul, Iraq 2003 (#3).
• King ♥: Hani Abd al-Latif Tilfah, Director—special security organization (#7).
• Queen ♥: Barzan Abd al-Ghafur Sulayman Majid, Special Republican Guard commander (#11, was #9).
• Jack ♥: Rafi Abd Al-Latif Tilfah, director of general security (#15, was #13).
• Ten ♥: Abd Al-Tawab Mullah Huwaysh, deputy prime minister (#19, was #16).
• Nine ♥: Mizban Khadr Hadi, RCC member (#23, was #41).
• Eight ♥: Sultan Hashim Ahmad, minister of defense (#27, was #19).
• Seven ♥: Zuhayr Talib Abd Al-Sattar, director of military intelligence (#31, was #21).
• Six ♥: Muhammad Mahdi (#35, was #48).
• Five ♥: Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, weapons of mass destruction scientist (known as "Mrs. Anthrax"; #39, was #53; also the only female on the entire list).
• Four ♥: Humam Abd Al-Khaliq Abd, minister of higher education and scientific research (#43, was #54).
• Three ♥: Fadil Mahmud Gharib, Baath Party regional command chairman (#47, was #28).
• Two ♥: Ghazi Hammud, Baath Party regional command chairman (#51, was #32).

Diamonds

• Ace ♦: Abid Hamid Mahmud, presidential secretary (#4).
• King ♦: Aziz Salih, Baath Party regional command chairman (#8, was #17).
• Queen ♦: Muzahim Sa'b Hasan, air defense forces commander (#12, was #10).
• Jack ♦: Tahir Jalil Habbush, Iraqi intelligence service (#16, was #14).
• Ten ♦: Taha Yasin Ramadan, vice president/RCC member (#20, was #38).
• Nine ♦: Taha Muhyi Al-Din Maruf, vice president/RCC member (#24, was #42).
• Eight ♦: Hikmat Mizban Ibrahim, deputy prime minister and finance minister (#28, was #45).
• Seven ♦: Amir Hamudi Hasan, presidential scientific adviser (#32, was #55).
• Six ♦: Sabawi Ibrahim Hasan, presidential adviser (#36, was #50).
• Five ♦: Abd al-Baqi Abd al-Karim Abdallah, Baath Party regional command chairman (#40, was #22).
• Four ♦: Yahya Abdallah, Baath Party regional command chairman (#44, was #25).
• Three ♦: Muhsin Khadr, Baath Party regional command chairman (#48, was #29).
• Two ♦: Adil Abdallah Mahdi, Baath Party regional command chairman (#52, was #33).

Other

There are also two jokers: one lists Arab titles, the other Iraqi military ranks. There are no cards for most-wanted #45 (was #26), Nayif Shindakh Thamir, #53 (was #34) Husayn al-Awadi, or #54 (was #35) Khamis Sirhan al-Muhammad, although knight cards could be used for this purpose, but in this case the whole deck would be rearranged. Khamis Sirhan al-Muhammad was captured in January 2004 and held without charge for six years before being released on July 30, 2010. He has since fled to Syria where most of the other 10 uncaptured members of the deck of cards are reported to be hiding.^[6]

The 13 June 2003 edition of the BBC One satirical news quiz, Have I Got News for You, featured a set of the playing cards in one round, spoofing guest host Bruce Forsyth's 1980s game show Play Your Cards Right. The two teams played a version of the latter's main game, retitled Play Your Iraqi Cards Right (although during the segment it was revealed that the writers' first choice had been Play Your Kurds Right), with the same rules (and audience participation). Much of the humour of the round came from the reactions of the two team captains: while Paul Merton was clearly familiar with the game and greatly enjoyed it, his opponent, Ian Hislop, admitted he'd never seen Play Your Cards Right and appeared mystified by the game's rules and etiquette (when at one point Merton and the crowd shouted the traditional cry of "lower, lower," to predict the next card in the hidden sequence, Hislop commented, "I'm not sure this program could get much lower!")

Also similar is The "Least Wanted" Deck, which was distributed by libertarian/independent radio host Alex Jones. This deck featured supposed prominent members of the New World Order.

See also

• U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis
• Archaeology awareness playing cards
• Manhunt (military)

Sources

1. ^ Madhani, Aamer (2003-04-03). "Surrendering Iraqi soldiers warn of Syrian, Lebanon mercenaries". Chicago Tribune. Stars and Stripes. http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=14311&archive=true. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
2. ^ "The Faces Behind the Faces on the 'Most Wanted' Deck". Armed Forces Press Service. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=29017. 
3. ^ Iraq Most Wanted Identification Playing Cards (PDF version) white rabbit online shop, archived on the November 27, 2005 from the original
4. ^ Valdes-Dapena, Peter (2003-04-13). "Hot item: 'Most wanted Iraqi' cards". CNN. http://money.cnn.com/2003/04/14/pf/saving/iraq_cards. Retrieved 2010-05-13. 
5. ^ "Presidential Boston Stud Playing Cards and Presidential Texas Hold 'em Playing Cards". CereBel Corporation. 2004. http://www.prezpoker.com. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
6. ^ Mohammed, Riyadh, "Hussein Backer Set Free In Iraq", Los Angeles Times, August 5, 2010, p. 10.

• Brigadier General Vincent Brooks introduces Iraqi cards at CentComm press conference in Doha, Qatar, April 11, 2003.
• "Troops Dealt an Old Tool" by Tom Zucco, St. Petersburg Times, April 12, 2003.
• Personality Identification Playing Cards
• "Card-Carrying Civilians", Time Magazine, May 12, 2003, page 25.
• Brigadier General Vincent Brooks introduced the first set of Iraqi freedom cards, April 11, 2003
• Card Makers Producing 'Most-Wanted' Decks: Company Warns Others About 'Joker' Image, April 23, 2003, ClickOnDetroit.com.
• Iraqi Most Wanted Scorecard