Mahmud began his military career as a
non-commissioned officer in the
Iraqi Army. He rose through the ranks to Lieutenant-General, becoming part of Saddam Hussein's personal bodyguard detail, and finally, his personal secretary. A distant cousin of Saddam Hussein, observers regarded Mahmud as being Hussein's right-hand man. He always maintained constant contact with Hussein and acted as a gatekeeper, controlling access to him. He was trusted, along with Saddam's son
Qusay Hussein, in overseeing the
Iraqi Special Security Organization. He was designated
ace of diamonds in the U.S. administration's
most-wanted Iraqi playing cards and fourth on the most-wanted list after Saddam and his sons
Uday and Qusay. He was captured in a joint raid by members of B Squadron
Delta Force and G Squadron
SAS and the 1st
Battalion,
22nd Infantry Regiment of 1st
Brigade,
4th Infantry Division, in
Tikrit on 16 June 2003. At the time it was recognized as the "greatest success" since the end of major hostilities, and a sign that Saddam Hussein might soon be found. On 29 April 2008, he appeared before the
Iraq Special Tribunal set up by the
Iraq Interim Government and stood trial with six others including
Tariq Aziz,
Ali Hassan al-Majid,
Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan and
Sabbawi Ibrahim al-Hassan. On 26 October 2010, he was sentenced to
death by the
Iraqi High Tribunal after being found guilty of crimes against humanity and genocide for organizing a crackdown against banned political parties in Iraq in the 1980s and 1990s, including assassinations and unlawful detentions. On 7 June 2012, he was executed by hanging, according to a spokesman of the
Iraqi Ministry of Justice. ==References==