The son of a prominent Tikriti family, he played several key roles in the ruling Ba'ath Party, including as military governor of the occupied Kuwaiti province during the Gulf War, director of the Mukhabarat secret police, a member of the Revolutionary Command Council, and minister of defense. He also took part in a crackdown against Kurdish civilians in the Anfal genocide, which resulted in numerous deaths and the expulsion of the vast majority of the Kurdish population from Kirkuk.
Despite holding numerous powerful positions, he had a reputation for erratic behaviour and mental instability. He was noted for his brutality, ruthlessness, and unpredictability, even by the standards of the Ba'athist regime. His military career was marked by a series of humiliating defeats, and his leadership style relied on intimidation and fear. After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he became one of the most-wanted members of the former regime and was eventually captured by US forces in 2003. He was convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide and sentenced to death in 2008, before being executed in 2010.