The generic Arabic term for security and intelligence organization, a mukhabarat is to be found in many countries, including Egypt and Syria. During Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror in Iraq, his Mukhabarat was an essential instrument of terror, responsible for the collection of foreign intelligence as well as the maintenance of a comprehensive security apparatus, usually headed by a member of his Tikriti clan, for a long period by Saddam’s younger half-brother, Barazan.