The most senior member of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's entourage still at large has urged Sunni Muslim anti-government protesters to stand their ground until Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is toppled.
Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri heads Saddam's Baath party, which was banned after the US-led invasion in 2003 that overthrew the Sunni strongman and empowered majority Shi'ite Muslims.