Naji Sabri is an Iraqi former intelligence officer who served as the head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) during the early 1990s and later became a source of intelligence for the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Early life and education
Details regarding Sabri’s early life, including his date and place of birth, are limited in publicly available sources. He is known to have received education in the field of engineering, having earned a degree in civil engineering before entering governmental service.
Career in the Iraqi government
Sabri entered the Iraqi armed forces and subsequently transferred to the Iraqi Intelligence Service. In 1990, he was appointed director of the IIS, a position he held until 1992. As head of the IIS, Sabri was responsible for overseeing domestic and foreign intelligence operations under the regime of President Saddam Hussein.
Defection and cooperation with the United States
Following the Gulf War and the subsequent sanctions on Iraq, Sabri became disillusioned with the Iraqi leadership. In the early 2000s, he entered into contact with the CIA and provided strategic intelligence on the Iraqi military, political structures, and the regime’s intentions. His cooperation contributed to U.S. assessments prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. After the fall of Baghdad, Sabri was granted protection by U.S. authorities and entered a witness protection program.
Later life
Since relocating to the United States, Sabri has lived in relative anonymity. Public statements from him are scarce, and further personal details remain unverified.
Legacy
Sabri’s transition from a senior Iraqi intelligence official to a CIA source is frequently cited in analyses of intelligence gathering and defector dynamics during the lead‑up to the 2003 Iraq War.
References
- United Nations Security Council documents on the Iraqi Intelligence Service.
- Reports by major news agencies (e.g., The New York Times, BBC) covering Sabri’s defection and testimony.
- Scholarly works on the 2003 Iraq invasion that reference CIA sources.