Allies of Saddam Hussein Move Leader's Corpse, Fearing Vandalism By Shi'ite Militants

Allies of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein have moved the former leader's corpse to an undisclosed location out of fear that Sh'ite militants would harm it.

A leader from Saddam's Albu Nasir tribe told Reuters in a recent interview that Saddam supporters had moved the former leader's body to a different location eight months ago. The tribal leader added that fortunately, the body was moved before Sh'ite militias entered the grave site and tore down images of the former leader, as well as set the tomb on fire.

"We had moved the body eight months ago to a safer place. We were afraid something would happen to him. Our fears proved true," the tribal leader, who remained anonymous, told Reuters."There were four of us that took up this mission. We could not move the bodies of Saddam's sons. We are afraid someone will desecrate those graves."

The leader was secretive as to where Saddam's body now rests. "We moved him to a place far from the hands of his enemies," he said. "Isn't it enough for them that they killed him once. Now they are afraid of his body."

Shi'ite Muslims are currently staking out Saddam's burial site and other important cultural sites as members of the Sunni Muslim militia group, the Islamic State, sweep through northern Iraq, claiming multiple cities after declaring a caliphate to overthrow current President Fuad Masum.

The presence of the Islamic State militia has escalated since June, with thousands of Iraqis being displaced by the strict Islamic group that demands they either convert to Islam, pay a tax or die. This week, Iraq's president Masum announced that the government would be providing $850 million to citizens displaced by the Islamic State.