<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/saddam-hussein-interrogation-john-nixon-debriefing-the-president/2ea0c3d9-8752-4349-a5b2-5a49b2a40c42" rel="" target="" title="The son of a notorious dictator"><span>The son of a notorious dictator</span></a><span> carried out the biggest bank heist of all time on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" rel="" target="" title="March 18, 2003"><span>March 18, 2003</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-november-5-what-happened-on-this-day-saddam-hussein-execution/a8dd744c-2e4c-44e3-b90a-00d25de80ea4" rel="" target="" title="Saddam Hussein"><span>Saddam Hussein</span></a><span>'s son Qusay and an assistant arrived at the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/iraq" rel="" target="" title="Central Bank of Iraq"><span>Central Bank of Iraq</span></a><span> at 4am that morning with a note from the leader.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The handwritten letter from the dictator authorised Qusay to take as much money as he wanted from the bank.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-november-5-what-happened-on-this-day-saddam-hussein-execution/a8dd744c-2e4c-44e3-b90a-00d25de80ea4"><strong><span>Three lawyers murdered defending monstrous dictator</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Three tractor-trailers were brought in to take $900 million in American cash - all $100 notes, as well as tens of millions worth in euros.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In two hours the bank was completely stripped of its money, with the help of staff too terrified to resist.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was estimated the cash taken by Qusay was about a quarter of Iraq's cash reserves.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-march-18-what-happened-on-this-day/f02c3791-b3fb-40ac-9f58-1b118b25ca4c" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hours after the brazen theft, the US began </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/videos/national/john-howard-defends-australias-decision-to-commit-troops-to-iraq/cm5dkau3u00020godbtu6obeb" rel="" target="" title="its bombing campaign of Operation Iraqi Freedom"><span>its bombing campaign of Operation Iraqi Freedom</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-august-7-what-happened-on-this-day/ef23bd47-4d7e-4516-babe-deb9e6dc8c05" rel="" target="" title="Qusay as well as his father"><span>Qusay as well as his father</span></a><span> soon vanished as American troops invaded the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-august-7-what-happened-on-this-day/ef23bd47-4d7e-4516-babe-deb9e6dc8c05"><strong><span>Saddam Hussein kills son-in-laws after daughters defect</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Qusay and his brother Uday would be killed after a firefight with US paratroopers in July that year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While Qusay was behind an immense bank robbery, he was considered the reliable son of the dictator.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Qusay was viewed as the heir apparent and was being groomed as his replacement by his father.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was viewed as quiet and calculating, in contrast to Uday who was seen as erratic and sadistic.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Much of the cash has since been recovered but an estimated US$132 million was not found.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-october-29-what-happened-on-this-day/2d920105-2741-4107-89e0-8c36f9edc3fc" rel="" target="" title="The only thing easier than the jewel heist was the manhunt"><strong><span>The only thing easier than the jewel heist was the manhunt</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is feared much of it went towards financing terrorism.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The biggest cash theft of all time also took place in Iraq, but the details remain scant.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>What is known is that $6 billion sent from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to Iraq later vanished without a trace.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The money was seized wealth being returned to Iraq following the ousting of Hussein.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But after the cash was flown into the country, it quickly became unaccounted for.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" target="" title="For more from our Today in History archive, click here."><strong><span>For more from our Today in History archive, click here</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><p><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong><span> </span><a 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