The rivalry between President Saddam Hussein's wayward sons, Mr Uday and Qusay, has taken a surprising turn, with reports that Uday has converted to Shi'a Islam.
Mr Uday (38), probably the most feared person in Iraq, is described by opposition groups as a serial killer and rapist, and his conversion appears to have little to do with religion.
Shi'a Muslims account for more than 60 per cent of Iraq's population, but they are marginalised and treated with suspicion by the Sunni-dominated regime because of their religious affinity with Iran. In 1991 a Shi'a rebellion in southern Iraq was brutally put down.
Mr Uday's potentially divisive espousal of the Shi'a cause comes as his younger brother, Mr Qusay (35), is close to securing his position as his father's successor.
"The most probable theory is that it's a chess game with his brother," a spokesman for the opposition Iraqi National Congress (INC) said. "Qusay is now clearly taking over, and Uday wants to show that he's holding the popular card."
Mr Qusay was recently appointed deputy head of the military office in the Ba'ath party's regional command, which in effect makes him deputy commander-in-chief of the army. A few days ago he met the leadership of the Republican Guard and was described by Iraqi television as their "supervisor".
Apart from the Presidency itself, there are now only two political positions held by Mr Saddam where Mr Qusay has not become his deputy, according to the INC. These are on the Revolutionary Council and on a council responsible for Ba'ath party branches outside Iraq.
In the meantime, Mr Uday's star has been rapidly waning. Even the militia that he founded, the Saddam Fedayeen, appears to be under threat, with speculation in the Arab press that it will eventually be handed over to Mr Qusay or absorbed into the al-Quds army, which is being set up with the aim of liberating Palestine. This, in the view of several analysts, helps to explain his attempts to build support among the disaffected and marginalised.
Public discussion of Shi'ism is generally taboo in Iraq, but Mr Uday's own newspaper, Babil, recently began publishing reviews of Shi'a literature.
Recently, Babil reported a meeting between Mr Uday and five Shi'a preachers who expressed appreciation for his support.
Other Shi'a clerics in Iraq have been less grateful for Mr Uday's attention. One described his conversion as "a play staged by the Iraqi regime". Another suggested the conversion was instigated by Mr Saddam, who "holds the government in his right hand and now wants to hold the opposition in his left hand".
In London Mr Yousif alKhoei, of the Khoei Foundation, a Shi'a charity, said: "It's a gimmick, but it's very difficult to read the motive. He may be trying to appease the tribal Shi'a and co-opt them, but it's all cosmetic."