Muhammad Mahdi Salih

Muhammad Mahdi Salih
Minister of Trade
In office
1987 – 9 April 2003
PresidentSaddam Hussein
Preceded byHassan Ali[1][2]
Succeeded byMohammed Al-Jubouri (interim)[3]
Chief of the Presidential Office
In office
~1980s–1987
PresidentSaddam Hussein
Personal details
Born1947 or 1949
Rawa, Al-Anbar, Iraq
Political partyIraqi Ba'ath Party
OccupationPolitician

Mohammad Mahdi Salih Al-Rawi (Arabic: محمد مهدي صالح الراوي) is an Iraqi politician who was Trade Minister in the government of President Saddam Hussein.[4] He was the Minister of Finance from 1989 to 1991.[5]

Pre-War Career

Salih was born between 1947 and 1949 in Al Anbar Governorate in western Iraq.[6] He was the Chief of Saddam Hussein's Presidential Office in the mid-1980s and then became Minister of Trade from 1987 until the downfall of Hussein.[6] In October 1995, the United States listed al Salih as a Designated Individual under their programme of sanctions against Iraq.[7] al-Salih guided Ibrahim Hesqel, who was Trade Envoy to China.[8]

2003 Iraq War

Following the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the United States distributed a deck of most-wanted Iraqi playing cards, which included al-Saleh as the "six of hearts".[4] His assets were frozen under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483 as a former official.[6] He was taken into custody by the US on 23 April 2003.[9] He was held by the US military at Camp Cropper, a base just outside Baghdad.[10] In July 2010, seven years after his capture, he was handed over to the custody of the Iraq government.[11]

In 2011 he was found innocent of charges against him and in March 2012 he was released by the Iraqi authorities and immediately left the country.[4]

Post-War

Following the 2013 Al Anbar governorate election, Salih was rumoured to be a candidate supported by the Uniters List for the position of Governor of Anbar.[12][13] The Uniters List later denied the rumours.[14] In 2014 he was living in Amman, Jordan.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Smolansky, Oles M.; Smolanksy, Bettie M. (1991). The USSR and Iraq: The Soviet Quest for Influence. Duke University Press. p. 256. ISBN 082231116X.
  2. ^ "Iraq (Hansard, 19 December 1986)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 19 December 1986. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  3. ^ "Interim Iraqi government". BBC News. 1 June 2004.
  4. ^ a b c "Iraq frees Saddam-era trade minister". Gulf News. 18 March 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  5. ^ Historical Dictionary of Iraq - Beth K. Dougherty
  6. ^ a b c "Council Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003". European Council of Ministers. 7 July 2003. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  7. ^ "OFAC listing" (FTP). Office of Foreign Assets Control. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  8. ^ "Babylonian Jewish Journal" (PDF). The Scribe.
  9. ^ "US snares more ex-Saddam associates". The Age. 24 April 2003. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  10. ^ Hans von Sponeck (UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq) (9 May 2009). "Appeal for the release of Tariq Aziz". Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  11. ^ "US hands over Tariq Aziz, other detainees to Iraqi govt". Arab News. 14 July 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  12. ^ "Uniters candidate Muhammad Mahdi al-Salih, Minister of Commerce under the Saddam Regime, for the position of Governor of Anbar". Nakhel News. 19 July 2013. Archived from the original on 31 August 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  13. ^ Amjad Salah, Ammar al-Ani (19 July 2013). "Nomination of former regime Minister of Commerce for post of Governor of Anbar Province". Al Sumaria. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  14. ^ Ahmed Hussein (20 July 2013). "Motahidon denies nominating Salih for Anbar Governor Post". Retrieved 31 August 2013.


Stub icon

This article about an Iraqi politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.