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Brief sketches of the Iraqi leaders
23.4.2006 |
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Brief sketches of the Iraqi
leaders confirmed by parliament Saturday:
PRESIDENT JALAL TALABANI: A leader of Iraq's
Kurdish minority, he is serving second term as
president. Talabani, born in 1933, founded Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan in 1975, one of two main Kurdish
parties that fought Saddam Hussein and has jointly
ruled Kurds' autonomous zone in north since 1990s.
He had open disputes with outgoing Prime Minister
Ibrahim al-Jaafari. |
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PRIME
MINISTER-DESIGNATE JAWAD AL-MALIKI: Veteran
leader of Shiite Dawa Party, he spent more than 20
years in exile, mostly in Syria. Since returning,
was one of top negotiators for Shiite Muslim bloc in
drafting new constitution and was deputy head of
committee for purging former Baath Party members
from military and government. Born July 1, 1950, in
village outside Karbala. |
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PARLIAMENT SPEAKER
MAHMOUD AL-MASHHADANI: Sunni Arab activist with
Islamic fundamentalist groups that opposed Saddam's
rule in 1980s and 1990s. Born in 1948 in Shiite
district of Baghdad, al-Mashhadani -- trained as
doctor -- was arrested twice by Saddam's regime, in
1980s and 2000. Was elected to parliament as part of
main Sunni bloc, Iraqi Accordance Front. |
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VICE PRESIDENT ADEL
ABDUL MAHDI: A leading member of Supreme Council
for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, biggest Shiite
party, he is serving second term as vice president.
Born in 1942, he is French-educated son of respected
Shiite cleric who was Cabinet minister during Iraq's
monarchy. |
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VICE PRESIDENT TARIQ
AL-HASHIMI: Head of Iraqi Islamic party, now
under umbrella of Iraqi Accordance Front, first
major alliance among Sunni Arabs. Loosely associated
with Egypt's fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood. Born
in Baghdad in 1942. Strongly opposes autonomous
regions in Iraq; supports removing Shiite militiamen
from security forces; backs ending Baathist purge. |
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DEPUTY PARLIAMENT
SPEAKER KHALID AL-ATTIYAH: Cleric who is
independent lawmaker within Shiite alliance. Born in
1949 outside southern city of Diwaniyah. Studied
Islamic jurisprudence in holy city of Najaf. Fled
Iraq in 1979 after being arrested several times,
worked in academic and religious institutions. Led
Islamic Studies department at Oxford University,
2000 to 2004. |
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DEPUTY PARLIAMENT
SPEAKER AREF TAYFOUR: Leading member of
Kurdistan Democratic Party, he spent short periods
in exile in Iran and Austria. Returned to northern
Kurdistan region when it gained de facto autonomy
after 1991 Gulf War and served in KDP's Political
Bureau. Born in 1945 in Kurdistan-northern city of
Sulaimaniyah. |
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WHAT'S AHEAD
Prime Minister-designate Jawad al-Maliki has 30 days
to assemble a Cabinet from divided Shiite, Sunni and
Kurdish parties. The most contentious question will
be filling key ministries that control security
forces amid demands to purge them of militias blamed
for the rise in sectarian bloodshed.
AP
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