Haider Al-Abadi

Haider al-Abadi on September 11, 2014.

75th Prime Minister of Iraq
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 September 2014
President Fuad Masum
Deputy Saleh al-Mutlaq
Hoshyar Zebari
Preceded by Nouri al-Maliki
Deputy Leader of the Islamic Dawa Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 January 2007
Preceded by Nouri al-Maliki
Minister of Communications
In office
1 September 2003 1 June 2004
Prime Minister
Preceded by Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf (as
Information Minister)
Succeeded by Muhammad Ali Hakim
Personal details
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Haider Al-Abadi (or al-'Ibadi; Arabic: , born on
25 April 1952) is the 75th and current Prime Minister of Iraq.
He was Minister of Communication from 2003 to 2004, in the
first government after Saddam Hussein.
A Shia Muslim, he was designated by President Fuad Masum
on 11 August 2014 as new Prime Minister of Iraq to succeed
Nouri al-Maliki
[1]
and was approved by the Iraqi parliament
on 8 September 2014.
[2]
1 Early life and education
2 Political career
2.1 Exile
2.2 Return to Iraq
3 Premiership
4 References
Al-Abadi graduated high school in 1970 from Al-Idadiyah
Al-Markaziyah in Baghdad.
[3]
In 1975, he earned a bachelor's
degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of
Technology in Baghdad.
[4]
In 1980, he earned a PhD degree
in Electrical engineering from the University of
Manchester.
[5]
Al-Abadi joined the Dawa Party in 1967.
[3]
His three brothers
were arrested in 1980, 1981, and 1982 for belonging to the
Dawa Party.
[4][6]
In 1977 he became the chief of the party
while studying in London.
[7]
In 1979 he became a member of
the party's executive leadership.
[8]
In 1983 the government
confiscated al-Abadi's passport for conspiring against the
Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Iraq Region.
[8]
See list
Haider al-Abadi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haider_al-Abadi
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Born April 25, 1952
Baghdad, Iraq
Political party Islamic Dawa Party
Other political
affiliations
State of Law Coalition
Children 3
Alma mater University of Technology
University of Manchester
Religion Twelver Shia Islam
Exile
Al-Abadi remained in the UK, in voluntary exile, until the US
invasion of Iraq in 2003.
[9]
His positions during this time
included:
[3]
Director General of a small high tech vertical and
horizontal transportation design and development firm
in London (19932003).
Consultant, in London, to the industry in matters
relating to transportation (19872003).
Research leader for a major modernization contract in London (19811986).
Registered a patent in London relating to rapid transit system (2001).
Awarded a grant from the UK Department of Trade and Industry (1998).
Return to Iraq
In 2003, Al-Abadi became sceptical of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) privatization plan, proposing
to Paul Bremer that they had to wait for a legitimate government to be formed. In October 2003, Al-Abadi with
all 25 of the interim Governing Council ministers protested to Paul Bremer and rejected the CPA's demand to
privatize the state-owned companies and infrastructure prior to forming a legitimate government. The CPA, led
by Bremer, fell out with Al-Abadi and the Governing Council. The CPA worked around the Governing Council,
forming a new government that remained beholden to the CPA until general elections had been completed,
prompting more aggressive armed actions by insurgents against US-led coalition personnel.
[10]
While Al-Abadi was Minister of Communications, the CPA awarded licenses to three mobile operators to cover
all parts of Iraq. Despite being rendered nearly powerless by the CPA,
[11]
Al-Abadi was not prepared to be a
rubber stamp and he introduced more conditions for the licenses. Among them that a sovereign Iraqi
government has the power to amend or terminate the licenses and introduce a fourth national license, which
caused some friction with the CPA. In 2003, press reports indicated Iraqi officials were under investigation over
a questionable deal involving Orascom, an Egypt-based telecoms company, which in late 2003 was awarded a
contract to provide a mobile network to central Iraq. Al-Abadi asserted that there was no illicit dealing in the
completed awards.
[12]
In 2004, it was revealed that these allegations were fabrications, and a US Defense
Department review found that telecommunications contracting had been illegally influenced in an unsuccessful
effort led by disgraced US Deputy Undersecretary of Defense John A. Shaw and not by Iraqis.
[13]
During January-December 2005, he served as an adviser to the Prime Minister of Iraq in the first elected
government.
[14]
He was elected as a member of the Iraqi Parliament in the Iraqi parliamentary election, December 2005 and
chaired the parliamentary committee for Economy, Investment and Reconstruction. Al-Abadi was re-elected in
the Iraqi parliamentary election, 2010 as a member of the Iraqi Parliament representing Baghdad. In 2013, he
chaired the Finance Committee and was at the center of a parliamentary dispute over the allocation of the 2013
Iraqi budget.
[15]
Al-Abadi's name was circulated as a prime ministerial candidate during the formation of the Iraqi government in
Haider al-Abadi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haider_al-Abadi
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2006 during which time Ibrahim al-Jaafari was replaced by Nouri al-Maliki as Prime Minister.
In 2008, Al-Abadi remained steadfast in his support of Iraqi sovereignty, insisting on specific conditions to the
agreement with the US regarding its presence in Iraq.
[16]
In 2009, Al-Abadi was identified by the Middle East Economic Digest as a key person to watch in Iraq's
reconstruction.
[14]
He is an active member of the Iraq Petroleum Advisory Committee, participating in the Iraq Petroleum
Conferences of 20092012 organized by Nawar Abdulhadi and Phillip Clarke of The CWC Group .
[17]
He was one of several Iraqi politicians supporting a suit against Blackwater as a result of the 2010 dismissal of
criminal charges against Blackwater personnel involved the 2007 killing of 17 Iraqi civilians.
[18]
Al-Abadi was again tipped as a possible Prime Minister during the tough negotiations between Iraqi political
blocs after the elections of 2010 to choose a replacement to incumbent PM Nouri Al-Maliki. Again in 2014, he
was nominated by Shia political parties as an alternative candidate for Prime Minister.
[19]
On 24 July 2014, Fuad Masum became the new president of Iraq. He, in turn, nominated Al-Abadi for prime
minister on August 11.
[20]
For the appointment to take effect, Al-Abadi must form a government and be
confirmed by Parliament, within 30 days.
[21]
Al-Maliki, however, refused to give up his post and referred the
matter to the federal court claiming the president's nomination was a "constitutional violation." He said, "The
insistence on this until the end is to protect the state."
[22]
On 14 August 2014, in the face of growing calls from
world leaders and members of his own party, the embattled prime minister announced he was stepping down to
make way for Al-Abadi.
[23]
The Iraqi Parliament approved al-Abadi's new government and his presidential program, on 8 September
2014.
[24]
^ Pearson, Mike; Yan, Holly; Coren, Anna. "Iraq's Nuri al-Maliki digs in as President nominates new Prime
Minister" (http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/11/world/meast/iraq-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_t2). CNN. Retrieved 8
September 2014.
1.
^ "Iraqi Parliament approves the new government of Abadi and the vice-presidents of Fuad Masum"
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/arabic/middleeast/2014/09/140908_iraq_gov_parliament.shtml). BBC Arabic. Retrieved 8
September 2014.
2.
^
a

b

c
"CV of Haider Jawad al-Abadi" (https://www.facebook.com/notes/haider-al-abadi/%D8%A7%D9%84
%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B0%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A9-
%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%83%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%B1-
%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A
/300295466620). Facebook. 10 February 2010.
3.
Haider al-Abadi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haider_al-Abadi
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^
a

b
"Haider al-Abadi, the designated Prime Minister of Iraq" (http://arabic.cnn.com/middleeast/2014/08/11/haider-
al-abadi-bio). CNN Arabic. 11 August 2014.
4.
^ "Iraq's new Prime Minister is graduate from University of Manchester" (http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
/news/greater-manchester-news/iraqs-new-prime-minister-graduate-7598267). Manchester Evening News. Retrieved
2014-08-14.
5.
^ "Iraq's PM-Designate Faces Formidable Challenges" (http://www.iraqnews.net/index.php/sid/224755653). Iraq
News.Net. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
6.
^ "Who is the new designated Prime Minister of Iraq, Haider al-Abadi?" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/arabic/middleeast
/2014/08/140811_iraq_ibadi_pm.shtml). BBC Arabic. 11 August 2014.
7.
^
a

b
"CV of the new designated Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi" (http://arabic.euronews.com/2014/08
/11/newpm-in-iraq-profil-haidar-al-abadi/). Euronews Arabic. 11 August 2014.
8.
^ Iraq's post-war cabinet , [1] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3199561.stm), September 1, 2003, BBC 9.
^ Klein, Naomi (September 2004). "Baghdad Year Zero" (http://www.informationclearinghouse.info
/article6930.htm). Information Clearing House. Harper's Magazine.
10.
^ Yochi J. Dreazen and Christopher Cooper, "Behind the Scenes", [2] (http://www.globalpolicy.org/component
/content/article/168/36955.html), May 13, 2004, Wall Street Journal via Global Policy Forum
11.
^ "US probe fails to stop mobile licence awards" (http://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles
/2003/12/23/us-probe-fails-to-stop-mobile-licence-awards/). TeleGeography. PriMetrica, Inc. 20 December 2003.
12.
^ Miller, T. Christian (29 April 2004). "Iraq Cellular Project Leads to U.S. Inquiry" (http://articles.latimes.com
/2004/apr/29/nation/na-iraqphones29). Los Angeles Times.
13.
^
a

b
"People to Watch 2009: Twelve Key Figures for the Region in the Coming Year" (http://www.questia.com
/library/1G1-192639007/people-to-watch-2009-twelve-key-figures-for-the-region). Middle East Economic Digest 53
(1). January 2, 2009.
14.
^ Omar al-Shaher (January 17, 2013). "Iraqi Parliament Struggles to Ratify Budget Amid Political Crisis"
(http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/contents/articles/opinion/2013/01/iraq-parliament-budget-struggle.html).
Al-Monitor Iraq Pulse.
15.
^ "Crocker: No permanent bases will be set up in Iraq" (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world
/iraq/2008-06-05-us-iraq_N.htm?csp=34). USA Today. June 5, 2008.
16.
^ Advisory Committee. "Iraq Petroleum Advisory Committee" (http://www.thecwcgroup.com/events/eventproduct
/index.aspx?id=52&pid=612).
17.
^ Webb, Susan (January 5, 2010). "Iraq sues Blackwater over killing spree" (http://www.peoplesworld.org/iraq-
sues-blackwater-over-killing-spree/). People's World.
18.
^ "Iraq crisis: Turmoil over PM Nouri Maliki's status" (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28736604).
BBC News. 11 August 2014.
19.
^ Madi, Mohamed (11 August 2014). "Profile: Haider al-Abadi, Iraqi PM in waiting" (http://www.bbc.com
/news/world-middle-east-28748366). BBC. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
20.
^ Ashton, Adam (August 11, 2014). "Haider al Abadi named to replace Maliki as troops take to Baghdad's streets"
(http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/08/11/235966/troops-in-baghdad-streets-as-shiite.html). McClatchyDC.
Retrieved 2014-08-12.
21.
^ "Political crisis deepens in Iraq as Maliki clings on to power" (http://www.iraqnews.net/index.php
/sid/224722007). Iraq News.Net. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
22.
Haider al-Abadi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haider_al-Abadi
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^ "Maliki resignation welcomed by White House" (http://www.iraqsun.com/index.php/sid/224755745). Iraq Sun. 14
August 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
23.
^ "Iraqi Parliament approve the new government with its head, Haider al-Abadi" (https://maktoob.news.yahoo.com
/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9
%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%83
%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A8
%D8%B1%D8%A6%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84
%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-192405518.html). Yahoo Maktoob. 8 September 2014.
24.
Political offices
Preceded by
Coalition Provisional Authority
Minister of Communications
20032004
Succeeded by
Muhammad Ali Hakim
Preceded by
Nouri al-Maliki
Prime Minister of Iraq
2014present
Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Nouri al-Maliki
Deputy Leader of Islamic Dawa Party
2007present
Incumbent
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Haider_al-Abadi&oldid=625386780"
Categories: 1952 births Alumni of the University of Manchester
Alumni of the University of Technology, Iraq Government ministers of Iraq
Iraqi expatriates in the United Kingdom Iraqi people of Lebanese descent Iraqi Shia Muslims
Islamic Dawa Party politicians Living people Members of the Council of Representatives of Iraq
People from Baghdad Prime Ministers of Iraq
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