Najah al-Shammari
Najah al-Shammari | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Defence Minister of Iraq | |
| Assumed office 24 June 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Adil Abdul-Mahdi |
| Preceded by | Erfan al-Hiyali |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Najah Hassan Ali al-Shammari 20 January 1967 Baghdad, Iraq |
| Citizenship |  Iraq, Sweden (since 2015) |
| Political party | al-Wataniya (bloc) |
| Education | Iraqi Military Academy |
| Profession | Military officer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Iraq |
| Branch/service | Iraqi Army |
| Rank | Major general |
| Commands | Iraqi Special Operations Forces |
Najah Hassan Ali al-Shammari (born 20 January 1967) is an Iraqi-Swedish military officer and politician who is the current defence minister of Iraq.[1][2]
Background
Al-Shammari, a Sunni Arab, was born in Baghdad.[2] He is member of the influential Shammar tribe.[3] He graduated from the Iraqi Military Academy in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in military science.[2] He also earned a master's degree in strategic planning for national security.[2] Al-Shammari served as a leader in the Iraqi Special Operations Forces and has held many military positions from 2003 until 2007.[2] He retired in 2018 with the rank of major general.[2]
Defence minister
On June 24, 2019, al-Shammari was approved by the Iraqi parliament as defence minister of Iraq in Adil Abdul-Mahdi's cabinet.[1][2] He was nominated to the post by the al-Wataniya bloc, led by former prime minister and then vice president of Iraq Ayad Allawi.[2][4]
Reports of dual Iraqi-Swedish citizenship and criminal charges in Sweden
In April 2019, prior to the nomination of al-Shammari as a candidate for the post of defence minister, there were reports in Iraqi media that al-Shammari has dual Iraqi-Swedish citizenship.[4] The claims were rejected as false by a representative of the al-Wataniya bloc.[4]
In November 2019, Swedish news website Nyheter Idag reported that al-Shammari is a dual Iraqi-Swedish citizen and is currently listed as a Swedish resident and on disability allowance under a false name, as Najah Hasan Ali al-Adeli.[5] The information was confirmed by the press secretary for Swedish defence minister Peter Hultqvist.[6] According to information from the Swedish Tax Agency, al-Shammari applied for a residence permit in Sweden in 2009 and became a Swedish citizen in 2015.[6]
The Swedish police has launched a preliminary investigation into benefit fraud and civil registration violations against al-Shammari.[7] The Swedish Prosecution Authority also announced that al-Shammari is being investigated for crimes against humanity.[7][8]
References
- ^ a b "Iraqi official: Parliament approves 3 key Cabinet ministers". Federalist News Network. Associated Press. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Who are Abd al-Mahdi's new ministers of defense, interior, justice?". The Baghdad Post. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ Brinkemo, Per [@PerBrinkemo] (2019-11-23). "Den nu omskrivna försvarsministern i Irak, Najah al-Shammari, kommer från en av de mest inflytelserika klanerna i regionen - Shammarklanen" [The now rewritten defense minister in Iraq, Najah al-Shammari, comes from one of the most influential tribes in the region - the Shammar tribe.] (Tweet) (in Swedish). Retrieved 2019-11-26 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c "Candidate to defense min. post not Swedish: Wataniya bloc". The Baghdad Post. 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
- ^ "Iraks försvarsminister är svensk medborgare och folkbokförd i Stockholmsförort" [Iraq's defense minister is a Swedish citizen and is registered in Stockholm suburb]. Nyheter Idag (in Swedish). 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
- ^ a b Wikén, Johan; Björk, Helena (2019-11-22). "Iraks försvarsminister är svensk medborgare – folkbokförd i Stockholm" [Iraq's defense minister is a Swedish citizen - registered in Stockholm]. SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ a b Wikén, Johan (2019-11-25). "Polisen bekräftar utredning mot Iraks försvarsminister" [Police confirm investigation into Iraq's defense minister]. SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 2019-11-26.
- ^ "Swedish prosecutors investigate Iraqi minister for 'crimes against humanity'". The Local. 2019-11-25. Retrieved 2019-11-26.