Aziz Saleh al-Numan
عزيز صالح النومان
Member of the Regional Command of the Iraqi Regional Branch
In office
1994 – 9 April 2003
Personal details
Born(1941-07-01)1 July 1941
Nasiriyah, Iraq
Died30 January 2024(2024-01-30) (aged 82)
Abu Ghraib, Iraq
Political partyIraqi Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party

Aziz Saleh al-Numan al-Khafaji (Arabic: عزيز صالح النومان الخفاجي; 1 July 1941 – 30 January 2024) was an Iraqi Ba'ath Party Regional Command Chairman. He was appointed Iraqi governor of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein during the 1991 Gulf War; taking over the post from Ali Hassan al-Majid in November 1990, and holding it until 27 February 1991.[1] He previously served as Governor of Karbala (1976–1979), Governor of Najaf (1979–1986) and Minister of Agriculture (1986–1991).

Biography

Aziz Saleh al-Numan was born on 1 July 1941.[2][3] He was a member of the "dirty dozen", allegedly responsible for torture and murder in Iraq. Prior to the U.S. invasion in April 2003, Al-Numan was the Baath Party's regional command chair, responsible for West Baghdad. He was previously the governor of Karbala and Najaf. He was taken into custody on 22 May 2003. At the time, he was the Number 8 on the Central Command's list of the 55 most wanted Iraqis, and was the highest-ranking person on the list of 55 to have been taken into custody to that time. He was one of nine Iraqi leaders that the United States wished to see tried for either war crimes or crimes against humanity.[4]

In 2011, he was transferred to Iraqi custody along with five others, tried and sentenced to death.[5][6]

Al-Numan was the" King of Diamonds" in the US deck of most-wanted Iraqi playing cards.[7]

He died on 30 January 2024, at the age of 82.[8][3]

References

  1. ^ Casey, Michael S. (2007). The History of Kuwait: The Greenwood histories of the modern nations. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 94. ISBN 9780313340734.
  2. ^ List established pursuant to security council resolution 1483 (2003)
  3. ^ a b "Aziz Saleh al-Numan, 'King of Diamonds' in the infamous Iraqi 'deck of cards' – obituary". The Telegraph. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  4. ^ Robert Burns, "Senior Baath members arrested". Associated Press, 23 May 2003.
  5. ^ [1] "U.S. hands over Saddam-era officials to Iraqis", CNN, 15 July 2011.
  6. ^ [2] "Iraq Most Wanted Facts", CNN, 13 October 2013.
  7. ^ Sampson, Karen. "UNO graduate students visit Louisiana National Guard Museum, Jackson Barracks [Image 4 of 4]". DVIDS. 215th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  8. ^ وفاة قيادي بـ«حزب البعث» المنحل في «سجن أبو غريب» (in Arabic)


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