Taha Yasin Ramadan al-Jizrawi (Arabic: طه ياسين رمضان الجزراوي; 20 February 1938 – 20 March 2007) was an Iraqi politician and militia commander, who served as one of the three vice presidents of Iraq from March 1991 to the fall of Saddam Hussein in April 2003.
Taha Yassin Ramadan | |
|---|---|
طه ياسين رمضان | |
 Ramadan in 1998 | |
| Vice President of Iraq | |
| In office March 1991 – 9 April 2003 Serving with Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf and Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri | |
| President | Saddam Hussein |
| Preceded by | Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri |
| Succeeded by | Ibrahim Jaafari and Rowsch Shaways |
| Head of the Popular Army | |
| In office 1974–1991 | |
| Deputy Secretary of the Regional Command of the Iraqi Regional Branch | |
| In office 16 July 1979 – September 1991 | |
| Preceded by | Saddam Hussein |
| Succeeded by | Izzat Ibrahim ad-Douri |
| Member of the Regional Command of the Iraqi Regional Branch | |
| In office October 1966 – 9 April 2003 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 February 1938 Mosul, Kingdom of Iraq |
| Died | 20 March 2007 (aged 69) Kadhimiya, Baghdad, Iraq |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Political party | Iraqi Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party |
Career
editProposed resolution to United States–Iraq conflict
edit
In October 2002, four months before the United States invaded Iraq, Ramadan suggested U.S. President George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein settle their difference in a duel.[1] He reasoned this would not only serve as an alternative to a war that was certain to damage Iraq's infrastructure,[2] but that it would also reduce the suffering of the Iraqi and American peoples. Ramadan's offer included the possibility that a group of US officials would face off with a group of Iraqi officials of same or similar rank (President v. President, Vice President v. Vice President, etc.). Ramadan proposed that the duel be held in a neutral land, with each party using the same weapons, and with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan presiding as the supervisor. On behalf of Bush, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer declined the offer.
Post-2003
editFollowing the fall of Saddam's government, Taha Yasin Ramadan was placed on the U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis and depicted as the "Ten of Diamonds" in the US deck of most-wanted Iraqi playing cards. He was captured on August 19, 2003, in Mosul, by fighters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and handed over to US forces.[3]
He was one of the defendants in the Iraq Special Tribunal's Al-Dujail trial. On 5 November 2006, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. On 26 December 2006, the appeals court sent the case file back to the Tribunal, saying the sentence was too lenient and demanding a death sentence.[4] On 12 February 2007, he was sentenced to death by hanging.[5] His sentence was carried out on the fourth anniversary of US invasion of Iraq, before dawn on 20 March 2007.[6][7]
Personal life
editRamadan was born to a peasant family in Mosul.[8] Sources have claimed he is of Kurdish origin,[9] while his family has stated he is Arab.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Bush challenged to 'duel' with Saddam, October 3, 2002". BBC News. 3 October 2002. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
- ^ Kelly Wallace (3 October 2002). "W.H. rejects Bush-Saddam duel offer". CNN. Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
- ^ "Saddam's VP Is Captured". CBS News. CBS. Associated Press. 19 August 2003. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
- ^ "Iraqi court upholds Saddam's death sentence". NBC News. Associated Press. 28 December 2006. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
- ^ "Top Saddam aide sentenced to hang". BBS News. 12 February 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
- ^ "Former Iraq vice-president hanged". BBC News. 20 March 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
- ^ Kim Gamel (20 March 2007). "Taha Yassin Ramadan, Saddam's Deputy, Is Hanged Before Dawn". New York Sun. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 31 December 2007. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
- ^ Joffe, Lawrence (21 March 2007). "Taha Yassin Ramadan". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Taha Yassin Ramadan". The Guardian. London. 21 March 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
- ^ "نجل طه ياسين رمضان لـ«البيان»: والدي عربي وليس كردياً". www.albayan.ae (in Arabic). 21 March 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2024.