Haider al-Abadi

al-Abadi was born to a Shia Arab family in Baghdad. Al-Abadi's father was a member of the Baghdad Neurosurgery Hospital and Inspector General of the Iraqi Ministry of Health. He was forced to retire in 1979 due to disagreements with the Ba'athist regime, and was buried in the US after his death.{{cite web|url=http://www.alsumaria.tv/mobile/news/107855/iraq-news|title= نبذة عن حياة رئيس الوزراء المكلف حيدر العبادي|publisher=AlSumaria TV|date=13 August 2014|language=ar}} Al-Abadi, who speaks English, graduated high school in 1970 from the Central High School ({{langx|ar|الإعدادية المركزية}}) in Bagdad.{{Cite web|url = 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|title = CV of Haider Jawad al-Abadi|date = 10 February 2010|website = Facebook}} In 1975, he earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Technology in Baghdad.{{Cite web|url = http://arabic.cnn.com/middleeast/2014/08/11/haider-al-abadi-bio|title = Haider al-Abadi, the designated Prime Minister of Iraq|date = 11 August 2014|website = CNN Arabic}} In 1980, he earned a PhD degree in electrical engineering from the University of Manchester.{{cite news|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/iraqs-new-prime-minister-graduate-7598267 |title=Iraq's new Prime Minister is graduate from University of Manchester |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |access-date=2014-08-14}}

Al-Abadi joined the Dawa Party in 1967. Two of his brothers were killed and one was put in prison 1980, 1981, and 1982 for belonging to the Dawa Party. In 1981, his third brother was arrested and spent 10 years in prison. In 1977, he became in charge of its organization in Britain.{{Cite web|url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/arabic/middleeast/2014/08/140811_iraq_ibadi_pm.shtml|title = Who is the new designated Prime Minister of Iraq, Haider al-Abadi?|date = 11 August 2014|website = BBC Arabic}} In 1979, he became a member of the party's executive leadership.{{Cite web|url = http://arabic.euronews.com/2014/08/11/newpm-in-iraq-profil-haidar-al-abadi/|title = CV of the new designated Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi|date = 11 August 2014|website = Euronews Arabic}} In 1983, the government confiscated al-Abadi's passport for conspiring against Iraq's Ba'ath Party.

Al-Abadi remained in the UK, in voluntary exile, until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.Iraq's post-war cabinet , [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3199561.stm], September 1, 2003, BBC His positions during this time included:

• Director general of a small design and development firm in London specialising in high-technology vertical and horizontal transportation (1993–2003)
• Consultant, in London, in matters relating to transportation (1987–2003)
• Research leader for a major modernization contract in London (1981–1986)

Al-Abadi was awarded a grant from the UK Department of Trade and Industry in 1998.{{Cite news|url=http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2014/08/17/biography-of-new-prime-minister-haider-al-abadi/2/|title=Biography of New Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi|work=Iraq Business News|access-date=2017-12-12|language=en-US}} While working in London in 2001 al-Abadi registered a patent relating to rapid transit systems.

In 2003, al-Abadi became skeptical 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 to serve until the general elections, prompting more aggressive armed actions by insurgents against US-led coalition personnel.{{cite web|last=Klein|first=Naomi|title=Baghdad Year Zero|url=http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article6930.htm|website=Information Clearing House|publisher=Harper's Magazine|date=September 2004|access-date=2013-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821085228/http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article6930.htm|archive-date=2014-08-21|url-status=dead}}

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,{{cite news|first1=Yochi J. |last1=Dreazen |first2= Christopher |last2=Cooper|title=Behind the Scenes|url=http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/168/36955.html|date= May 13, 2004| newspaper= Wall Street Journal| via= Global Policy Forum}} Al-Abadi was not prepared to be a rubber stamp and 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.{{cite web|title=US probe fails to stop mobile licence awards|url=http://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2003/12/23/us-probe-fails-to-stop-mobile-licence-awards/|date=20 December 2003|website=TeleGeography|publisher=PriMetrica, Inc.|access-date=9 April 2013|archive-date=12 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812223620/http://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2003/12/23/us-probe-fails-to-stop-mobile-licence-awards/|url-status=dead}} In 2004, it was revealed that these allegations were fabrications, and a US Department of Defense 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.{{cite news|last=Miller|first=T. Christian|title=Iraq Cellular Project Leads to U.S. Inquiry|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-apr-29-na-iraqphones29-story.html|date=29 April 2004|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}

Between January and December 2005, he served as an adviser to the Prime Minister of Iraq in the first elected government.{{cite journal |title=People to Watch 2009: Twelve Key Figures for the Region in the Coming Year |url=https://www.questia.com/library/1G1-192639007/people-to-watch-2009-twelve-key-figures-for-the-region |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630050609/http://www.questia.com/library/1G1-192639007/people-to-watch-2009-twelve-key-figures-for-the-region |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 June 2013 |date=January 2, 2009 |journal=Middle East Economic Digest |volume=53 |issue=1 }}

He was elected as a member of the Iraqi Parliament in the December 2005 parliamentary election and chaired the parliamentary committee for Economy, Investment and Reconstruction. Al-Abadi was re-elected in the 2010 parliamentary election 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.{{cite news |first=Omar |last=al-Shaher |title=Iraqi Parliament Struggles to Ratify Budget Amid Political Crisis |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/contents/articles/opinion/2013/01/iraq-parliament-budget-struggle.html |date=January 17, 2013 |work=Al-Monitor Iraq Pulse }}

Al-Abadi's name was circulated as a prime ministerial candidate during the formation of the Iraqi government in 2006 during which time Ibrahim al-Jaafari was replaced by Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28748366|title=Haider al-Abadi: A new era for Iraq?|last=Madi|first=Mohamed|date=2014-09-09|work=BBC News|access-date=2017-12-12|language=en-GB}}

In 2008, al-Abadi remained steadfast in his support of Iraqi sovereignty, insisting on specific conditions to the agreement with the U.S. regarding its presence in Iraq.{{cite news |title=Crocker: No permanent bases will be set up in Iraq |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2008-06-05-us-iraq_N.htm?csp=34 |date=June 5, 2008 |work=USA Today }}

In 2009, al-Abadi was identified by the Middle East Economic Digest as a key person to watch in Iraq's reconstruction.

He is an active member of the Iraq Petroleum Advisory Committee, participating in the Iraq Petroleum Conferences of 2009–2012 organized by Nawar Abdulhadi and Phillip Clarke of The CWC Group.{{cite web |author=Advisory Committee |url=http://www.thecwcgroup.com/events/eventproduct/index.aspx?id=52&pid=612 |title=Iraq Petroleum Advisory Committee |access-date=2013-04-09 |archive-date=2014-12-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218053916/http://www.thecwcgroup.com/events/eventproduct/index.aspx?id=52&pid=612 |url-status=dead }}

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 in the 2007 killing of 17 Iraqi civilians.{{cite news |first=Susan |last=Webb |title=Iraq sues Blackwater over killing spree |url=http://www.peoplesworld.org/iraq-sues-blackwater-over-killing-spree/ |date=January 5, 2010 |work=People's World }}

Al-Abadi was again tapped 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28736604 |title=Iraq crisis: Turmoil over PM Nouri Maliki's status |date=11 August 2014 |work=BBC News }}

File:Владимир Путин и Хайдар Абади 2.jpg.]]

File:VP Mike Pence with Haider al-Abadi Prime Minister of Iraq prior to their bilateral meeting. (32969550935).jpg.]]

File:President Rouhani meeting with Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi in Saadabad Palace 1.jpg.]]

File:Haider al-Abadi and Donald Trump in the Oval Office, March 2017.jpg.]]

On 24 July 2014, Fuad Masum became the new president of Iraq. He, in turn, nominated al-Abadi for prime minister on 11 August.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28748366 |title=Profile: Haider al-Abadi, Iraqi PM in waiting |publisher=BBC |date=11 August 2014 |access-date=2014-08-12 |author=Madi, Mohamed}} For the appointment to take effect, al-Abadi was required to form a government to be confirmed by Parliament within 30 days.{{cite news |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/08/11/235966/troops-in-baghdad-streets-as-shiite.html |title=Haider al Abadi named to replace Maliki as troops take to Baghdad's streets |publisher=McClatchyDC |date=August 11, 2014 |access-date=2014-08-12 |author=Ashton, Adam}} 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."{{cite news|title=Iraq's Incumbent PM Nouri Al-Maliki Grows More Isolated As He Clings To Power|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/12/iraq-maliki-isolated_n_5671154.html|date=13 August 2014|access-date=14 August 2014|work=Huffington Post}} 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. The announcement of the leadership transition from al-Maliki to al-Abadi triggered a major realignment of Sunni Arab public opinion away from armed opposition groups and to the Iraqi government, since many Iraqi Sunni Arabs were optimistic that the new government would address their grievances and deliver public goods and services to them.{{Cite journal|last1=Mikulaschek|first1=Christoph|last2=Pant|first2=Saurabh|last3=Tesfaye|first3=Beza|date=3 June 2020|title=Winning Hearts and Minds in Civil Wars: Governance, Leadership Change, and Support for Violent Groups in Iraq|journal=American Journal of Political Science|volume=64|issue=4|pages=773–790|doi=10.1111/ajps.12527|doi-access=free}}

The Iraqi Parliament approved al-Abadi's new government and his presidential program on 8 September 2014.{{cite news| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28748366| title = Haider al-Abadi: A new era for Iraq?

| author = Madi, Mohamed| date = September 9, 2014| access-date = August 8, 2015| work = BBC News}} In the months after assuming office in September 2014, Abadi made determined efforts to increase Sunni participation in the Iraqi government.{{cite magazine| url = https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2015-01-16/mending-iraq| title = Mending Iraq| author = Almaliky, Muhamed| date = January 16, 2015| access-date = August 8, 2015| publisher = Foreignaffairs.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tuftsgloballeadership.org/robert-and-joann-bendetson-public-diplomacy-award-recipients-0|title=The Robert and Joann Bendetson Public Diplomacy Award Recipients|website=Tufts Global Leadership|access-date=2017-12-12}} Abadi appointed Khaled al-Obaidi, a prominent Sunni politician from Mosul, as his Defense Minister, and the appointment was ratified by the Iraqi parliament after two months. In mid-December 2014, Abadi forged a new revenue-sharing agreement with the Kurds, under which Baghdad agreed to pay the Kurdish Regional Government one half of all income from Kurdish-controlled oil fields. To counter the widespread corruption in the army stemming from the Maliki years, Abadi announced that 50,000 "ghost soldiers" had been identified and would be removed from army payrolls. "Ghost soldiers" were men on army payrolls who never showed up for duty, but paid their officers part of their salaries, thus institutionalizing corruption and hollowing out the armed forces.{{cite web| url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-soldiers-idUSKCN0JF2RZ20141201| title = Iraq says it found 50,000 'ghost soldiers' on payroll| author = Wvans, Dominic| date = December 1, 2014| access-date = August 8, 2015| publisher = Reuters.com}}

Iraqi President Fuad Masum paid a goodwill visit to Saudi Arabia in November 2014. In response, Saudi Arabia prepared to reopen its embassy in Baghdad, which had remained closed since the start of the Gulf War in 1990. Abadi has also visited Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey to discuss regional strategies to combat militant Islamist forces. Foreign Affairs magazine has written that after four months in power, Abadi's attempts to resolve Iraq's sectarian strife make his premiership "a welcome change from the schismatic style of his predecessor". As a result of Abadi's reforms, the United States pledged $1.5 billion to train Iraqi forces and announced the sale of F-16 fighter jets, suspended after the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Combating political corruption was an early priority of the al-Abadi administration. In August 2015, al-Abadi unveiled a plan to strengthen the government by, among other things, eliminating security details for senior officials and cutting benefits to specific high-level officials.{{Cite web|title = Prime Minister Abadi Unveils a Bold Plan for Iraq|url = https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/08/10/iraq-prime-minister-haider-al-abadi-unveils-bold-reforms|access-date = 2015-10-07|first = Paul D.|last = Shinkman}}

Al-Abadi was forced to contend with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant as prime minister; he was sometimes critical of Barack Obama and the United States military response to the threat of ISIL.{{Cite web|title = Iraqi PM Abadi accused Obama of a lack of "will," and warned he might invite Russia to bomb ISIS — AEI|date = 6 October 2015|url = https://www.aei.org/publication/iraqi-pm-abadi-accuses-obama-of-a-lack-of-will-and-may-invite-russia-to-bomb-isis/|access-date = 2015-10-07}} Furthermore, al-Abadi pivoted closer towards Russia and Iran in order to combat the threat of ISIL and encouraged cooperation between these nations on military operations in the region.{{Cite web|title = Prime Minister Abadi: Iraq welcomes Russia in Islamic State fight|website = PBS|date = 30 September 2015|url = https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/prime-minister-abadi-iraq-welcomes-russia-islamic-state-fight/|access-date = 2015-10-07}}

In April, 2016, al-Abadi's difficulties in implementing political reforms led to the storming of the Iraqi parliament by supporters of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.{{cite news| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-36176910| title = Iraqi Shia protesters storm Baghdad parliament| date = April 30, 2016| access-date = May 17, 2016| work = BBC News}} The protesters breaching the Green Zone and disrupting the parliament have been described as evidence of Iraq's increasingly dysfunctional political system and al-Abadi's problems in getting corruption under control.{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/protests-in-baghdad-throw-administrations-iraq-plan-into-doubt/2016/04/30/759fadd4-0f03-11e6-bfa1-4efa856caf2a_story.html|author = Jaffe, Greg| title = Protests in Baghdad throw administration's Iraq plan into doubt| date = April 30, 2016| access-date = May 17, 2016| newspaper = Washington Post}}

On 9 December 2017, Prime Minister Al-Abadi announced victory over ISIL and the end of the Iraqi Civil War (2014-2017).{{cite news |last=Mostafa |first=Nehal |date=9 December 2017 |title=Iraq announces end of war against IS, liberation of borders with Syria: Abadi |url=https://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/iraq-announces-end-war-liberation-borders-syria-abadi/ |work=Iraqi News |access-date=9 December 2017 }}

Abadi was succeeded by Adil Abdul-Mahdi on 25 October 2018.{{cite news |last1=Salaheddin |first1=Sinan |title=Iraq tasks Shiite independent with forming new government |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/world/article/Iraq-delays-vote-on-president-due-to-dispute-13274903.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004230012/https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/world/article/Iraq-delays-vote-on-president-due-to-dispute-13274903.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 October 2018 |access-date=26 February 2019 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |agency=Associated Press |date=2 October 2018}}

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Category:1952 births

Category:Alumni of the Victoria University of Manchester

Category:University of Technology, Iraq alumni

Category:Iraqi expatriates in the United Kingdom

Category:Islamic Dawa Party politicians

Category:Living people

Category:Members of the Council of Representatives of Iraq

Category:Politicians from Baghdad

Category:Prime ministers of Iraq

Category:People of the War in Iraq (2013–2017)

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