Hoshyar Zebari

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Hoshyar Zebari

| image = Hoshyar Zebari.jpg

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|9|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Akre, Kingdom of Iraq

| nationality = Iraqi

| party = Kurdistan Democratic Party

| alma_mater = University of Essex

| office = Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq

| term_start = 8 September 2014

| term_end = 18 October 2014

| predecessor = Hussain al-Shahristani
Rowsch Shaways

| alongside = Saleh al-Mutlaq and Baha Araji{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ez86CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA33|title=Iraq Investment and Business Guide Volume 1 Strategic and Practical Information|date=23 June 2015|publisher=IBP Inc|page=34|isbn=9781329244313}}

| primeminister = Haider al-Abadi

| successor = Rowsch Shaways

| office1 = Minister of Finance

| term_start1 = 18 October 2014

| term_end1 = 21 September 2016

| primeminister1 = Haider al-Abadi

| predecessor1 = Najeeba Najeeb (acting)

| successor1 = Abdul Razzaq al-Issa (acting)

| office2 = Minister of Foreign Affairs

| term_start2 = 1 September 2003

| term_end2 = 11 July 2014

| predecessor2 = Naji Sabri

| primeminister2 = Ayad Allawi
Ibrahim al Jaafari
Nouri al-Maliki

| successor2 = Hussain al-Shahristani {{small|(acting)}}

| spouse = Hana Abdul-Sattar al-Dulaimi

}}

Hoshyar Mahmud Mohammed Zebari,{{cite web|url=http://ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2014/5/govt2295.htm|title=Hoshyar Zebari, a consensus candidate for Iraqi presidency: Diplomat|publisher=Kurd Net|date=12 May 2014|access-date=15 October 2016}} or simply Hoshyar Zebari (also spelled Hoshyar Zibari, Kurdish: Hişyar Zêbarî; born 23 September 1953) is an Iraqi - Kurdish politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the country in 2014 and as Minister of Finance until 2016. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2014.{{Cite web|author=Nadeen Ebrahim and Eoin McSweeney|title=Iraq faces deadlock after 'West-friendly' candidate suspended|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/10/middleeast/mideast-summary-02-10-2022-intl/index.html|access-date=2022-02-16|website=CNN}}

Biography

Zebari was born to a Kurdish Iraqi family in Aqrah, a city in Duhok Governorate, and grew up in Mosul. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Jordan in 1976. He also obtained a Master of Arts in Sociology of Development from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom in 1980. While studying in Britain, he led the Kurdish Students Society in Europe and served as the chairman of the Overseas Student Committee from 1978 to 1980.{{cite web|title=H.E. Hoshyar Zebari|url=http://ju.edu.jo/Lists/NewsLetter/Disp_form.aspx?ID=773&Issue=November%202014&order=11|publisher=The University of Jordan|date=November 2014|access-date=15 October 2016|archive-date=21 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921190946/http://ju.edu.jo/Lists/NewsLetter/Disp_form.aspx?ID=773&Issue=November%202014&order=11|url-status=dead}}

Zebari joined the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in 1979. In the 1980s, he fought as a member of the Peshmerga in the Iraqi–Kurdish conflict against the government of Saddam Hussein. He went on to become a member of the KDP's Central Committee and its Political Bureau. In 1988, he was put in charge of its foreign relations and represented the party in the United States and the UK. In 1992, he was appointed a member of the executive committee of the Iraqi National Congress and was made part of its Presidential Council in 1999.{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Iraq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZmQYAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA678|publisher=Scarecrow Press, Inc.|year=2013|pages=678, 679|isbn = 9780810879423}}{{cite news|title=Iraq Is Facing a Mortal Threat|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/spiegel-interview-with-iraqi-foreign-minister-hoshyar-zebari-a-978341.html|first=Bernhard|last=Zand|work=Der Spiegel|date=30 June 2014|access-date=15 October 2016}}

After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Zebari was appointed a member of the Iraqi Governing Council.{{cite news|title=Ruling council in symbolic first step|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/jul/14/iraq.michaelhoward|first=Bernhard|last=Zand|work=The Guardian|date=14 July 2003|access-date=15 October 2016}} He was made foreign minister in September 2003.{{cite book|title=After Saddam: Prewar Planning and the Occupation of Iraq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nWgP_DiGKRUC&pg=PA170|publisher=Rans Corporation|year=2008|page=170|isbn = 9780833044587}} In July 2012, he said that al-Qaeda in Iraq members had gone to Syria, where the militants previously received support and weapons.{{cite news|title=Iraq warns of al-Qaeda influx to Syria|publisher=RT|date=6 July 2012}}

On 11 July 2014, Zebari was replaced as foreign minister by Hussain al-Shahristani, Iraq's deputy prime minister, who assumed the position in an acting capacity after Kurdish politicians withdrew from the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.{{cite news|title=Tensions mount between Baghdad and Kurdish region as Kurds seize oil fields|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/tensions-mount-between-baghdad-and-iraqs-kurds/2014/07/11/7baeea5e-2bfe-4d07-942b-1653af3d60a3_story.html|date=11 July 2014|work=Washington Post|access-date=15 October 2016}} On 8 September 2014, he was appointed a Deputy Prime Minister under the government of the new premier, Haider al-Abadi.{{cite news|title=Iraqi Parliament Approves New Cabinet, Raising Hopes for Unity|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/iraqi-parliament-approves-new-cabinet-1410205921|first=Matt|last=Bradley|date=8 September 2014|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=15 October 2016}}

On 18 October 2014, Zebari was given the post of Minister of Finance of Iraq,{{cite news|title=Iraq parliament approves new Defense, Interior ministers|url=http://english.aawsat.com/2014/10/article55337678/iraq-parliament-approves-new-defense-interior-ministers|work=Asharq al-Awsat|author=Hamza Mustafa|date=18 October 2014|access-date=15 October 2016|archive-date=12 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312130423/http://english.aawsat.com/2014/10/article55337678/iraq-parliament-approves-new-defense-interior-ministers|url-status=dead}} while Rowsch Shaways was appointed the new Deputy Prime Minister in his place.{{cite news|title=Iraq parliament approves new Defense, Interior ministers|url=http://english.aawsat.com/2014/10/article55337678/iraq-parliament-approves-new-defense-interior-ministers|work=Asharq al-Awsat|author=Hamza Mustafa|date=19 October 2014|access-date=22 December 2016|archive-date=12 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312130423/http://english.aawsat.com/2014/10/article55337678/iraq-parliament-approves-new-defense-interior-ministers|url-status=dead}} On 21 September 2016, he was dismissed from his position as finance minister after losing a no-confidence motion over allegations of corruption.{{cite news|title=Iraqi finance minister sacked, risking economic fallout|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN11R1DV|publisher=Reuters|author=Stephen Kalin|date=21 September 2016|access-date=15 October 2016}}

In October 2017, Iraqi politicians and officials called on the government to investigate Zebari for nepotism after it was revealed that he had appointed his wife and seven of her family members to Iraqi embassies in various European countries.{{cite news|title=المسلة دعوات لـ"التحقيق" في توظيف زيباري 7 من أفراد أسرة زوجته في الخارجية|url=https://almasalah.com/ar/news/116187/%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%84%D9%80%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%82-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B8%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A-7-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A3%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B2%D9%88%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%87-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%A9|publisher=AlMasalah|date=24 October 2017|access-date=15 March 2022|language=ar}}

Zebari tried to participate as a candidate in the presidential elections in 2022, but was banned by the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq over allegations of corruption against him dating back to 2016. He protested the decision, stating that no court had convicted him.{{cite news|title=Iraqi court bars veteran Zebari from running for presidency|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/13/iraqi-court-bars-zebari-from-running-for-presidency-state-media|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=13 February 2022|access-date=14 March 2022}}

Personal life

Zebari is an Iraqi Kurd and a Sunni Muslim.{{cite news|title=In Their Own Words: Sunnis on Their Treatment in Maliki's Iraq|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/in-their-own-words-sunnis-on-their-treatment-in-malikis-iraq/|publisher=PBS|author=Priyanka Boghani|date=28 October 2014|access-date=15 October 2016}} His father was Mahmoud Agha Zebari, the chief of the Zebari clan, who was assassinated by the Iraqi Intelligence Service in 1981. Three of his older brothers were also killed by Saddam Hussein's regime. His family currently consists of three younger brothers and two younger sisters.{{cite news|author=Ghassan Charbel|title=زيباري: تابعت دراستي الجامعية في الأردن مدعيا أنني إيراني من عرب الأهواز|url=http://rasseen.com/art.php?id=23b735792b7b46c5c86ce6f4043fb08ea2420010|publisher=Rasseen|date=17 November 2013|access-date=17 July 2021|language=ar}} He is also the uncle of Massoud Barzani, the former President of Iraqi Kurdistan.{{cite news|title=Massoud Barzani's mother passes away in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan|url=http://ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2011/7/state5298.htm|publisher=Kurd Net|date=28 July 2011|access-date=15 October 2016}} His late sister Hamael Mahmoud Agha Zebari had married Mustafa Barzani and gave birth to Massoud. He holds dual citizenship, being a national of both Iraq and Britain.{{cite news|title=Iraq seeks to bar top officials from dual citizenship|url=https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/archive/iraq-seeks-to-bar-top-officials-from-dual-citizenship|publisher=Millenial Media|date=16 July 2013|access-date=15 October 2016|archive-date=28 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228172531/https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/archive/iraq-seeks-to-bar-top-officials-from-dual-citizenship|url-status=dead}}

Zebari has been married twice. His second wife is Hana Abdul-Sattar al-Dulaimi, the daughter of Abdul-Sattar al-Dulaimi, who was an advisor to Saddam Hussein.{{cite news|title=من هي عروس كردستان المدللة؟!|url=https://www.burathanews.com/arabic/articles/378571|publisher=Buratha News Agency|date=17 October 2020|access-date=14 March 2022|language=ar}} His first wife was born in the town of Amedi in Iraq's Duhok Governorate.

References

{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3199561.stm|title=Iraq's post-war cabinet|access-date=2006-02-24|work=BBC News | date=September 1, 2003}}
{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3766401.stm|work=BBC News|title=Interim Iraqi government|access-date=2006-02-24 | date=June 1, 2004}}
{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4493999.stm|title=New Iraqi government members|access-date=2006-02-24|work=BBC News | date=May 8, 2005}}

External links

{{C-SPAN|1001671}}
{{NYTtopic|people/z/hoshyar_zebari}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060718012928/http://www.cfr.org/publication/7091/meeting_with_hoshyar_zebari.html Richard Haass meets Hoshyar Zebari], Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), June 8, 2004
[https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-2007-01-14-voa16-66510657/553190.html Iraq's Foreign Minister Confirms Support for New US Strategy], VOA, January 14, 2007

{{succession box |

title=Minister of Foreign Affairs|

before= Ba'athist Iraq: Naji Sabri
Iraq: Ghassan Muhsen (Chairman of the Steering Committee)|

years= 2003–2014|

after=Hussain al-Shahristani

}}

{{succession box |

title=Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq|

before=Hussain al-Shahristani|

years= 2014–present|

after=Incumbent

}}