Muhammad Mahdi Salih
{{Short description|Iraqi politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Muhammad Mahdi Salih
| image = File:Muhammad Mahdi al-Salih.jpg
| office1 = Minister of Trade
| term_start1 = 1987
| term_end1 = 9 April 2003
| predecessor1 = Hassan Ali{{cite book|last1=Smolansky|first1=Oles M.|last2=Smolanksy|first2=Bettie M.|title=The USSR and Iraq: The Soviet Quest for Influence|url=https://archive.org/details/ussriraq00oles|url-access=registration|year=1991|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=082231116X|page=[https://archive.org/details/ussriraq00oles/page/256 256]}}{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1986/dec/19/iraq-1|title=Iraq (Hansard, 19 December 1986) |work=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)|date=19 December 1986|access-date=2015-11-04}}
| successor1 = Mohammed Al-Jubouri (interim){{cite web|title=Interim Iraqi government|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3766401.stm|website=BBC News|date=1 June 2004}}
| president1 = Saddam Hussein
|office2 = Chief of the Presidential Office
|term_start2 = ~1980s
|term_end2 = 1987
|predecessor2 =
|president2 = Saddam Hussein
| occupation = Politician
| birth_date = 1947 or 1949
| birth_place = Rawa, Al-Anbar, Iraq
| party = Iraqi Ba'ath Party
| nationality = Iraqi
}}
Mohammad Mahdi Salih Al-Rawi ({{Langx|ar|محمد مهدي صالح الراوي}}) is an Iraqi politician who was Trade Minister in the government of President Saddam Hussein.{{cite web |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/region/iraq/iraq-frees-saddam-era-trade-minister-1.996647 |title=Iraq frees Saddam-era trade minister |date=18 March 2012 |publisher=Gulf News |accessdate=19 March 2012}} He was the Minister of Finance from 1989 to 1991.[https://books.google.com/books?id=d-mUDwAAQBAJ Historical Dictionary of Iraq - Beth K. Dougherty]
Pre-War Career
Salih was born between 1947 and 1949 in Al Anbar Governorate in western Iraq.{{cite web |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32003R1210:en:HTML |title=Council Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003 |date=7 July 2003 |publisher=European Council of Ministers |accessdate=19 March 2012}} He was the Chief of Saddam Hussein's Presidential Office in the mid-1980s and then became Minister of Trade from 1987 until the downfall of Hussein.
In October 1995, the United States listed al Salih as a Designated Individual under their programme of sanctions against Iraq.{{Cite FTP |url=ftp://ofacftp.treas.gov/fac_sdn/sdnew95.txt |title=OFAC listing |format=FTP |server=Office of Foreign Assets Control |url-status=dead |accessdate=19 March 2012}} al-Salih guided Ibrahim Hesqel, who was Trade Envoy to China.{{Cite news |title=Babylonian Jewish Journal |url=http://www.dangoor.com/TheScribe29.pdf |work=The Scribe}}
2003 Iraq War
Following the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the United States distributed a deck of most-wanted Iraqi playing cards, which included al-Saleh as the "six of hearts". His assets were frozen under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483 as a former official. He was taken into custody by the US on 23 April 2003.{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/24/1050777353118.html |title=US snares more ex-Saddam associates |date=24 April 2003 |publisher=The Age |accessdate=19 March 2012}} He was held by the US military at Camp Cropper, a base just outside Baghdad.{{cite web |url=http://www.brussellstribunal.org/AzizAppeal.htm |title=Appeal for the release of Tariq Aziz |author=Hans von Sponeck (UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq) |date=9 May 2009 |accessdate=19 March 2012}} In July 2010, seven years after his capture, he was handed over to the custody of the Iraq government.{{cite web |url=http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article84260.ece |title=US hands over Tariq Aziz, other detainees to Iraqi govt |date=14 July 2010 |publisher=Arab News |accessdate=19 March 2012}}
In 2011 he was found innocent of charges against him and in March 2012 he was released by the Iraqi authorities and immediately left the country.
Post-War
Following the 2013 Al Anbar governorate election, Salih was rumoured to be a candidate supported by the Uniters List for the position of Governor of Anbar.{{cite news |title=Uniters candidate Muhammad Mahdi al-Salih, Minister of Commerce under the Saddam Regime, for the position of Governor of Anbar |url=http://www.nakhelnews.com/pages/news.php?nid=27575 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130831192847/http://www.nakhelnews.com/pages/news.php?nid=27575 |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 August 2013 |newspaper=Nakhel News |date=19 July 2013 |accessdate=31 August 2013 }}{{cite news |title=Nomination of former regime Minister of Commerce for post of Governor of Anbar Province |author=Amjad Salah, Ammar al-Ani |url=http://www.alsumaria.tv/news/79638/ |newspaper=Al Sumaria |date=19 July 2013 |accessdate=31 August 2013}} The Uniters List later denied the rumours.{{cite news |title=Motahidon denies nominating Salih for Anbar Governor Post |author=Ahmed Hussein |url=http://www.iraqinews.com/baghdad-politics/motahidon-denies-nominating-salih-for-anbar-governor-post/#axzz2dZiIS3Eh |date=20 July 2013 |accessdate=31 August 2013}} In 2014 he was living in Amman, Jordan.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salih, Muhammad Mahdi}}
Category:Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region politicians
Category:Finance ministers of Iraq
Category:Trade ministers of Iraq
Category:Iraq War prisoners of war
Category:Iraqi prisoners of war
Category:Prisoners and detainees of Iraq
Category:Prisoners of war held by the United States
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
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