Saleh Ali al-Sammad

{{Short description|Former de facto President of Yemen (1979-2018)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Saleh Ali al-Sammad

| image = Saleh Al Sammad (cropped).png

| office2 = Chairman of the Supreme Political Council of Yemen*

| primeminister2 = Talal Aklan {{small|(Acting)}}
Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour

| deputy2 = Qassem Labozah

| term_start2 = 15 August 2016

| term_end2 = 19 April 2018

| predecessor2 = Mohammed Ali al-Houthi (as President of the Revolutionary Committee)

| successor2 = Mahdi al-Mashat

| birth_date = {{birth date|1979|1|1|df=y}}

| birth_place = Bani Ma'az, Sahar District, North Yemen {{small|(now Yemen)}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2018|04|19|1979|1|1}}{{cite tweet|user=AJABreaking|number=988444796845895682|date=23 April 2018|title=عاجل {{!}} جماعة الحوثي تعلن مقتل صالح الصماد رئيس المجلس السياسي التابع للحوثيين|author=الجزيرة - عاجل|access-date=24 April 2018|language=ar}}

| death_place = Al Hudaydah Governorate, Yemen

| death_cause = LJ-7 missile{{Cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/04/27/drone-wars-how-the-uaes-chinese-made-drone-is-changing-the-war-in-yemen/|title=How the UAE's Chinese-Made Drone Is Changing the War in Yemen|first=Rawan Shaif, Jack|last=Watling|date=27 April 2018 }}

| party =

| alma_mater = Sanaa University

| allegiance = Houthi movement

| battles = Houthi insurgency in Yemen
Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)

| footnotes = {{small|*Sammad's term was disputed by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.}}

| caption = Al-Sammad in 2018

| native_name = {{nobold|صالح علي الصماد}}

| native_name_lang = ar

}}

Saleh Ali al-Sammad ({{langx|ar|صالح علي الصماد}};

1 January 1979 – 19 April 2018{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/4/23/houthi-political-chief-saleh-al-sammad-killed-in-saudi-air-raids|title=Houthi political chief Saleh al-Sammad killed in Saudi air raids|website=Al Jazeera|access-date=26 April 2023|date=23 April 2018}}) was a Yemeni political figure from the Houthi movement who served as the chairman of Yemen's Supreme Political Council and the de facto president of Yemen until his assassination by a Saudi air strike.

On 23 April 2018, Houthi officials announced al-Sammad was killed in a Saudi-led coalition drone airstrike.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43872482|title=Yemen war: Houthi political leader 'killed in air raid'|date=23 April 2018|website=BBC|access-date=23 April 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2722736|title=قناة العربية: مقتل القيادي الحوثي صالح الصماد في غارة جوية للتحالف|website=kuna.net.kw|access-date=24 April 2018|language=ar}}

Political career

Saleh Ali al-Sammad was born in Bani Ma'az in Yemen's Sahar District on 1 January 1979.{{cite web|url=http://www.yemenpress.org/yemen/biography-of-political-leader-of-the-supreme-council,-saleh-al-samad.html|url-status=dead|title=Biography of political leader of the Supreme Council, "Saleh Al-samad"|publisher=Yemen Press|access-date=2017-06-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205093056/http://www.yemenpress.org/yemen/biography-of-political-leader-of-the-supreme-council,-saleh-al-samad.html|archive-date=2017-12-05}}

He was appointed in September 2014 to serve as a political adviser to President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.{{cite news|url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKCN0IX1LF20141113|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214144214/http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKCN0IX1LF20141113|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 December 2014|title=Yemen's Houthi group endorse new government: presidential aide|date=13 November 2014|access-date=10 February 2015|work=Reuters}}

Al-Sammad struck a conciliatory posture during and after the 2014–15 coup. In November 2014, after the Houthis withdrew from Yemen's "unity government", he expressed support for most of Hadi's cabinet choices, including Prime Minister Khaled Bahah.

As of February 2015, after the Houthi takeover of the government, he was described as "the senior Houthi leader in Sana'a".{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/11/world/middleeast/yemen-houthi-leader-pledges-to-pursue-power-sharing-accord.html?_r=0|newspaper=The New York Times|title=U.S. Embassy Shuts in Yemen, Even as Militant Leader Reaches Out|date=10 February 2015|access-date=10 February 2015}}

In February 2015, al-Sammad said the Houthis hoped for normal relations with the United States and other countries and suggested that the group was interested in sharing power with other political factions, potentially including members of the deposed House of Representatives in a new, 551-member parliament.

On 6 August 2016, al-Sammad became head of the Supreme Political Council.{{cite web|url=http://www.saba.ye/en/news435947.htm |title=Political Council formed, al-Sammad President |date=6 August 2016 |publisher=Saba.ye |access-date=2017-06-07}} He was sworn in on 14 August.{{cite web|url=http://www.sabanews.net/en/news436871.htm |title=SPC sworn on |publisher=Saba News |access-date=2017-06-07}}

On 15 August 2016, the Supreme Revolutionary Committee handed power to the Supreme Political Council.{{cite web|url=http://sabanews.net/en/news437023.htm |title=SRC hands over authority to SPC |website=Saba News |access-date=2017-06-07}}

Death

On 19 April 2018, Al-Sammad was killed by a Saudi-led coalition drone strike, making him the most senior Houthi casualty. The weapon was a LJ-7 or AKD-10 air-to-surface missile, possibly fired from a Wing Loong II UCAV.{{cite web|title=How the UAE's Chinese-Made Drone Is Changing the War in Yemen|date=2018-04-27|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/04/27/drone-wars-how-the-uaes-chinese-made-drone-is-changing-the-war-in-yemen/|website=Foreign Policy|access-date=2019-12-05}} On 26 April, Saudi Arabia claimed responsibility for his death, saying that he was targeted after he threatened to launch missiles against Saudi Arabia.{{cite web|title=Saudi Arabia Claims Killing of Yemen Rebel Leader|date=2018-04-26|url=https://m.naharnet.com/stories/en/245341-saudi-arabia-claims-killing-of-yemen-rebel-leader|website=Naharnet|access-date=2025-05-26}} Al-Arabiya TV reported that the coalition had monitored his "precise movements before the strike."{{cite web|title=Saudi-led air strike kills top Houthi official in Yemen|date=2018-04-24|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/world/saudi-led-air-strike-kills-top-houthi-official-in-yemen-idUSKBN1HU28Z/|website=Reuters|access-date=2025-05-26}} Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Prince Khaled bin Salman wrote on Twitter that "The heroes of the Royal Air Force were able to successfully target the leader of the Houthi militia Saleh al-Sammad." Khaled bin Salman stated that his brother Crown Prince Mohammed had ordered the strike.

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the top leader of the Houthi movement, stated that "the forces of aggression, led by America and Saudi Arabia, bear the legal responsibility for this crime and all its consequences."{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-official/saudi-led-air-strike-kills-top-houthi-official-in-yemen-idUSKBN1HU28Z|title=Saudi-led air strike kills top Houthi official in Yemen|last=Rashad|first=Marwa|work=U.S.|access-date=2018-04-28|language=en-US}}