Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai
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{{Short description|27th Iraqi Minister of Defense}}
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{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai
| image = Saddam_Hussein%27s_former_Defense_Minister,_Sultan_Hashim_Ahmad,_in_Baghdad,_Iraq.jpg{{!}}border
| caption = Ahmad in December 2004
| office = Iraqi Minister of Defence
| term_start = 1995
| term_end = 2003
| primeminister = Saddam Hussein
| predecessor = Ali Hassan al-Majid
| successor = Hazim al-Shaalan
| office2 = Governor of Nineveh
| term_start2 = 1994
| term_end2 = 1999
| president = Saddam Hussein
| predecessor2 = Muhammad Abdul Qadir al-Daghestani
| successor2 = Abdul-Wahid Shannan ar-Ribat
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth year|1945}}
| birth_place = Mosul, Kingdom of Iraq
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|7|19|1945|df=y}}
| death_place = Nasiriyah Central Prison, Nasiriyah, Iraq {{Infobox criminal | child = yes | conviction = War crimes
Crimes against humanity | criminal_penalty = Death; commuted to life imprisonment}}
| party = Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party
| spouse =
| children = 8 sons and 2 daughters, including Khaled.
| religion =
| footnotes =
| allegiance = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Iraq, 1991-2004.svg|size=23px}} Iraq
| branch = {{army|Iraq}}
| serviceyears = 1960–2003
| rank =
| battles = {{tree list}}
{{tree list/end}}
| awards =
| native_name_lang = ar
}}
Sulṭān Hāshim Aḥmad Muḥammad al-Ṭāʾī ({{langx|ar|سلطان هاشم أحمد محمد الطائي}}; 1945{{Cite web|url=http://www.shafaaq.com/ar/سیاسة/وفاة-سلطان-هاشم-وزير-الدفاع-في-نظام-صدام-حسين/|title=وفاة سلطان هاشم وزير الدفاع في نظام صدام حسين|website=شفق نيوز}} – 19 July 2020) was an Iraqi military officer, who served as Minister of Defense under Saddam Hussein's regime. Considered one of Iraq's most competent generals, he was appointed to the position in 1995. During his over 30-year military career, Sultan commanded two brigades, three divisions, and two corps of regular army corps before assuming responsibilities as Minister of Defense.
Career
=Persian Gulf War=
Sultan served in the Iraqi Army during the Iran–Iraq War and later in the Persian Gulf War, signing the ceasefire that ended it. He survived several purges and became the highest-ranking general in the Iraqi Army. He was regarded largely as a figurehead in the Iraqi military without any amount of real control.
=Iraq War=
As the invasion of Iraq loomed, it was reported in The Guardian in February 2003 that Sultan had been placed under house arrest by Saddam Hussein, in a move that was apparently designed to prevent a coup.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/feb/18/iraq.lukeharding|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826224655/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/feb/18/iraq.lukeharding|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 August 2013|title=Iraqi defence minister 'under house arrest' | World news | The Guardian|website=TheGuardian.com|date=26 August 2013}} He criticized Qusay Hussein’s handling of the Iraqi Republican Guard, saying Qusay “knew nothing [about commanding military]. He understood only simple military things like a civilian. We prepared information and advice for him and he'd accept it or not.” {{Cite web |title=ANALYZING THE ENEMY |url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-20060325-2006-03-25-0603250023-story.html |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=Daily Press|date=25 March 2006 }} Nevertheless, he continued to appear on Iraqi state-run T.V., to preserve a sense of normality.
Sultan was number 27 on the United States' list of most wanted former Iraqi officials. On 19 September 2003, after nearly a week of negotiations, he gave himself up in Mosul to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Dawood Bagistani, who arranged the surrender to Maj. Gen. David Petraeus, said Sultan was handed over "with great respect" and was with his family at the time. Bagistani said the U.S. military had promised to remove Sultan's name from the list of 55 most wanted, meaning he would not face indefinite confinement and possible prosecution. "We trust the promise," Bagistani said.
Special treatment for Sultan al-Tai could be an effort to defuse the guerrilla-style attacks that were taking a toll on American soldiers. Many of the attackers were thought to be former soldiers in Saddam's army. Seeing their former military leader well-treated by the Americans might have encouraged them to lay down their arms.
On 24 June 2007, he was sentenced to death by hanging for war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, his execution was not carried out because of public disapproval from Iraq's president Jalal Talabani.{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/iraqi-president-opposes-minister-s-hanging-1.960479|title=Iraqi president opposes minister's hanging|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en|access-date=17 March 2020}} In May 2018, Iraq's Parliament speaker Salim al-Jabouri requested a pardon for Sultan al-Tai, citing medical reasons.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/e3a15126-8cc8-4ee5-8d2f-8bdac85ec090|title=Iraqi Parliamentary Speaker seeks pardon for Saddam Hussein's Defense Minister|website=www.kurdistan24.net|access-date=17 March 2020}} He then was transferred from the prison in Nasiriyah to a prison in Baghdad.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/saddam-s-former-minister-pleads-for-clemency-as-health-deteriorates-1.734699|title=Saddam's former minister pleads for clemency as health deteriorates|website=The National|date=28 May 2018|language=en|access-date=17 March 2020}}
=Death=
Sultan al-Tai died on 19 July 2020 from a heart attack in the Nasiriyah Central Prison.{{Cite web|url=https://iraqakhbar.com/2547626|title=تلفزيون الناصرية: وفاة وزير الدفاع الاسبق سلطان هاشم في سجن الحوت|date=19 July 2020|access-date=19 July 2020|archive-date=7 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807062948/https://iraqakhbar.com/2547626|url-status=dead}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.theguardian.com/Iraq/Story/0,2763,897859,00.html Guardian website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080204021110/http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/10/406325.aspx From Ally to Adversary]
- [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna21226035 Ex-Saddam defense minister set to be executed]
{{U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tai, Sultan Hashim Ahmad}}
Category:Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region politicians
Category:Ministers of defence of Iraq
Category:Governors of Nineveh Governorate
Category:Iraq War prisoners of war
Category:Iraqi military personnel of the Iran–Iraq War
Category:Iraqi people convicted of war crimes
Category:Iraqi people convicted of crimes against humanity
Category:Iraqi prisoners of war
Category:Iraqi prisoners sentenced to death
Category:Kurdish genocide perpetrators
Category:Most-wanted Iraqi playing cards
Category:Prisoners sentenced to death by Iraq