Hussain al-Shahristani
Encyclopedia
Hussain Ibrahim Saleh al-Shahristani is the current Iraq
i Deputy Prime Minister for Energy.
Born in 1942 in Karbala
, Iraq, Shahristani received a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London
in 1965, and an MSc from the University of Toronto
in 1967, from where he also received a PhD in Chemical Engineering in 1970. From 2006 to 2010, he was Iraq's Minister of Oil
, and he served as Acting Minister of Electricity in 2010. He was a former nuclear scientist who was imprisoned in Abu Ghraib
in 1980 and subjected to torture.
The reasons for his imprisonment have remained unclear. Some former Shiite leaders have stated that he used his powerful government position to make and distribute pamphlets urging Iraq's Shiite soldiers to abandon the army and fight against their fellow soldiers and officers. Other government defectors, including Khidir Hamza
his supposed successor, have claimed that he was imprisoned for his lack of skill in handling Iraq's nuclear program, constant problems with the IAEA, and his deliberate moves to delay the program in order to prevent the country from constructing nuclear weapons (costing the government billions of dollars that could have been used toward the Iran-Iraq War
) and was imprisoned personally by Saddam Hussein
. "While imprisoned and tortured at Abu Ghraib prison for 11 years under Saddam Hussein
for 'religious activities,' he refused to help build a nuclear weapon for the country."
He escaped from Abu Ghraib during the Gulf War
and escaped to Iran
, where he left for Canada
.
A senior member of the State of Law alliance, he was previously the deputy speaker of the Iraqi National Assembly under the Iraqi Transitional Government
and was considered for the post of Prime Minister in both the current government and the interim government.
He was appointed oil minister in May 2006 after the Islamic Virtue Party
, which is also Shia and previously held the oil portfolio, withdrew from the government coalition. By August, however, he was under pressure as the fuel crisis had worsened under his tenure.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Deputy Prime Minister for Energy.
Born in 1942 in Karbala
Karbala
Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people ....
, Iraq, Shahristani received a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
in 1965, and an MSc from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1967, from where he also received a PhD in Chemical Engineering in 1970. From 2006 to 2010, he was Iraq's Minister of Oil
Ministry of Oil (Iraq)
The Ministry of Oil is the Iraqi government agency responsible for Iraqi petroleum. The Minister of Oil since December 21, 2010 is Abdul Karim al-Luaibi.-External links:* by Michael T. Klare, The Huffington Post, July 14 2009...
, and he served as Acting Minister of Electricity in 2010. He was a former nuclear scientist who was imprisoned in Abu Ghraib
Abu Ghraib
The city of Abu Ghraib in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq is located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000. The old road to Jordan passes through Abu Ghraib...
in 1980 and subjected to torture.
The reasons for his imprisonment have remained unclear. Some former Shiite leaders have stated that he used his powerful government position to make and distribute pamphlets urging Iraq's Shiite soldiers to abandon the army and fight against their fellow soldiers and officers. Other government defectors, including Khidir Hamza
Khidir Hamza
Khidir Hamza is an Iraqi scientist who worked for Saddam Hussein's nuclear programme in the 1980s and early 1990s. Following the Gulf War, he left Iraq in 1994 and went into exile in the United States. He provided testimony to Western intelligence agencies suggesting that Hussein's weapons of mass...
his supposed successor, have claimed that he was imprisoned for his lack of skill in handling Iraq's nuclear program, constant problems with the IAEA, and his deliberate moves to delay the program in order to prevent the country from constructing nuclear weapons (costing the government billions of dollars that could have been used toward the Iran-Iraq War
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
) and was imprisoned personally by Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
. "While imprisoned and tortured at Abu Ghraib prison for 11 years under Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
for 'religious activities,' he refused to help build a nuclear weapon for the country."
He escaped from Abu Ghraib during the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and escaped to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, where he left for Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
A senior member of the State of Law alliance, he was previously the deputy speaker of the Iraqi National Assembly under the Iraqi Transitional Government
Iraqi Transitional Government
The Iraqi Transitional Government was the government of Iraq from May 3rd, 2005, when it replaced the Iraqi Interim Government, until May 20th, 2006, when it was replaced by the first permanent government....
and was considered for the post of Prime Minister in both the current government and the interim government.
He was appointed oil minister in May 2006 after the Islamic Virtue Party
Islamic Virtue Party
Islamic Virtue Party is an Iraqi political party. It follows ayatollah Muhammad Ya`qubi a student of Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr and thus represent a branch of the Sadrist Movement, however the party is not affiliated with Muqtada al-Sadr and is in fact a rival to his branch of the Sadrists...
, which is also Shia and previously held the oil portfolio, withdrew from the government coalition. By August, however, he was under pressure as the fuel crisis had worsened under his tenure.
Further reading
- Bond, M. "Saying no to Saddam" [Interview]. New Scientist v. 182 (June 26. 2004) p. 44–7.
- Dyer, G. "Two for the Peace Prize" [nominating M. Vanunu and H. Shahristani]. World Press Review v. 45 no. 4 (April 1998) p. 48.
- Glanz, J. "Iraq Compromise on Oil Law Seems to Be Collapsing". The New York Times (Late New York Edition) (September 13, 2007) p. A1, A11.
- Glanz, J. "In Iraq, a Quest to Rebuild One More Broken Edifice: Science". The New York Times (Late New York Edition) (August 31, 2004) p. F1, F4.
- Watson, A. "The Very Model of a Modern Iraqi Dissident" [Interview]. Science v. 298 (November 22, 2002) p. 1543–4.