Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawar
غازي مشعل عجيل الياور
Al-Yawar in 2005
Interim President of Iraq
In office 28 June 2004 – 7 April 2005
Prime Minister	Ayad Allawi
Preceded by	Saddam Hussein (as President of Iraq) Ezzedine Salim (as President of the Governing Council of Iraq) Paul Bremer (as Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority)
Succeeded by	Jalal Talabani
Vice President of Iraq
In office 7 April 2005 – 22 April 2006 Serving with Adil Abdul-Mahdi
President	Jalal Talabani
Preceded by	Ibrahim al-Jaafari and Rowsch Shaways
Succeeded by	Adil Abdul-Mahdi and Tariq al-Hashimi
President of the Governing Council of Iraq
In office 17 May 2004 – 1 June 2004
President	Paul Bremer
Preceded by	Ezzedine Salim
Succeeded by	Ayad Allawi (as Prime Minister of Iraq)
Personal details
Born	(1958-03-11) 11 March 1958 (age 67) Mosul, Iraq
Political party	The Iraqis
Alma mater	King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals American University George Washington University

Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawar (born in 1958) is an Iraqi politician. He served as the interim president of Iraq from 2004 to 2005. This was a very important time as Iraq was regaining its independence after a major conflict. Later, he became the vice president in 2006. Before becoming president, he was also the head of the Iraqi Governing Council in 2004. This council was set up after a US-led group entered Iraq.

Al-Yawar was first a member of the Iraqi Governing Council. This council was formed after the US-led invasion in 2003. In 2004, the council chose him to be the interim President of Iraq. This happened when Iraq officially took back control of its country on June 28, 2004.

Early Life and Education in Iraq

Ghazi al-Yawar was born in Mosul, Iraq in 1958. He finished his early schooling in Iraq. Then, he studied at King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals for two years. After that, he earned a degree in civil engineering in the UK. He also studied English at American University in Washington, D.C. He then got his master's degree from George Washington University in the mid-1980s.

Family Background and Values

Al-Yawar is a Sunni Muslim. His family, the House of Yawar, has led the Shammar tribe for many centuries. The Shammar is a very large group of tribes in Iraq, with over 1.5 million people. They live in areas stretching from Iraq to Syria and Saudi Arabia. This tribe includes both Sunnis and Shiites. They are generally known for being moderate in their religious and political views.

Al-Yawar shared that his mother would take him to visit holy sites for both Sunnis and Shiites. She also took him to Christian churches. This experience helped shape his leadership style. It allowed him to connect with both Shiites and Sunnis and help solve their problems.

His uncle, Sheikh Mohsen Ajil al-Yawar, is the current head of the Shammar tribe. His grandfather also helped Iraq gain independence in the 1920s. He later served in the king's parliament. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, al-Yawar's family went to live in London. At that time, al-Yawar was in Saudi Arabia. He chose to focus on business and started a successful telecommunications company. He spent about 20 years in Saudi Arabia. There, he became a vice president at a company called High Capabilities Co. (HiCap).

Leading Iraq as Interim President

After Saddam Hussein was removed from power in April 2003, al-Yawar returned to Iraq. His uncle, Mohsen al-Yawar, asked him to come back. In May 2004, Ghazi al-Yawar became the temporary head of the Iraqi Governing Council. This happened after the previous president, Ezzedine Salim, was killed.

Speaking Out for All Iraqis

During his time as interim president, al-Yawar spoke out against a common misunderstanding. Many people thought that Arab Sunnis in Iraq had many special benefits under Saddam Hussein's rule. Al-Yawar strongly said that Saddam did not favor any religion or group. He explained that Saddam's unfair actions hurt Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds, and all other groups in Iraq equally.

Al-Yawar was supposed to be the last leader of the Governing Council. His term was to end on June 30, 2004. This was the date when Iraq was expected to become fully independent again. Instead, he was chosen earlier to be Iraq's official Head of State. This role was mostly symbolic, but it was still very important.

Choosing a Leader for Iraq

The UN envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, preferred another person, Adnan Pachachi, for the role. However, most members of the Governing Council wanted al-Yawar. Some council members even said the UN was trying to force a new president on them. This disagreement delayed the announcement of the new interim government. But on June 1, 2004, Sheikh Ghazi's appointment as interim president was confirmed.

Ayad Allawi, a Shiite Muslim, became the Prime Minister during al-Yawar's presidency. Together, they represented Iraq's two largest Muslim groups. Al-Yawar and the new Iraqi Interim Government officially took power on June 28, 2004. This was two days earlier than planned, as the US-led group handed over control.

A Unifying Figure for Iraq

Sheikh Ghazi's selection as interim president was first questioned but then accepted by the American leaders in Iraq. This showed the growing importance of tribal leaders at that time. Even though his role was largely ceremonial, it held both symbolic and political power. As a Sunni tribal leader, he helped reassure his fellow Sunnis. He also represented a familiar type of leader for the tribal Kurds. He showed traditional values that Shiite religious figures respected.

Faleh A. Jabar, an expert, described Sheikh Ghazi as "a tribal figure who knows modern ways." He was seen as smart and careful with his words. He also valued the wisdom of older people, which is very important in tribal cultures.

L. Paul Bremer, a US administrator, wrote in his book that George W. Bush himself wanted al-Yawar to be appointed. Bush was impressed by Ghazi's thanks to the US-led group for removing Saddam. He also liked Ghazi's commitment to moving Iraq towards independence and democracy.

Challenges and Criticisms

However, many Iraqis saw Sheikh al-Yawar as part of the Governing Council. This council had lost trust because it could not solve the military and political problems in Iraq. Al-Yawar himself had openly criticized the council. He often said the council cared more about staying in power than solving serious issues. He felt it was adding to the country's problems.

Al-Yawar showed that he was not just a "puppet" of the US-led forces. He strongly criticized the United States for the lack of safety in Iraq. He said, "We blame the United States 100 percent for the security in Iraq." He explained that they occupied the country, removed the security forces, and left Iraq's borders open. This allowed anyone to enter without proper checks.

He also criticized the US for staying in Saddam Hussein's former Republican Palace. This building was being turned into their embassy. He said this was like "poking a finger in another's eye," meaning it was very disrespectful.

President George W. Bush talks with al-Yawer during the G8 summit in June 2004.

During his time as interim president, the US-led attack in Fallujah reached its peak. Al-Yawar openly spoke against this attack. He had almost resigned from the Governing Council earlier because of similar actions. He told Reuters that he completely disagreed with solving the Fallujah issue through military action. He said the way the US-led group handled the crisis was wrong. He compared it to someone shooting their horse in the head just because a fly landed on it. He blamed the US-led forces for not providing safety and aid to the Iraqi people.

After His Presidency

Al-Yawar served as interim President of Iraq until an elected Iraqi Parliament could choose a new permanent president. This happened on April 6, 2005, when Jalal Talabani was elected president. After much discussion, al-Yawar agreed to serve as one of Iraq's two vice-presidents.

Views on the New Constitution

As vice-president, Sheikh Ghazi worked on many challenges facing the new government. Many Iraqi Sunnis did not vote in the elections. Because of this, al-Yawar believed the new constitution should not be based only on those election results. He felt that a large group of Iraqi people could not take part in them. He said the constitution should be for all Iraqis. It should not be based 100 percent on the wishes of one group, religion, or idea. Instead, it needed to find common ground for everyone.

At this time, al-Yawar also called for separating religion and politics. He believed religion was too sacred to be mixed with politics. He felt that religion guides a country towards well-being and love. Politics, however, involves planning, tricks, and compromises. He thought it was not right for politics to pretend to be religion.

Elections and Later Life

In the January 2005 Iraqi election, al-Yawar led a group called The Iraqis. This was the largest non-religious group of candidates with a Sunni leader. His group received about 150,000 votes, which was 2% of the total votes. Al-Yawar was one of the few Sunni leaders who did not boycott the elections. He was also the only Sunni leader of national importance who seemed to get a seat in the assembly. His group won five seats in Parliament.

In the January 2006 election, he joined a group called the Iraqi National List. Other non-religious politicians like Ayad Allawi and Adnan Pachachi were also part of this group. After a short time as a member of the Iraqi Parliament, he resigned. He decided to return to his private life. Some people were not happy with his performance in the elections.

Personal Life

Al-Yawar has been married since 1984 and has four children.

See also

In Spanish: Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer para niños