Nouri al-Maliki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nouri al-Maliki
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نوري المالكي
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Al-Maliki in 2018
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| Prime Minister of Iraq | |
| In office 20 May 2006 – 8 September 2014 |
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| President | Jalal Talabani Fuad Masum |
| Deputy |
See list
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| Preceded by | Ibrahim al-Jaafari |
| Succeeded by | Haider al-Abadi |
| Vice President of Iraq | |
| In office 10 October 2016 – 2 October 2018 Serving with Osama al-Nujaifi and Ayad Allawi
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| President | Fuad Masum |
| Preceded by | Himself |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| In office 9 September 2014 – 11 August 2015 Serving with Osama al-Nujaifi and Ayad Allawi
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| President | Fuad Masum |
| Preceded by | Khodair al-Khozaei |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 21 December 2010 – 8 September 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Jawad al-Bulani |
| Succeeded by | Mohammed Al-Ghabban |
| In office 20 May 2006 – 8 June 2006 |
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| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Baqir Jabr al-Zubeidi |
| Succeeded by | Jawad al-Bulani |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 21 December 2010 – 17 August 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Qadir Obeidi |
| Succeeded by | Saadoun al-Dulaimi |
| Minister of National Security Affairs | |
| In office 21 December 2010 – 8 September 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Shirwan al-Waili |
| Leader of the Islamic Dawa Party | |
| Assumed office 1 May 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Ibrahim al-Jaafari |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki
20 June 1950 Al-Hindiya, Kingdom of Iraq |
| Political party | Islamic Dawa |
| Other political affiliations |
State of Law Coalition |
| Spouse | Faleeha Khalil |
| Relations | Muhammad Hasan Abi al-Mahasin (grandfather) |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Usul al-Din College University of Salahaddin (MA) |
| Religion | Shia Islam |
| Signature |  |
Nouri al-Maliki (born 20 June 1950) is an Iraqi politician. He has been the leader of the Islamic Dawa Party since 2007. He served as the Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014. He was also Vice President from 2014 to 2015 and again from 2016 to 2018.
Al-Maliki started his political journey in the late 1970s. He was a Shia who disagreed with the government of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. He became well-known after he had to leave Iraq for 24 years. During this time, he became a senior leader of the Islamic Dawa Party. He worked to organize groups that were against Saddam's government. He also built connections with officials from Iran and Syria to get their help.
After the American-led occupation of Iraq (2003–2011), al-Maliki worked closely with the Multi-National Force. He continued to work with the United States after their troops left Iraq.
Three years after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, al-Maliki became Iraq's first full-term prime minister after Saddam. He was appointed by the American authority, Michael Douglas Barbero. His first government started on 20 May 2006. His second government was approved on 21 December 2010. During this time, he also acted as Minister of Interior, Defense, and National Security.
In 2014, after the Iraqi army faced difficulties against the Islamic State, al-Maliki was asked by some to step down. On 14 August 2014, he announced he would resign as prime minister. During his eight years in power, he faced criticism about how government money was handled. He was also criticized for not uniting different groups in Iraq. Some said he favored Shia figures over Kurds and Sunni Arabs. In September 2014, al-Maliki was chosen as one of Iraq's three vice presidents. He held this job even though there were attempts to remove the position.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Nouri al-Maliki was born in the village of Janaja in Abu Gharaq. This town is in central Iraq, between Karbala and Al Hillah. He belongs to the Al-Ali Tribe. This tribe is part of the Bani Malik tribe.
He went to school in Al Hindiyah. After high school, he moved to Baghdad with his family. For a while, al-Maliki lived in Al Hillah, where he worked in education. His grandfather, Muhammad Hasan Abi al-Mahasin, was a poet and religious leader. He was part of the Iraqi revolution against the British in 1920. He also served as Iraq's Minister of Education under King Faisal I.
Life in Exile and Return to Iraq
On 16 July 1979, al-Maliki had to leave Iraq. This was because he was found to be a member of the Islamic Dawa Party, which was against the law. He left Iraq through Jordan in October and soon moved to Syria. There, he used the name "Jawad."
In 1982, he moved from Syria to Iran. He lived in Tehran until 1990. Then he returned to Damascus, Syria. He stayed there until U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq and removed Saddam's government in 2003. While in Syria, he worked for the Dawa party. He built strong connections with Hezbollah and the Iranian government. He supported Iran's efforts to remove Saddam's government.
When he returned to Iraq in April 2003, al-Maliki became a deputy leader. He worked to remove former Baath Party officials from the military and government. In January 2005, he was elected to the temporary National Assembly. He also helped write the new constitution that was approved in October 2005.
Becoming Prime Minister
After the December 2005 Iraqi parliamentary election, the United Iraqi Alliance won the most seats. They first chose Ibrahim al-Jaafari as prime minister. But in April 2006, al-Jaafari had to resign due to criticism.
On 22 April 2006, al-Maliki was chosen as the new prime minister. This happened after the U.S. was involved in the selection process. U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said that al-Maliki was seen as independent from Iran. However, al-Maliki was also the preferred choice of Qasem Soleimani, a commander from Iran. Soleimani helped make the agreement between different Iraqi leaders that led to al-Maliki becoming prime minister.
On 20 May 2006, al-Maliki presented his government to the Parliament. He said he would temporarily manage the Interior Ministry himself. He promised to work hard for the Iraqi people.
First Term as Prime Minister (2006–2009)
During his first term, al-Maliki promised to deal with armed groups that were not part of the government. He was criticized for taking too long to name permanent ministers for interior and defense. He did so on 8 June 2006. Around the same time, the killing of Al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was announced.
Al-Maliki also criticized coalition forces for actions that allegedly harmed Iraqi civilians. He said that such actions were "unacceptable." He faced challenges in his relationship with the press. In August 2006, he banned TV channels from showing images of violence. He warned of legal action against those who broke the rule.
Early in his term, some criticized al-Maliki for being slow to deal with certain armed groups. In October 2006, he complained about an American raid against a leader of one such group. He said it was done without his approval. His job was difficult because he needed support from different political groups in parliament.
On 30 December 2006, al-Maliki signed the order for the execution of Saddam Hussein. He said there would be "no review or delay." Hussein was executed on 30 December 2006.
In 2007, some U.S. military officers claimed al-Maliki was replacing Iraqi commanders with people loyal to his party. His spokesman denied this. In May 2007, al-Maliki became the Secretary-General of the Dawa Party.
By late 2008, the security situation in many parts of Iraq had improved. In Baghdad, a peace agreement helped ease tensions. Al-Maliki also started new investment laws to help rebuild Iraq. He noted that Iraq relied heavily on oil money. He wanted to use revenue for other areas like agriculture and energy.
Second Term as Prime Minister (2010–2014)
On 22 December 2010, al-Maliki's second government was approved by parliament. This happened nine months after the 2010 election. In February 2011, a spokesperson for al-Maliki said he would not seek a third term in 2014. He said this was for the sake of democracy.
In December 2011, Iraq's Vice President, Tariq al-Hashemi, faced accusations. This led to his party boycotting parliament. Al-Hashemi was later sentenced to death in his absence. This situation caused some Sunni and Kurdish politicians to criticize al-Maliki. They said he was trying to take too much power.
Al-Maliki's time in office saw an increase in violence against Sunni groups. This included actions against the 2012–2013 Sunni protests. Some believe these events contributed to the rise of ISIS. The military under al-Maliki faced challenges with managing money. There were also "ghost soldiers," meaning people were paid as soldiers but were not actually serving.
When ISIS became more active in 2014, Iraq faced major difficulties. This included the June 2014 northern Iraq offensive and the fall of Mosul. A former commander accused al-Maliki of ordering the withdrawal from Mosul. By late June, the Iraqi government had lost control of its borders with Jordan and Syria.
Al-Maliki asked for a national state of emergency on 10 June after the attack on Mosul. However, Iraq's parliament did not allow this. Many Sunni Arab and Kurdish lawmakers opposed giving the prime minister more powers.
By August 2014, al-Maliki was still trying to stay in power. This was despite Iraq's president, Fuad Masum, nominating Haider al-Abadi to take over. Al-Maliki said the president's nomination was a "constitutional violation." However, on 14 August 2014, he announced his resignation. This came after many world leaders and members of his own party called for him to step down.
Challenges with Unity
Critics of al-Maliki say he tried to limit the power of both Kurds and Sunnis between 2006 and 2014. They believe he worked to centralize power for his party. Instead of strengthening Iraq, some argue his actions led to more Kurdish nationalism and Sunni unrest. This resulted in civil conflict and difficulties for the Iraqi state.
Many Sunni Iraqis and international experts described al-Maliki's time in power as divisive. This contributed to a Sunni uprising in 2014. During the Northern Iraq offensive in June 2014, ISIS aimed to take power from al-Maliki. He asked Kurdish forces for help and also requested air support from American drones. However, the United States did not agree to use warplanes or armed drones.
When al-Maliki resigned on 14 August 2014, and Haider al-Abadi became prime minister, many Sunni Arabs felt more hopeful. They believed the new government would address their concerns and provide better services.
Relationship with the U.S.
In June 2008, al-Maliki said that a plan for U.S. troops to leave Iraq in "about 16 months" would be a good timeline. He said this would show victory, not defeat, against groups like Al Qaeda. He felt U.S. negotiators were starting to agree with his view.
In 2007, some U.S. politicians, like Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin, called for al-Maliki to be removed from office. Senator Clinton urged Iraq's parliament to choose a leader who could unite the country better. She suggested al-Maliki was too focused on Iraq's Shia majority. Al-Maliki responded by saying the U.S. senators were acting as if Iraq was "their property." He asked them to "respect democracy."
After 17 Iraqis were killed by Blackwater USA security guards, al-Maliki asked the U.S. embassy to stop working with the company. He called what happened a "crime" that caused "deep grudge and anger."
Al-Maliki's friendly actions towards Iran sometimes caused tension with the United States. However, he also considered steps that Iran opposed, especially during talks with the U.S. about a security agreement. In late 2014, Vice President Al-Maliki expressed concerns that the United States was using ISIL as an excuse to keep its military in Iraq.
Official Visits
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On 13 June 2006, U.S. President George W. Bush visited Baghdad. He met with al-Maliki and President of Iraq Jalal Talabani to show support for the new government. They announced a plan for Iraqi students to study in the United States.
On 25 June, al-Maliki presented a national reconciliation plan to the Iraqi parliament. This plan aimed to remove powerful armed groups, talk with rebels, and review the status of former Ba'ath party members. Some saw this as a brave step towards rebuilding Iraq and reaching out to Sunni groups.
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By July 2006, when al-Maliki visited the United States, violence had continued. This led many to think the reconciliation plan was not working. On 26 July 2006, al-Maliki spoke to the U.S. Congress. Some politicians did not attend because al-Maliki had criticized Israel's actions in Lebanon.
In September 2006, al-Maliki made his first official visit to neighboring Iran. He discussed political and security issues with Iranian officials. He called Iran "a good friend and brother." A press conference with al-Maliki and U.S. President George Bush on 14 December 2008 was interrupted. An Iraqi journalist, Muntadhar al-Zaidi, threw his shoes at Bush.
Later Roles
On 26 January 2013, al-Maliki's opponents passed a law to stop him from running for a third term. However, an Iraqi court later overturned this law. By August 2014, al-Maliki no longer had a chance to win a third term as prime minister.
On 8 September 2014, when the new government was approved, al-Maliki was named one of the three vice presidents. This is a respected but mostly ceremonial position. On 11 August 2015, the Parliament approved a reform plan that included removing the three vice president posts. However, al-Maliki said in September 2015 that he was still in office. He argued that removing the post was against the Iraqi Constitution. On 10 October 2016, the Supreme Court of Iraq restored the three Vice President posts.
Personal Life
Al-Maliki is married to Faleeha Khalil. They have four daughters and one son. His son, Ahmed, was in charge of al-Maliki's security. Two of his sons-in-law also worked in his office.
On 26 April 2006, al-Maliki stopped using the name Jawad. He had used this name since moving to Syria in the early 1980s. However, people in Iraq sometimes still call him "Abu Esraa." This means "father of Esraa," who is his oldest daughter. It is common in Arab culture to call someone by their eldest child's name.
See also
- Al-Malik or Bani Malik
- Iraq
- Islamic Dawa Party
