Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

Grandfather, Mohammed Hassan al-Maliki, was a well-known poet who served as Minister of Education from 1923-1924

Holds an MA in Arabic from the University of Salahaddin in Sulaymaniyah

Formerly employed at the Ministry of Education

A member of Al-Da'wah Party since 1968

Left Iraq in 1980 after Saddam Hussein banned Al-Da'wah Party; later he was sentenced to death in absentia

Moved to Iran where he acted against the Iraqi regime

Head of the Jihadist Current within Al-Da'wah Party

Moved to Syria after he refused to cooperate with the Iranian intelligence against the Iraqi Army during the Iran-Iraq War

Head of the Al-Da'wah Party's offices in Syria and Lebanon

Former chief editor of Al-Mawqif newspaper, the mouthpiece of Al-Da'wah Party

Member of the political bureau of Al-Da'wah Party

Said to enjoy good relations with most former Iraqi opposition parties

Is said to represent the Arab identity of Al-Da'wah Party

Took up a number of positions after the fall of the regime: head of the Defense Committee at the Iraqi National Assembly; spokesman for the Iraqi Unified Coalition; member of the Sovereignty Committee at the National Assembly; Deputy Chair of High-Commission for De-Ba’athfication

An advocate of Kurdish demands to normalize matters in Kirkuk

Deputy Prime Minister - Dr. Rafi' Al-Issawi

Deputy Prime Minister - Dr. Rafi' Al-Issawi

1999: Obtained a Diploma in Orthopedics from Basrah University.

Speaks English Fluently.

Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Former Acting Minister of Health.

Former Director of Health in Al-Fallujah District.

Member of the Iraqi Medical Association.

1993-1994: Former Medical Doctor in the Iraqi Army

1990-1993: Resident Doctor at Al-Ramadi General Hospital.

Deputy Prime Minister - Dr. Barham Salih

Deputy Prime Minister - Dr. Barham Salih

Affiliated with PUK, a member party of the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan.

Joined the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) under the leadership of Jalal Talabani.

Was arrested many times during the Saddam Hussein regime.

Fled Iraq in 1979 and became spokesperson for the PUK in London. .

Holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Structural Engineering from Cardiff University.

Holds a PhD in statistics & computer modeling from Liverpool University.

Worked as an engineering consultant in the UK.

Represented the PUK and the KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government) in the USA for 10 years after 1991.

Prime Minister of the PUK region of northern Iraq since February 2001

Deputy to the Iraqi Prime Minister Dr Ayad Alawi in 2004.

Minister of Planning in the Iraqi Transitional Government.

Nominated Deputy Prime Minister in May 2006

Appointed by PM Maliki to Chair Economic Affairs Committee in June 2006 and has championed economic development initiatives for Iraq’s reconstruction

President Jalal Talabani

President Jalal Talabani

Started his political career at the age of 13 as a founding member of the Kurdistan Students' Association and then at the age of 14 joined the Kurdistan Democratic Party [KDP] in 1947

Chosen in 1951 as a member of the KDP's central committee

Obtained his BA in law in 1959 from University of Baghdad

Chief editor of two local Kurdish newspapers in the late 1950s

Participated in the Kurdish revolution against former president Abd-al-Karim Qasim and rose in the ranks of the Kurdish peshmerga from 1960-1964

Head of the Kurdish delegation to the 1963 talks with the Iraqi Government under the reign of Abd al-Salam Arif

Defected from the KDP in 1964 as a result of differences with KDP's leader Mustafa Barzani

In 1966 Talabani and a number of former KDP members allied with the central government to launch a military campaign against the KDP

Co-founded the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan [PUK] in 1975, a secular and socialist entity which is currently believed to have around 25,000 fighters

In 1976 the PUK began military action against the central government

Responded to a call by former president Saddam Hussein to begin peace talks in the midst of the in the Iran-Iraq War, which ended up being unsuccessful

Fled to Iran in 1988 following the chemical attack launched by the Iraqi Government against the Kurds

The KDP and PUK had various conflicts and truces in the aftermath of Persian Gulf War of 1991and during the period of a enforced No-Fly Zone over Iraqi Kurdistan

In 1998 the KDP and PUK came to sign a peace treaty in Washington following extensive US and British mediation.

After the fall of Baghdad in March 2003, Talabani became a member of the Iraqi Governing Council

Is said to have "very friendly" relations with grand Shiite figure Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq

Known for his stance against the death penalty

Has maintained that the multinational forces should remain in Iraq as any premature pullback would lead to "a disaster"

Has called for allowing armed groups to become involved in the political process

Elected President of Iraq' on April 6 2005, but expressed dissatisfaction with his presidential powers and demanded more

Talabani calls for federalism in Iraq

Is known to support democracy, inter-ethnic harmony, equality and women's rights

Vice President Adil Abd al-Mahdi

Deputy President Adil Abd al-Mahdi

Son of the Minister of Education during the reign of King Faysal I in the 1920s

Earned a degree in Economics from College of Trade and Economics in Baghdad in 1959

Left Iraq after he was sentenced to death because of his political activity

Studied for Master’s degrees in political science and economics in France from 1968-1972

Worked for a number of research centers in France, including the French Institute for Islamic Studies; Chief editor of several Arab and French-speaking newspapers and author of a number of books

Said that he was widely influenced by the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and was a co-founder of SCIRI in the 1980s in Iran;                        

SCIRI's representative in Kurdistan 1992 - 1996

Played a key role in talks to write off Iraqi debts following the fall of the regime

Assumed post of Minister of Finance in the Allawi-led cabinet

Selected as vice president following the January 2005 elections as a representative of the Shiite slate; re-elected vice president following the December 2005 elections

Considered the second most important figure at the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq [ISCI]

Known to have adopted several political ideologies at different times: Ba'athism, a Maoist Marxism, an Islamism, and liberal economics

He also believes that the US troops should not withdraw from Iraq except when "there is no security vacuum and furthermore when Iraqi potentials are solid enough to provide the Iraqis with security."

An advocate of federalism which he says represents "the perfect solution for Iraq."

Is said to represent a strong secular current within the Unified Iraqi Alliance and promotes a version of political Islam that is more moderate than the Iranian model

Believes that the Shiite religious authority should have a role to play in running the affairs of the country, but should also allow democratic policies to participate

A strong supporter of a market-oriented economy as well as of decentralization

Is said to enjoy good relations with US National Security members

Says that he was influenced by the biographies of Ghandi, Winston Churchill, and Al-Khumayni

Lost a brother, who was an advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, in an attack in October 2005

Has four children all of whom are French citizens

Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi

Deputy President Tariq al-Hashimi

Grandson of a former general in the Ottoman Army, and nephew of King Ghazi's tutor

Attended the military academy between 1959 - 1962 and finished his military career as an instructor at the academy in 1975

In 1969 he obtained a BA in economics at Al-Mustansiriyah University and an MA in economics in 1978 from the UniversityBaghdad of

Joined the Iraq Islamic Party after he left the military and has publicly stated that he never joined the Ba’th Party

Manager of the Iraq branch of the Arab Shipping Co [ASC] from 1979 – 1981

Moved to Kuwait where he was appointed ASC's Director General until 1990 when he had to return to Iraq after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait .

A member of the planning committee and the Shura council of the Iraqi Islamic Party until he was elected secretary general in June 2004

Became a leading figure of the Al-Tawafuq [Accord] Front, a bloc comprising three leading Sunni parties

Assumed post of Vice President after the wins of the Al-Tawafuq Front in the general elections in 2005

Rejects a federalist system for Iraq because he says it would divide the country

In April 2006, he lost his brother and his sister in two separate attacks in Baghdad

Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Represntatives Mahmoud al-Mashhadani

Speaker of the House Mahmoud al-Mashhadani

Born in Al-Kadhimiyah District of Baghdad

Graduated from Faculty of Medicine at Baghdad University in 1972

Joined the military as a physician and rose through the ranks to become a Major

In I980, three months after the outbreak of the Iraq-Iran war, he was arrested by Saddam Hussein’s government for opposing the Iran-Iraq War with a group of his companions who were activists in the Islamic current

Sentenced to two years of prison for promoting ideas against the public trend as well as against the Ba'th Party and the Revolutionary Command Council [RCC]

He was released from jail after a year and a half for good conduct. However, he was dismissed from the army, all assets confiscated, and was banned from traveling.

After the travel ban against him was lifted, he traveled to Kurdistan, where he says he met with the Islamic movement figures, led by Shaykh Ali Abd-al-Aziz.

He was re-arrested in 2000 and sentenced to death for acts of disturbance, but the sentence was commuted to 15 years of imprisonment because the head of the Revolutionary Court could not find hard evidence that he committed a crime punishable by death. He spent two years in prison only because he was released in "the year of amnesty."

A co-founder of the Higher Council for Call and Guidance and head of its political bureau A co-founder of the Iraqi National Dialogue Council [NDC], which contributed to the  establishment of the Iraqi Front for National Dialogue

He was nominated as Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives as part of a deal on government posts between the IAF, UIA and Kurdistan Alliance and was unanimously elected on April 22, 2006.

First Deputy Speaker Khalid al-Atiya

Deputy Speaker Khalid al-Atiya

Finished secondary education in Baghdad in 1970, and continued religious studies in the Al-Najaf hawza where he studied under Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and Al-Sayyid Abu-al-Qasim al-Khu'i.

Arrested during the regime of Saddam Hussein in 1972, 1974, and 1975.

Immigrated to Egypt in 1979, and in 1980 obtained a Diploma in literary studies from the Dar al-'Ulum Faculty, CairoUniversity; received a Masters degree in literary studies in 1985; and a Diploma in literary studies from the Saint JosephUniversity in Lebanon.

He traveled to Lebanon, Latin America, Iran and the United Kingdom where he worked at various religious, cultural, and academic endeavors.

Head of the Department of Islamic Studies at the Oxford Academy for Higher Education from 2000 to 2004

Returned to Iraq after the fall of the regime and became a key political leader for the UIA in Parliament

Nominated to Deputy Speakership of the Council of Representatives on April 22, 2006

Second Deputy Speaker Arif Tayfur

Deputy Speaker Arif Tayfur

Born in 1945 in Al-Sulaymaniyah

Completed his secondary education in Al-Sulaymaniyah, where he studied law and graduated in 1971

Became a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party [KDP] in Baghdad after his graduation

He was affiliated with the Kurdistan Students Union in 1958 and became member of the KDP in 1963; joined the Kurdish revolution in 1973.

After the revolution he went to Iran and worked on rearranging the leadership of the revolution and the KDP

A leading member of the KDP where he worked at the KDP Political Bureau until 2000

After the fall of the regime, he came to Baghdad and became head of the KDP branch in Baghdad

Member of the Iraqi National Assembly and deputy speaker

Minister of Defense Abdul Qadir Mohammed Jasim

Born in 1947 in Baghdad

Graduate of Military College 1969 – worked in armored division until assuming post of Armored Division Commander

Commander of armored brigade during Iran-Iraq war

Opposed invasion of Kuwait in 1991 and was stripped of all posts and responsibilities, and referred to retirement in 1992,

Arrested and tried by special court martial in 1994; sentenced to seven years imprisonment with all properties confiscated; personal house was returned after coalition toppling of regime in 2003

Participated in the new Iraqi army as head of the ground forces

Currently unaffiliated with any political party

Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bolani

Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bolani

1984 Graduate of Mechanical Engineering Department Baghdad’s Institute of Technology

Worked as an Engineer in the Iraqi Air Force from 1984 until 1999 where he retired with the rank Colonel to pursue business ventures.

2004-2004 was member of the Governing Council

Chaired Water Committee in Transitional National Assembly in 2005

Politically independent

Minister of State for National Security Shirwan al-Waili

Minister of State for National Security Shirwan al-Waili

Graduate of Military Engineering College 1979

Worked in the Military Works Division building military camps and other military construction missions, but did not participate in any military operations

Was detained during the 1991 Shi’a uprising

Retired as Brig. Gen. in 2000

Studied Law at Basra University

Acting member of the Governing Council from 2003-2004

Served as an Advisor for regional affairs for the National Security Portfolio

Served as member of the Constitutional Committee in the Transitional National Assembly

Won a seat in the Council of Representatives in 2005 and resigned to take post as Minister of State for National Security in June 2006

Politically independent