Hussain al-Shahristani

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Hussain Al-Shahristani
حسين الشهرستاني
Hussain al-Shahristani Cropped.jpg
Shahristani in 2009
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
In office
8 September 2014 15 August 2016

Former government officials, including Khidir Hamza his successor, have claimed Hussain al-Shahristani was imprisoned for his refusal to cooperate with Saddam's WMD program and his intentions to build nuclear weapons. He was imprisoned personally by Saddam Hussein and was threatened directly by him too. "While imprisoned and tortured at Abu Ghraib prison for 11 years under Saddam Hussein he refused to help build a nuclear weapon for the country." [9]

He was later sentenced to death in an effort to terrorize him but the sentence was reduced to lifetime imprisonment as the regime always hoped it could benefit from his skills and expertise one day—a false hope which never materialized for Saddam's regime. He was put in a solitary confinement prison cell for 8 years and was not allowed to make any communication with his family or the outside world during that period.

In his memoir, Escaping to Freedom, he mentions that "the sound of a defective neon light was the highlight of his time during that period since silence was all he could listen to". He could not have a conversation even with his prison guards and food was passed to him through the gap under the prison cell's door. He escaped from Abu Ghraib during the 1991 Gulf War and went to Iran, where he left for UK. He obtained his freedom in an extremely daring 'Hollywood' style escape plan which was conceived, orchestrated and implemented by him. He went on to set up humanitarian aid organisations for the millions of Iraqi refugees during the Saddam era.

Having spent more than a decade (1979–1991) as a political prisoner in the infamous Abu Ghraib prison under the regime of Saddam, he escaped during an allied bombing raid on Baghdad during the First Gulf War. H.E. al-Shahristani fled to Iran where he served as head of the Gulf War Victims Organization from 1991 to 1995. He later continued his support for the victims of Saddams's regime and the Gulf War as head of the Iraqi Political Prisoners Union (2003) and as Chief of the Iraqi Refugees Relief Committee (1998–2003). [7]

Other positions

Shahristani is a visiting professor at the University of Surrey United Kingdom. [10]

In 2004, he taught as a professor at Baghdad University, and from 2002 to 2004 he was concurrently a visiting professor at Surrey University in the United Kingdom. In 2003 he was head of the Iraqi National Academy of Sciences, and prior to his role there, from 1998 to 2002 was an advisor to the International Technical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom. [7]

Awards

Shahristani was awarded Roosevelt Freedom from Fear Award 2012. In a video of the award on YouTube Prof. al-Shahristani was presented the award by Maria van der Hoeven, executive director of the International Energy Agency IEA. [11]

In his speech during the award ceremony he said "I confronted my fear in December 1979 when I had to make a choice: either to work on Saddam’s nuclear weapon program, or pay a price. The choice was simple, and the price turned out to be 11 years and 3 months in prison." [12]

Conversation with Saddam's half-brother

After seven months in jail, Shahristani was taken in front of Saddam's half-brother, Barzan al-Tikriti, who offered to free him if he would work on Iraq's secret nuclear weapons programme. "Anybody who refuses to serve his country does not deserve to be alive," Shahristani quoted Tikriti as telling him.

"I agree with you that the person must serve his country but what you are asking me is not a service to the country," Shahristani replied, he said in his book Escaping to Freedom (1999). He was eventually sentenced to 20 years and spent 11 in prison, some in solitary confinement. [13]

His reaction – Saddam's Trial

"This is the day that the Iraqis have been waiting for. There are tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of families who have lost their dear ones. They have been waiting for justice to be executed, and I think that Iraqis have received the news that they've been waiting for too many years." [14]

2014 Prime Minister To-Be

He has been tipped by analysts close to decision makers in Iraq as a serious contender for the PM job. [15] On 11 July 2014 he assumed the role of acting foreign minister in addition to his deputy prime ministership, after Kurdish politicians including former Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari withdrew from the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. [16]

References

  1. "Iran in Iraq: How Much Influence?" (PDF). Crisis Group. 21 March 2005. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Iraq oil minister Shahristani staked future on oil auctions". The National. Abu Dhabi. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  3. ", Black Sea Energy & Economic Forum". bseef.org. 25 July 2011. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011.
  4. "State of Law alliance". Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
  5. Civil War Violence Explodes Throughout Iraq, Informed Comment , 28 August 2006 [ dubious discuss ]
  6. Shahristani given temporary power portfolio, "Iraq Oil Report", 23 June 2010
  7. 1 2 3 (in Norwegian) "Hussain al-Shahristani" (PDF). NUPI.[ permanent dead link ]
  8. Ajrash, Kadhim (22 December 2011). "Iraq Oil Output Has Reached a 20-Year High, Shahristani Says". Bloomberg. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  9. Profile: Hussain al-Shahristani [ dead link ], Times Online, 26 May 2004.
  10. "Hussain al-Shahristani". University of Surrey. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  11. "Hussain al-Shahristani". Four Freedoms. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  12. "Speech by Hussain al-Shahristani". Four Freedoms. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  13. Gamal, Rania El (18 December 2010). "Shahristani, architect of Iraq's oil future". Reuters. Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  14. "Saddam hanged: Reaction in quotes". BBC News. 30 December 2006. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  15. "Al-Maliki Does Not Get a Third Term in Iraq, so what?". Especialview. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  16. "Tensions mount between Baghdad and Kurdish region as Kurds seize oil fields". The Washington Post . Retrieved 11 July 2014.

Further reading

Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Oil
2006–2010
Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Prime Minister for Oil
2010–2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs
2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Mohammad Al Jabouri
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
2014–2016
Succeeded by