Salem Chalabi

Last updated

Salem Chalabi (aka "Sam Challabi") (born 13 August 1963, in Baghdad) is an Iraq-born, British- and American-educated lawyer. He was appointed as the first General Director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal, set up in 2003 to try Saddam Hussein and other members of his regime for crimes against humanity. His appointment, by an order signed by Paul Bremer, the head of the occupation authority, [1] was widely criticized for perceived nepotism (his uncle, Ahmed Chalabi, was critically involved in the US-led war against Iraq and Hussein) and he himself lacked any significant trial experience (he was a corporate securities lawyer). He was ultimately dropped from the Tribunal after an arrest warrant was issued for investigation into his role in the murder of a director-general of the Iraqi Ministry of Finance who was investigating Chalabi family properties acquired in Iraq; the charge was ultimately dismissed citing lack of evidence.

Contents

Biography

Salem Chalabi was educated in Britain and in the United States. His uncle Ahmed Chalabi was the controversial leader of the Iraqi National Congress and former member of the Iraq Interim Governing Council and a Deputy Prime Minister; he is also "a former banker in Jordan who fled the country in 1989 before he could be arrested in connection with a $200 million financial scandal. He was later tried in his absence and sentenced by a Jordanian court to 22 years in prison on 31 charges of embezzlement, theft, misuse of depositor funds, and currency speculation." [2] Salem studied at Bedford School in England and at Yale University (where he was on the Rugby Team and a member of the controversial Rockingham Club), graduating in 1985. [3] In 1993 he received a J.D. degree from the Northwestern University School of Law. [3] He worked for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in New York and lastly for Clifford Chance in London, in both instances as a corporate lawyer specialising in capital markets. [2] Salem joined the Dubai office of Stephenson Harwood (Middle East) LLP in 2014 as a partner. [4]

Mr. Chalabi was a member, immediately before the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, of the Department of State sponsored Future of Iraq project, to which he was appointed as rapporteur of the Transitional Justice Working Group. [3]

Questions about conflicts of interest swirled around Sam Chalabi. [5] Returning to Iraq in April 2003 he founded the controversial Iraqi International Law Group. Chalabi set up this "marketing partnership" with L. Marc Zell, the former law partner of Douglas J. Feith, the Pentagon's undersecretary for policy. Zell was to help lead American and Russian clients interested in reconstruction to Sam Chalabi's firm, which would in turn help them to meet U.S. and Iraqi officials". [5] Zell, born in the United States, moved with his family to the Jewish settlement of Alon Shevut on the West Bank in 1988, at the start of the first Palestinian uprising, acquiring Israeli nationality. His Jerusalem based firm, whose staff produced the content of the Iraqi International Law Group's website, cites as one of its main activities assisting Israeli companies to do business abroad. [6]

"In interviews, Sam Chalabi spoke of his daily contacts with his uncle [Ahmed Chalabi], and the fact that one of his 26 first cousins was the Iraqi minister of trade." [5] Sam Chalabi also played an important role in the new government: as an advisor on the writing of commercial laws and a national constitution, among other issues.

After "an outpouring of publicity", Sam Chalabi disbanded the partnership, saying, "I have to be more careful about the appearance of a conflict of interest."". [5]

Iraqi special tribunal

With the capture of Saddam Hussein on December 13, 2003, an Iraqi Special Tribunal was announced, with Salem placed in charge by an order signed by L. Paul Bremer III, the head of the occupation authority. [1] As such, Salem was responsible for the setting up and the administration of the tribunal, including the nomination of judges and prosecutors; [7] [8] he also arranged for the judges to visit the Slobodan Milošević' tribunal at the Hague.

However, on August 8, 2004, while Salem was in London, a warrant was issued in Iraq for his arrest, for his alleged involvement in the May 28, 2004, death of Haithem Fadhil, director-general of the Iraqi Ministry of Finance. On the same day, a warrant was issued for the arrest of his uncle, Ahmed Chalabi, on money counterfeiting charges. However, those charges were dropped in late September 2004, with Judge Zuhair al-Maliki citing lack of evidence. The charges against Salem Chalabi were dropped in December 2004, citing lack of evidence.

On September 7, 2004, it was reported that Chalabi had been removed or was about to be removed from his post as head of the tribunal. On September 19, 2004, the New York Times quoted Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi as saying that he had received Salem's resignation. [9]

Mr. Chalabi was engaged as the head of the Iraq practice of DLA Piper until 2014. [10]

Related Research Articles

Saddam Hussein President of Iraq from 1979 to 2003

Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutionary Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, and later, the Baghdad-based Ba'ath Party and its regional organization, the Iraqi Ba'ath Party—which espoused Ba'athism, a mix of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism—Saddam played a key role in the 1968 coup that brought the party to power in Iraq.

The Iraqi National Congress is an Iraqi political party that was led by Ahmed Chalabi who died in 2015. It was formed as an umbrella opposition group with the aid and direction of the United States' government following the Persian Gulf War, for the purpose of fomenting the overthrow of longtime Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Uday Hussein Iraqi politician (1964–2003)

Uday Saddam Hussein was an Iraqi politician and the eldest son of Saddam Hussein. He held numerous positions as a sports chairman, military officer and businessman, and was the head of the Iraqi Olympic Committee and Iraq Football Association, and head of the Fedayeen Saddam.

Tariq Aziz Former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister (1979 - 2003)

Tariq Aziz was an Iraqi politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and a close advisor of President Saddam Hussein. Their association began in the 1950s when both were activists for the then-banned Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. He was both an Arab nationalist and a member of the Chaldean Catholic Church.

Oil-for-Food Programme Programme headed by the United Nations

The Oil-for-Food Programme (OIP), established by the United Nations in 1995 was established to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs for ordinary Iraqi citizens without allowing Iraq to boost its military capabilities.

Ahmed Chalabi Prime minister of Iraq in 2003

Ahmed Abdel Hadi Chalabi was an Iraqi politician, a founder of the Iraqi National Congress (INC) who served as the President of the Governing Council of Iraq and later oof Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq under Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

Ayad Allawi Prime Minister of Iraq from 2004 to 2005

Ayad Allawi is an Iraqi politician. He served as the vice president of Iraq from 2014 to 2015 and 2016 to 2018. Previously he was interim prime minister of Iraq from 2004 to 2005 and the president of the Governing Council of Iraq in 2003.

Aiham Alsammarae Nationalistic, Sunni, Iraqi politician

Aiham Alsammarae is a nationalistic, Sunni, Iraqi politician who served as Minister of Electricity from August 2003 until May 2005. He has been an active member of the Iraqi National List and has fought hard for political reconciliation among Iraq's political parties as well as against the policy of de-Ba'athification, since his resignation as Minister of Electricity. Previously, he was a prominent member of the Iraqi Opposition and lived in exile in the U.S. for over 30 years.

The Iraqi High Tribunal (IHT), formerly the Iraqi Special Tribunal and sometimes referred to as the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal, is a body established under Iraqi national law to try Iraqi nationals or residents accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or other serious crimes committed between 1968 and 2003. It organized the trial of Saddam Hussein and other members of his Ba'ath Party regime.

The General Security Directorate (GSD) was the intelligence agency of Iraq. It was announced by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi at a press conference in July 2004 in a climate of widespread violence by terrorist groups and the Iraqi insurgency. Although details on its organisation were not made clear at the time, the General Security Directorate's designated mission was to "infiltrate and annihilate Iraq's tenacious insurgency".

Arab Liberation Front Political party in Palestine

Arab Liberation Front is a minor Palestinian political party, previously controlled by the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party, formed in 1969 by Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and then headed by Saddam Hussein. ALF is a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Trial of Saddam Hussein Overview of the trial of the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein during the Iraq War

The trial of Saddam Hussein was the trial of the deposed President of Iraq Saddam Hussein by the Iraqi Interim Government for crimes against humanity during his time in office.

Rauf Rashid Abd al-Rahman Kurdish Chief Judge

Rauf Rashid Abd al-Rahman is the replacement chief judge of the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal's Al-Dujail trial of Saddam Hussein in 2006, when he sentenced Saddam and some of his top aides to death by hanging.

Adnan al-Dulaimi was a Sunni Iraqi politician who became prominent following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the fall of the regime of Saddam Hussein. He and his supporters largely focused on two issues: ending the US occupation of Iraq; and strengthening and protecting the position of the country's Sunni-Arab minority at a time when the country's majority Shiite-Arabs have been in the political ascendancy.

Capital punishment in Iraq is a legal penalty. It was commonly used by the government of Saddam Hussein, was temporarily halted after the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq that deposed Saddam, and has since been reinstated. Executions are carried out by hanging.

Execution of Saddam Hussein Overview of the execution of the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein on 30 December 2006

The execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein took place on 30 December 2006. Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death by hanging, after being convicted of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi Special Tribunal for the Dujail massacre—the killing of 148 Iraqi Shi'ites in the town of Dujail—in 1982, in retaliation for an assassination attempt against him.

Adnan Khairallah 23rd Iraqi Minister of Defense

Adnan Khairallah was Saddam Hussein's brother-in-law and cousin. He held several titles and was a member of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council. He also served as the Defence Minister of Iraq from 1979 until his death, appointed days after Saddam Hussein succeeded to the Presidency. He died in 1989 in a helicopter crash that was officially labeled an accident. The circumstances surrounding his death, including his disputes with Saddam and rumors of a potential coup, have led some to believe Adnan was assassinated under orders from Saddam.

<i>House of Saddam</i> 2008 TV miniseries

House of Saddam is a 2008 drama that charted the rise and fall of Saddam Hussein. A co-production between BBC Television and HBO Films, the series was first broadcast on BBC Two in four parts between 30 July and 20 August 2008.

Iraqi International Law Group (IILG) was created in 2003 by Salem Chalabi and Marc Zell as "the first international law firm" based in Iraq.

Lead-up to the Iraq War

The lead-up to the Iraq War began with United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 and subsequent UN weapons inspectors inside Iraq. This period also saw low-level hostilities between Iraq and the United States-led coalition from 1991–2003.

References

  1. 1 2 TAVERNISE, SABRINA; BURNS, JOHN F. (August 12, 2004). "The Conflict in Iraq: Beleaguered Iraq". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  2. 1 2 Brian Whitaker (September 24, 2003). "Friends of the Family". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
  3. 1 2 3 Michael Rubin (2004). "Salem Chalabi: Judging Saddam". Middle East Quarterly. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
  4. ↑ "Stephenson Harwood hires Middle East specialist". Stephen Harwood. 2014-07-22. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Paul Richter and Edmund Sanders (November 7, 2003). "Contracts go to Allies of Iraq's Chalabi". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  6. ↑ Brian Whitaker (October 7, 2003). "Zionist settler joins Iraqi to promote trade". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  7. ↑ Kathleen Ridolfo (22 April 2004). "Inside Iraq". RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  8. ↑ Human Rights Watch (November 2006). "Judging Dujail". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  9. ↑ John F. Burns (September 19, 2004). "For Hussein, a Spartan Life at His Former Palace". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
  10. ↑ "Salem Chalabi. Legal Director. Head of the Iraq practice". Archived from the original on 2013-06-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.