The USG Open Source Center rounds up information on the new ministers of interior and defence, and of national security.
'Iraq: Interior, National Security, Defense Ministers Profiled
Iraq -- OSC Report
Monday, June 12, 2006 T12:51:57ZJawad al-Bulani
- Born in Baghdad in 1960, but comes from the city of Al-[A]marah, Al-Diwaniyah Governorate, southern Iraq
- Served in the former Iraqi Army's Aviation Engineering Department until 1999
- Head of the Shiite Political Council, founded by Ahmad al-Chalabi
- Ran in the December 2005 elections as a candidate member of Ahmad al-Chalabi's list
- A few days prior to his nomination for the post of interior minister, he announced his "resignation from any political body or entity."
- Addressing the Iraqi Council of Representatives, Al-Bulani said: "I pledge to fulfill my tasks as patriotically, dutifully, and responsibly as I can. The security situation, we should bear in mind, cannot cope with any more party affiliations and narrow interests." He also pledged to keep the Interior Ministry "objective, independent, and free of external influences."
- A Shiite party founded in Iraq in 1994 by Haj Abu-Hatim [presumably the Marsh Arab Hizbullah of Abdul Karim al-Muhammadawi]
- Member of the Drafting Constitution Committee
- Member of the transitional National Assembly where he represented the Unified Iraqi Coalition
- Member of the National Assembly's Water Committee - Member of the former Governing Council in 2004
- Former member of the Islamic Al-Fadilah (Virtue) Party's General Secretariat
- During the nomination session, Al-Bulani was criticized by a parliament member representing the Iraqi List, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi for "not taking any promises to act professionally away from sectarianism." . . .
Shirwan al-Wa'ili- Born in 1957 in the city of Al-Nasiriyah
- A leading member of Al-Da'wah Party--Iraq Cadres, led by Abd-al-Karim al-Inizi [Anizi]
- A former officer in the dissolved Iraqi Army
- Graduated from the Military College in 1979
- Appointed to the Power Authority where he spent some time working at the Umm-Qasr Port
- Studied law at the Basra University
- Apprehended in 1991 during the Shiite uprising
- Head of the first municipal council in the city of Dhi Qar which he himself founded in the aftermath of the fall of the regime
- Member of the former National Assembly
- Member of the first permanent Iraqi Council of Representatives representing the Unified Iraqi Coalition
- Member of the Constitution Drafting Committee
- Member of the National Assembly's Committee for Tribal Affairs
- Al-Wa'ili believes that "our main task is to set up a security system with our neighboring countries as a step to settling the security file."
- Speaking on his ministry's plans, he says: "I hope that the duties of the ministry will expand as to incorporate not only terrorism, but also economic crime and border security."
- Al-Wa'ili stresses that his party affiliations "will never overrule my loyalty to Iraq. My fellow citizens in Al-Nasiriyah can confirm the truth of my words."
- Al-Wa'ili's nomination for the post of national security minister raised objections by some parliament members on the basis that "his nomination was not deliberated by parliamentary blocs." . . .
Abdul Qadir Muhammad Jasim al-Ubaidi
- Comes from the city of Al-Ramadi
- Graduated from the Military College in 1969
- Currently serves as Commander of Iraqi Land Forces
- Is not a member of any political party
- Vice president of Al-Bakr University for Higher Military Studies
- Left Iraq during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1991 to express "my rejection of the invasion. This led to my dismissal from the army and the party before I was pensioned off in 1992."
- Sentenced to seven years in prison by the former regime in 1994 for criticizing the decision to invade Kuwait
- Served in the new Iraqi Army where he acted as Operations Chief-of-Staff (2004); Commander of the Western Region (2005); and Commander of Land Forces.
- Al-Ubaydi pledged to "restructure the Defense Ministry to cope with the current security situation."
- After being named Defense Minister, he stressed that "I will be an Iraqi and nothing but an Iraqi and will do my best to carry out my duties. If I happen to find that I am not competent enough, I will not hesitate to resign my office."
- Confirms that he has "no party affiliations whatsoever."
- His nomination for the defense post raised objections by a parliament member accusing him of being a "war criminal in a military campaign against the city of Al-Fallujah." '