Tariq Aziz, Ex-Saddam Hussein Aide, Dies in Iraqi

Hamilton Nwosa
Writer

Ad

OPEC Rejects Media Reports of Major Output Hike Ahead of G8 Meet

OPEC has slammed the brake on speculation, flatly rejecting media reports that the G8 is preparing to hike crude oil production by half a million barrels per day. In a statement from Vienna on Tuesday, the OPEC Secretariat called the claims “wholly inaccurate and misleading,” stressing that discussions among ministers for the upcoming meeting haven’t…

Ranked: Countries Losing the Most (and Least) from Trump’s Tariffs

Trump’s tariffs are hitting all of America’s major trading partners. But in U.S. trade, what matters isn’t just the tariffs a country faces—it’s how they stack up against competitors. This visualization, made with the Hinrich Foundation, shows which countries are losing the most, and the least, from Trump’s tariffs. The data seen here is sourced from…

Emergency in Rivers: Romancing impunity?, By Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa 

By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN “I urge every Nigerian home and abroad to try and live within the confines of the law of the land and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If we are able to do just that, we will be sure of ensuring that peace and unity reign in the country.…

Ad

Tariq Aziz, known as the face of Saddam Hussein’s regime on the world stage for many years, has died in an Iraqi prison, officials say.

Aziz, 79, served as foreign minister and deputy prime minister and was a close adviser to the former leader.

He was sentenced to death by the Iraqi Supreme Court in 2010 for the persecution of religious parties under Saddam’s rule but was never executed.New Baghdad

Read also: Obama to meet Iraq PM, Buhari on G7 summit sidelines – W. House

He surrendered to US troops in 2003 shortly after the fall of Baghdad.

Aziz, who was known for his black-rimmed glasses and love of cigars, first came to prominence while serving as foreign minister during the first Gulf War in 1991.

As a Christian in a mainly Sunni Muslim government, he was not considered a member of Saddam Hussein’s innermost circle.

A fluent English speaker, he played a vocal role before the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, meeting Pope John Paul II in the Vatican to call for peace.

But when Baghdad fell, his lack of influence was reflected in his lowly ranking as the eight of spades in the US military’s famous “deck of cards” used to identify the most-wanted players in Saddam’s regime.

Read also: Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Onyeama Is Now Covid-19 Negative

Tariq Aziz was one of the most visible of Saddam Hussein’s lieutenants and, it seems, one of the most loyal.

He frequently represented Iraq on the international stage, speaking fluent English and giving a monstrous regime an urbane, often charming face. And like Saddam, he was often seen puffing on fat Cuban cigars.

When Iraq found itself in dock, as it did after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990, it invariably fell to Tariq Aziz to explain Saddam’s actions to an exasperated world. He did it doggedly, often infuriatingly, for decades.

As an ethnic Chaldean from northern Iraq, he was also the only Christian member of Saddam’s entourage, which made him useful as an envoy for an secular regime. It also made him an outsider in Baghdad.

Western diplomats never doubted his loyalty to Saddam, but wondered how much he really knew about his master’s secrets.

Ad

Unlocking Opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea during UNGA80
X whatsapp