Fawzi Mutlaq al-Rawi (Arabic: فوزي مطلق الراوي, 1940 – 28 June 2021), also known as Fawzi Isma'il al-Husayni al-Rawi, Abu Akram, or Abu Firas, was allegedly, according to the US, the leader of the Syrian led Ba'athist movement in Iraq.[1]
Fawzi Mutlaq al-Rawi | |
|---|---|
| فوزي مطلق الراوي | |
| Alleged Leader of the Iraqi Regional Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party | |
| In office 2003–2??? | |
| National Secretary | Abdullah al-Ahmar |
| Preceded by | ? |
| Succeeded by | Mouteb Shenan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1940 Falluja, Dulaim, Kingdom of Iraq |
| Died | 28 June 2021 (aged 80–81) Damascus, Syria |
| Citizenship | Iraqi |
| Political party | Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party |
| Nickname(s) | Fawzi Isma'il al-Husayni al-Rawi Abu Akram Abu Firas |
Early life
editFawzi Mutlaq al-Rawi was born in 1940 in Falluja in the governorate of Dulaim, Iraq.[1]
Iraq War
editAccording to the US Treasury, Rawi was appointed to his position as Chairman of the Iraqi branch of the Syrian led Ba'ath movement by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2003. In 2006 Rawi was number 13 of the Iraqi government's 41 most wanted, accused of funding and leading terrorist operations in Anbar province.[2]
In late 2007 the US Treasury designated Rawi on the accusation of providing financial and material support to al-Qaeda in Iraq. The US Treasury Department also accused Rawi of being supported by the Syrian government and having close ties to Syrian intelligence agencies. Rawi was accused of having twice met with a former commander of the Ba'athist militant group Jaysh Muhammad in 2004, and having told the commander that the group would receive material support from the Syrian government. According to the US Treasury Rawi in 2005 helped transfer $300,000 to members of al-Qaeda in Iraq, alongside vehicle borne IED's, rifles, and suicide bombers. Rawi also allegedly discussed operational issues with representatives of the al-Qaeda leadership in Iraq, such as attacks against the US Embassy and within the Green Zone.[3][better source needed] However, these allegations were never confirmed and Rawi hasn't been heard from since the Iraq War.
In a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nour al-Maliki in January 2009, David Petraeus, Commander of United States Central Command, called Rawi one of the more dangerous members of the insurgency linked with the former Ba'athist government, although also downplayed the risk posed by such groups when compared to that posed by al-Qaeda in Iraq.[citation needed]
Despite claims by the US Treasury that Rawi was the leader of the Syrian led Ba'athist movement in Iraq, the UN as well as Al-Sabah reported that Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed was elected to lead the party in Syria.[4][5] Rawi is never mentioned in either report.
According to the U.S. as of 2010, Rawi was allegedly believed to be living in a Syrian government-owned apartment in the Mezzeh neighborhood of Damascus, and working out of the Syrian Ba'ath Party Command Building in the al-Halbuni District of the city.[1][better source needed]
Rawi died in Damascus on 28 June 2021.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Code of Federal Regulations, Title 31, Money and Finance: Treasury, Pt. 500-End, Revised as of July 1 2010. Government Printing Office. 28 September 2010. ISBN 9780160860034.
- ^ Iraq Releases Most-Wanted List - CBS, 3 July 2006
- ^ Tabarani, Gabriel G. (2011). Jihad's New Heartlands: Why the West Has Failed to Contain Islamic Fundamentalism. AuthorHouse. p. 254. ISBN 978-1-4567-7771-5.
- ^ "MUHAMMAD YUNIS AHMAD | United Nations Security Council". www.un.org. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "Reviving the Iraqi Ba'ath: A Profile of General Muhammad Yunis al-Ahmad". Jamestown. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "فوزي الراوي يغادرنا". Arab Newz. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2024.