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Iraqi governing council members

Abdel-Zahraa Othman Mohammed, head of the Islamic Dawa party in Basra. Writer, political activist. Shiite.

Abdel Aziz al Hakim, a religious and political leader from the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, brother of Mohammad Bakr al Hakim, who was assassinated in a car bombing in Najaf. Shiite.

Abdel-Karim al Mohammedawi, head of the Iraqi Hezbollah Party of God. Dubbed "Prince of the Marshes" for leading a 17-year resistance movement against Saddam in the marshes, for which he spent six years in prison. Shiite.

Adnan Pachachi, president of the Iraqi Independent Democrats. Former Iraqi foreign minister and permanent representative to the United Nations. Shiite.

Ahmad Chalabi, founder and head of the London-based Iraqi National Congress, mathematics professor and businessman. Shiite.

Ahmed al Barak, human rights activist and lawyer from Babel. Tribal leader of the Al Bu Sultan tribe of Babel, Iraq. Shiite.

Iyad Allawi, secretary-general for the Iraqi National Accord, opposition member within Iraq. Shiite.

Dara Noor Alzin, judge. Sentenced to jail for ruling that one of Saddam Hussein's edicts was unconstitutional. Imprisoned at Abu Ghraib prison, he was released in the general amnesty last October. Sunni.

Ibrahim al Jafari, spokesman for the Islamic Dawa Party, which was persecuted by Saddam. Born in Karbala, educated in medicine in Mosul. Spent time in the United States and the United Kingdom. Shiite.

Ghazi Ajil al Yawer, Mosul sheikh, civil engineer, recently vice president of Hicvap Technology Co. in Riyadh. Sunni.

Hamid Majid Moussa, secretary of the Iraqi Communist Party since 1993. Born in Babel, Iraq. Economist and petroleum researcher. Shiite.

Jalal Talabani, secretary-general of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and a leading figure of the Iraqi democratic movement. Kurd.

Mohsen Abdel Hamid, secretary-general of the Iraqi Islamic Party, born in Kirkuk, author of more than 30 books on the Quran. Baghdad University professor. Sunni.

Mohammed Bahr al Uloum, Najaf cleric who returned from London, where he headed the Ahl al Bayt charitable center. Shiite.

Mahmoud Othman, independent politician and longtime leader of the Kurdish National Struggle. Kurd.

Massood Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, former peshmerga (fighter), elected president in 1979, re-elected in 1999. Kurd.

Mouwafak al Rubii, born in al Shatra, member of the British Royal Doctors' College, consultant in internal medicine and neurology, human rights activist. Returned from United Kingdom. Shiite.

Naseer Kamel al Chaderji, leader of the National Democratic Party, Baghdad resident, lawyer, businessman and farm owner. Sunni.

Raja Habib al Khuzaai, medical doctor, head of the maternity hospital in Diwaniya. Lived in the United Kingdom from the late 1960s until she returned to Iraq in 1977. Shiite.

Samir Shakir Mahmoud al Sumaidy, from the al Sumaidy clan with documented lineage from the prophet Mohammad through Mousa al Khadhum (a nephew of the prophet). Writer, entrepreneur and opposition figure. Shiite.

Salaheddine Muhammad Bahaaeddine, secretary-general of the Kurdistan Islamic Union, born in Halabja, author of several books. Kurd.

Sondul Chapouk, a civil engineer and teacher from Kirkuk, women's rights activist. Turkoman.

Wael Abduk Latif, deputy head judge in Basra, practiced civil and criminal law before being disbarred and imprisoned by Saddam. Shiite.

Yonadam Kana, secretary-general of the Assyrian Democratic Movement. Former minister of public works and housing and former minister of industry and energy in Iraqi Kurdistan. Engineer and activist against the former regime. Christian.

Deceased—Aquila al Hashimi, female diplomat who led Iraq's delegation to the New York donors conference. PhD in Modern Literature. Worked with U.N. programs in Iraq since 1991, killed by unknown gunmen in August. Shiite.

_Sources: Knight Ridder, the Middle East,


(Compiled by Knight Ridder correspondent Maureen Fan and researcher Tish Wells)


(c) 2003, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.