Aziz Salih An-Numan
Iraq- Early Life and Political Career
- Governorship of Karbala and Najaf
- Occupation of Kuwait and Subsequent Atrocities
- Shia Uprising and Repression
- War and Trial
- Current Status
Early Life and Political Career
Aziz Saleh al-Numan was born in 1941 in Nasiriyah (some sources state 1944). He began his career as a Ba'ath Party official and held positions as Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation.
Governorship of Karbala and Najaf
In 1977-1983, al-Numan served as Governor of Karbala. From 1983-1986, he was Governor of Najaf. During his tenure as governor, al-Numan ordered the destruction of Shia shrines and was accused of torturing and killing Shia clerics during the Iran-Iraq War. He is also believed to have participated in Operation Anfal, where Iraqi forces used chemical weapons.
Occupation of Kuwait and Subsequent Atrocities
In August 1990, al-Numan played a key role in the occupation of Kuwait. In October, Saddam Hussein appointed him Governor of the occupied emirate. Under his rule, widespread looting and alleged rapes of Kuwaiti women occurred.
Shia Uprising and Repression
After Iraq's defeat in the Gulf War, a Shia uprising erupted. Al-Numan responded with a brutal crackdown on the rebels.
War and Trial
As Chairman of the Regional Command of the Ba'ath Party, al-Numan was responsible for defending western Baghdad during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. After the fall of Baghdad, he went into hiding. He was listed as number eight (King of Diamonds) on the infamous deck of playing cards of Iraq's most wanted.
Al-Numan was captured by coalition forces near Baghdad on May 22, 2003. He was handed over to Iraqi authorities on July 30, 2004, and faced trial alongside former President Saddam Hussein and ten other co-defendants. In 2011, he was sentenced to death.
Current Status
As of 2017, al-Numan remains the last of Saddam Hussein's associates whose death sentence has not yet been carried out.
