Rafi al-Issawi

Dr. Rafi Hiyad al-Issawi is a Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq from the Sunni-Arab majority Iraqi Islamic Party. He was approved by the Iraqi Council of Representatives on 2008-07-19. [ [http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7011661073 Sunni Bloc Rejoins Iraqi Government After Year-Long Boycott] , "AHN", 2008-07-20, accessed on 2008-07-20]

al-Issawi was previously Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 2006-05-20 to 2007-08-01. He withdrew from the government with four other ministers from the Iraqi Accordance Front demanding that the government of Nouri al-Maliki take stronger action against Shi'ite militia. [ [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/II07Ak04.html In Fallujah, donkeys tell a tale] , "Asia Times", 2007-09-07, accessed on 2008-07-20]

During the Second Battle of Fallujah in November 2004, al-Issawi was the head of Fallujah hospital and reported that 800 local Iraqis had died as a result of the attack. [ [http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/media/2004/1116nytcritic.htm New York Times Rewrites Fallujah History] , "Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting", 2004-11-16, accessed 2008-07-20] He accused the United States Army of blocking a team of eleven Iraqi Ministry of Health ambulances with 20 doctors from evacuating the dead and injured or helping the injured. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/2004/11/imm-041122-unami.htm Wounded in Al-Fallujah to be treated in other cities- Al-Sharqiyah TV] , "Al-Sharqiyah", 2004-11-21, accessed on 2008-07-22] A few months earlier he had accused the US Army of "constantly attacking ambulances", saying that an ambulance driver had been killed in a September 2004 bombing aimed at Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/2004/09/34-160904.htm U.S. BOMBS AL-ZARQAWI HIDEOUT IN IRAQ] , "Radio Free Europe", 2004-09-16, accessed on 2008-07-22]

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