Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf

Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf was a vice president of Iraq from 1975 to 2003. He was born into a prominent family in Kurd-dominated northern Iraq in 1924, Marouf joined the Baath Party in 1968 and held several ministerial posts.

Political life

Marouf was an ethnic Kurd in Saddam Hussein's Baath Party hierarchy, but the Kurdish community viewed his appointment as a mere "gesture", believing that he had little real power. However, he did serve as ambassador to Italy, Malta and Albania [http://www.cbsnews.com/elements/2003/02/25/in_depth_world/whoswho541986_0_10_person.shtml] .

It was announced [http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-08-21-mostwanted-list_x.htm] that Marouf was taken into custody on Friday, May 2, 2003. He had been captured with two other Saddam deputies Abdel Tawab Mullah Huweish, director of the Office of Military Industrialization and a deputy prime minister in charge of arms procurement, and Mizban Khadr Hadi commander of one of four military regions Saddam established on the eve of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Trivia

Marouf was #24 (initially #42) on the U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis. He was represented by the nine of diamonds in the Most-wanted Iraqi playing cards.