Ridha Jawad Taqi

Rida Jawad Taqi is an Iraqi politician and a member of the Council of Representatives of Iraq for the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council.

He was elected to the Council in December 2005 as part of the United Iraqi Alliance coalition.

Taqi is from Karbala and trained as a Chemical Engineer. He spent some of his exile in London. [ [http://middleeastreference.org.uk/iraqiopposition.html#ito Iraq's major political groupings] , "Glen Rangwala", accessed on 2007-09-25]

In December 2002 he was elected to the Follow-Up and Arrangement Committee which grouped Iraqi opposition exiles opposed to the government of President Saddam Hussein. He was listed as a representative of the Islamic Action Organisation, which later joined the United Iraqi Alliance coalition in the Iraqi legislative election of January 2005.

In September 2004 he was active in the negotiations that brought together the various Shi'ite Islamist parties into the United Iraqi Alliance. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/2004/09/iraq-040920-rferl02.htm Analysis: Iraqi Political Groups Take Steps To Organize] , "Radio Free Europe", 2004-09-01, accessed on 2007-09-24]

In March 2005 he condemned the government of neighbouring Syria for "destabilizing the security in Iraq ... embraced leading figures of the previous regime ... it has provided terrorists with financial and logistical support" He also called for the security forces to be cleared of officers affiliated with the former regime. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/2005/03/9-140305.htm RADIO FREE IRAQ INTERVIEWS UNITED IRAQI ALLIANCE MEMBER] , "Radio Free Europe", 2005-03-10, accessed on 2007-09-24]

In August 2005 he was reported as the head of political relations of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, and was quoted strongly supporting the creation of the Region of Iraq in the south. [ [http://www.redorbit.com/news/international/206079/iraqi_shii_sunni_figures_differ_on_call_for_shii_federal/ Iraqi Shi'i, Sunni Figures Differ on Call for Shi'i Federal Region] , "BBC Monitoring",
2005-08-12, accessed on 2007-09-24]

In August 2007, it was reported that Jawd Taqi's son, Amir Taqi, had been arrested by Saudi police whilst on pilgrimage to Mecca and tortured. [ [http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/20537 Shiite pilgrims demand torture inquiry] , "Associated Press", 2007-08-12, accessed on 2007-09-25]

References

"See also the references listed in the linked articles"