Hussein Ali al-Shaalan

Sheikh Hussein Ali al-Shaalan (died 25 June 2007) was an Iraqi politician and tribal leader. A Shiite Arab from Diwaniya, he was elected to the Council of Representatives of Iraq in the Iraqi legislative election of December 2005 from the Iraqi National List coalition.

Exile

He left Iraq in 1991 after the failure of the 1991 uprisings and was granted asylum in Britain. [http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1230/p01s03-woiq.html A scholarly soldier steps inside the world of Iraq's potent tribes] , "Christian Science Monitor", 2003-12-30, accessed on 2007-10-06] In 2000 he was involved in the formation of the Democratic Centrist Tendency opposition group, and was part of the Follow-Up and Arrangement Committee alliance of opposition groups that was formed in 2003.

Return to Iraq

He returned to Iraq following the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and became the leader of the 200,000-member Khaza'il tribe and the Iraqi National Council of Tribes which represents 150 tribes. [ [http://www.debka-net-weekly.com/issue.pl?username=&inumber=160 More wheels within wheels] , "Debka", 2004-06-04, accessed on 2007-10-06] He was considered an ally of Iyad Allawi. His cousin, Hazim al-Shaalan, was an ally of Ahmad Chalabi and the Defense Minister from 2004-5 in the Iraqi Interim Government.

He was elected to the Council of Representatives of Iraq in January 2005 as part of the Iraqi List and in December 2005 as part of the Iraqi National List.

Death

al-Shaalan was killed on 25 June 2007 along with five other tribal leaders when a bomb exploded in the Mansour Hotel in Baghdad. The leaders, who crossed the sectarian divide, were discussing how to bring security to al-Anbar Governorate. [ [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IF28Ak01.html A deadly blow for Iraqi reconciliation] , "Asia Times", 2007-06-28] [ [http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2007/June/focusoniraq_June121.xml&section=focusoniraq Baghdad hotel bombed as dozens killed in Iraq] , "Khaleej Times", 2007-06-25, accessed on 2007-10-06]

References