Maamoon Sami Rasheed al-Alwani

Infobox Governor
honorific-prefix = Governor
name = Maamoon Sami Rasheed al-Alwani
honorific-suffix =


caption = Maj. Gen. John Kelly and Gov. Maamoon Sami Rasheed al-Alwani sign provincial Iraqi control documents on Sep. 1, 2008.
order =
office = Governor of Anbar
term_start = May 2005
term_end =
lieutenant =
predecessor = Raja Nawaf Farhan al-Mahalawi [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/11/world/middleeast/11ramadi.html Stubborn Man Tries to Govern in Violent Iraq - New York Times ] ]
successor =
birth_date = 1957
birth_place =
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = Iraqi
spouse =
party = Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP)
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater =
occupation = Politician
profession = Structural Engineer [http://www.americaandtheworld.com/assets/pdfs/Wasta.pdf Anbar Governor Vows To Keep Up Fight ] ]
religion = Sunni Islam


website =
footnotes =
appointed = Anbar Provincial Council (PC)

Maamoon Sami Rasheed al-Alwani is the current governor of Iraq's Al Anbar province, having been appointed by the Anbar Provincial Council (PC) in May 2005. He is a member of the Abu Alwani clan, part of the Dulaim tribe. [ [http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/story.asp?STORY_ID=1420 Proceedings Story - U.S. Naval Institute ] ] His name was found along with the names of other prominent Iraqi Sunni leaders who had been targeted for assassination in a captured al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) document. [ [http://gabriellecusumano.blogtownhall.com/2006/10 Townhall.com - Gabrielle Cusumano ] ]

Insurgents kidnapped Governor Alwani's son on September 6, 2005, but he was later safely returned. [ [http://www.hri.org/news/balkans/rferl/2005/05-09-08.rferl.html RFE/RL Newsline, 05-09-08 ] ] [ [http://counterterrorismblog.org/2006/05/ Counterterrorism Blog: May 2006 Archives ] ] Similarly, in March 2007, two of Governor Alwani's nieces were killed in improvised explosive device (IED) attacks.

In late October 2007, Governor Alwani was part of a delegation of Anbari government and tribal officials that travelled to the United States to drum up support for reconstruction efforts in the province upon an official invitation from the US Department of State. [ [http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/23380 Anbar delegation heads to U.S. for support | Iraq Updates ] ] The following month, Governor Alwani had expressed to reporters that his primary concern was that a sectarian-divided Iraq would inspire meddling from Iran and other neighboring countries. He also invited private investors from the US to help develop Anbar's oil and natural reserves, located in the southern Akaz region. [ [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/02/iraq/main3448153.shtml Anbar Officials Ask For More Support, Province Asks U.S. For Money To Rebuild, Help Expanding Police And U.S. Oil Investment - CBS News ] ]

Assassination Attempts

Governor Alwani has survived at least 31 assassination attempts since assuming office in May 2005. [ [http://www.theeagle.com/story/Iraqi_officials_looking_to_A_amp_M_for_help Bryan/College Station Eagle - [var content_section ] ]

On August 18, 2005, insurgents opened fire on the governor and a group of prominent Sunni Muslim clerics as they were meeting in Ramadi. Witnesses said Governor Alwani was holding talks with members of the Muslim Clerics Association in Ramadi's main Al Dawla al-Kabeer mosque when the gunmen opened fire. The governor and the head of the Muslim Clerics Association in Ramadi, Thamir al-Dulaimi, escaped injury but Dhahir al-Obeidi, head of the Sunni Endowment organisation, was wounded along with his deputy. [ [http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1709493 Gunmen attack Iraq's Anbar governor, clerics - Democratic Underground ] ]

In early-May 2006, Governor Alwani escaped with minor wounds when a bomb exploded near his convoy. The bomb exploded as he was travelling to his office in Ramadi. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2006/05/mil-060502-voa04.htm Iraqi Governor Escapes Roadside Bombing, 3 Bodyguards Dead ] ]

On Christmas Day 2007, several mortar rounds slammed into the Governor's office at the Government Center in downtown Ramadi.

ee Also

*Al Anbar Governorate
*Provincial Government (Anbar)
*Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP)

References