Fawzi Mutlaq al-Rawi ( ar, فوزي مطلق الراوي, 1940 – 28 June 2021), also known as Fawzi Isma'il al-Husayni al-Rawi, Abu Akram, or Abu Firas, was allegedly, according to the US, the leader of the Syrian led Ba'athist movement in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
.
Early life
Fawzi Mutlaq al-Rawi was born in 1940 in
Falluja in the governorate of
Dulaim
Dulaim or Dulaimi or Al Duliam or Dulaym ( ar, الدليم) is an Arab royal tribe, with over seven million members. The tribe's history goes back to pre-Islamic times and members reside today in Iraq and neighboring countries such as Syria, ...
,
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
.
[
]
Iraq War
According to the US Treasury, Rawi was appointed to his position as Chairman of the Iraqi branch of the Syrian led Ba'ath movement by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...
in 2003. In 2006 Rawi was number 13 of the Iraqi government's 41 most wanted, accused of funding and leading terrorist operations in Anbar province.
In late 2007 the US Treasury designated Rawi on the accusation of providing financial and material support to al-Qaeda in Iraq. The US Treasury Department also accused Rawi of being supported by the Syrian government and having close ties to Syrian intelligence agencies. Rawi was accused of having twice met with a former commander of the Ba'athist militant group Jaysh Muhammad
Jeish Muhammad ( ar, جيش محمد الفاتح Jaish Muḥammad al-Fātiḥ, translation: ''Army of Muhammad the Conqueror''; JM) is an Iraqi Iraqi insurgency (Iraq War), militant group that is both politically and religiously motivated. The p ...
in 2004, and having told the commander that the group would receive material support from the Syrian government. According to the US Treasury Rawi in 2005 helped transfer $300,000 to members of al-Qaeda in Iraq, alongside vehicle borne IED's, rifles, and suicide bombers. Rawi also allegedly discussed operational issues with representatives of the al-Qaeda leadership in Iraq, such as attacks against the US Embassy and within the Green Zone
The Green Zone ( ar, المنطقة الخضراء, translit=al-minṭaqah al-ḫaḍrā) is the most common name for the International Zone of Baghdad. It was a area in the Karkh district of central Baghdad, Iraq, that was the governmental ...
. However, these allegations were never confirmed and Rawi hasn't been heard from since the Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
.
In a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nour al-Maliki in January 2009, David Petraeus
David Howell Petraeus (; born November 7, 1952) is a retired United States Army general and public official. He served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from September 6, 2011, until his resignation on November 9, 2012. Prior to h ...
, Commander of United States Central Command, called Rawi one of the more dangerous members of the insurgency linked with the former Ba'athist government, although also downplayed the risk posed by such groups when compared to that posed by al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Despite claims by the US Treasury that Rawi was the leader of the Syrian led Ba'athist movement in Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, the UN as well as Al-Sabah reported that Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed
Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed al-Muwali ( ar, محمد يونس الأحمد) aka Khadr al-Sabahi is a former senior member of the Iraqi Ba'ath Party. Ahmed currently has a million dollar bounty placed on his head as one of Iraq's most wanted men acc ...
was elected to lead the party in Syria. Rawi is never mentioned in either report.
According to the U.S. as of 2010, Rawi was allegedly believed to be living in a Syrian government-owned apartment in the Mezzeh
Mezzeh ( ar, ٱلْمَزَّة, al-Mazzah, also transcribed as al-Mazzah, el-Mezze, etc.) is a municipality in Damascus, Syria, due west of Kafr Sousa. It lies to the southwest of central Damascus, along the Mezzeh highway (also known as Fayez M ...
neighborhood of Damascus, and working out of the Syrian Ba'ath Party Command Building in the al-Halbuni District of the city.[
Rawi died in Damascus on 28 June 2021.]
See also
*List of fugitives from justice who disappeared
This is a list of fugitives from justice, notable people who disappeared or evaded capture while being sought by law enforcement agencies in connection with a crime, and who are currently sought or were sought for the duration of their presume ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rawi, Fawzi Mutlaq al-
1940 births
2021 deaths
Fugitives
Members of the Regional Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region
People from Al Anbar Governorate
People of the Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)