Tariq Aziz served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq from 1979 to 2003, functioning as a primary diplomatic representative for the government of Saddam Hussein. As the only Christian official within the upper echelons of the Ba'athist administration, he navigated the complex geopolitical environment of the Middle East during the Cold War and subsequent regional conflicts.
Early Career and Party Rise
Born in 1936 at Tel Keppe, Aziz pursued studies in English at the University of Baghdad. Before entering formal government service, he worked as a journalist and rose through the ranks of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, which he joined in 1957. During the 1960s, he edited the party newspapers Al-Jamahir and Al-Thawra. His political trajectory accelerated after the Ba'ath party secured power in 1968, leading to his membership in the Revolutionary Command Council and the Regional Command of the Iraqi branch of the party.
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Aziz held the position of Minister of Information between 1974 and 1977 before serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Iraq from 1983 until 1991. Given that Saddam Hussein maintained limited travel outside Iraq due to security concerns, Aziz acted as the face of the nation at various international summits. He frequently managed foreign policy during a period marked by Iraq's strategic balancing of relations between European powers, the Soviet Union, and the United States.
Legal Proceedings and Final Years
Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Aziz surrendered to American forces on 24 April 2003 and was held at Camp Cropper. He faced multiple legal charges, eventually receiving a 15-year sentence for the 1992 execution of merchants and an additional seven-year term for the relocation of Kurds. In 2010, the Iraqi High Tribunal issued a death sentence, which was later commuted to indefinite imprisonment by President Jalal Talabani. Aziz died of a heart attack in Nasiriyah on 5 June 2015, at age 79, and was buried in the Madaba Governorate.
Fast facts
- Born: 1936, Tel Keppe
- Died: 2015, Nasiriyah
- Citizenship: Iraq
- Education: University of Baghdad
- Deputy Prime Minister: 1979-2003
- Foreign Minister: 1983-1991
- Religion: Chaldean Catholic Church
- Burial Place: Madaba Governorate
Questions readers ask
What was Tariq Aziz's religious background?
Why was his death sentence commuted?
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani refused to sign the execution order, which effectively commuted his 2010 death sentence to a term of indefinite imprisonment.
Achievements
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq (1983–1991)
- deputy prime minister (1979–2003)
- Educated at University of Baghdad
