Latif Rashid
Encyclopedia
Doctor Abdul Latif Rashid (born 1944) is the Iraq
i Minister of Water Resources under the government
of Nouri al-Maliki
. He previously served as Minister of Water Resources under the Iraqi Transitional Government
and as Minister of Irrigation under the Iraqi Interim Government
. Dr Rashid was formerly a spokesperson for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
(PUK) in the United Kingdom
. He is a graduate of the University of Manchester
.
As Minister for Water Resources, Dr Rashid is responsible for a range of issues, including irrigation
, municipal and industrial water supply, hydropower
, flood control, and environmental requirements including marsh restoration. Since the removal of Saddam Hussein
's regime in April 2004 the Minister has overseen dramatic improvements in the management of the country’s water resources.
Dr Rashid is a Kurd
, born in 1944 in Sulaymaniyah
, and is an active member of the PUK under the leadership of Mr Jalal Talabani
. He has a B.Sc. (1968) in Civil Engineering from Liverpool University, and an M.Sc (1972) and Ph.D. (1976) in Engineering from Manchester University.
The Minister has been involved with a number of programs and organizations related to engineering, agriculture developments, Kurdish and Iraqi leaderships. He previously worked as senior Project Manager for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. He was a member of Executive Council of the Iraqi National Congress (INC) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s Representative in the UK since 1986 as well as spokesman for the Kurdistan Front.
Dr Rashid is a chartered engineer, a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineering and the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). He has been a freelance consultant for irrigation and drainage projects and worked with the Water Engineering Administration.
In 1992 Dr Rashid was elected Vice President and Executive Member of the Iraqi National Congress
(INC), and in 1998 he was elected to the six-member leadership of the INC.
Apart from technical qualifications and engagements Dr Rashid has taken an active part in both Kurdish and Iraqi politics. He has attended many conferences and official meetings on behalf of Kurdish political parties and Iraqi opposition groups during Saddam's regimes. Dr Rashid has also represented Kurdish politics and Iraqi opposition groups to Saddam in official meetings with various international institutions and governments.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Minister of Water Resources under the government
Government of Iraq from 2006
The current government of Iraq took office on May 20, 2006 following approval by the members of the Iraqi National Assembly. This followed the general election in December 2005...
of Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki , also known as Jawad al-Maliki or Abu Esraa, is the Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party. Al-Maliki and his government succeeded the Iraqi Transitional Government. He is currently in his second term as Prime Minister...
. He previously served as Minister of Water Resources under the Iraqi Transitional Government
Iraqi Transitional Government
The Iraqi Transitional Government was the government of Iraq from May 3rd, 2005, when it replaced the Iraqi Interim Government, until May 20th, 2006, when it was replaced by the first permanent government....
and as Minister of Irrigation under the Iraqi Interim Government
Iraqi Interim Government
The Iraqi Interim Government was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until the Iraqi Transitional Government was installed following the Iraqi National Assembly election conducted on January 30, 2005...
. Dr Rashid was formerly a spokesperson for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is a Kurdish political party in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan was founded on June 1, 1975, by coordinations between Jalal Talabani and Nawshirwan Mustafa...
(PUK) in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He is a graduate of the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
.
As Minister for Water Resources, Dr Rashid is responsible for a range of issues, including irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, municipal and industrial water supply, hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
, flood control, and environmental requirements including marsh restoration. Since the removal of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's regime in April 2004 the Minister has overseen dramatic improvements in the management of the country’s water resources.
Dr Rashid is a Kurd
Kürd
Kürd or Kyurd or Kyurt may refer to:*Kürd Eldarbəyli, Azerbaijan*Kürd Mahrızlı, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Goychay, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Jalilabad, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Qabala, Azerbaijan*Qurdbayram, Azerbaijan...
, born in 1944 in Sulaymaniyah
Sulaymaniyah
Sulaymaniyah is a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq. It is the capital of Sulaymaniyah Governorate. Sulaymaniyah is surrounded by the Azmar Range, Goizja Range and the Qaiwan Range in the north east, Baranan Mountain in the south and the Tasluje Hills in the west. The city has a semi-arid climate with...
, and is an active member of the PUK under the leadership of Mr Jalal Talabani
Jalal Talabani
Jalal Talabani is the sixth and current President of Iraq, a leading Kurdish politician. He is the first non-Arab president of Iraq, although Abdul Kareem Qasim was half Kurdish....
. He has a B.Sc. (1968) in Civil Engineering from Liverpool University, and an M.Sc (1972) and Ph.D. (1976) in Engineering from Manchester University.
The Minister has been involved with a number of programs and organizations related to engineering, agriculture developments, Kurdish and Iraqi leaderships. He previously worked as senior Project Manager for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. He was a member of Executive Council of the Iraqi National Congress (INC) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s Representative in the UK since 1986 as well as spokesman for the Kurdistan Front.
Dr Rashid is a chartered engineer, a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineering and the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). He has been a freelance consultant for irrigation and drainage projects and worked with the Water Engineering Administration.
In 1992 Dr Rashid was elected Vice President and Executive Member of the Iraqi National Congress
Iraqi National Congress
The Iraqi National Congress is an umbrella Iraqi opposition group led by Ahmed Chalabi. It was formed with the aid and direction of the United States government following the Gulf War, for the purpose of fomenting the overthrow of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.-History:INC was set up following the...
(INC), and in 1998 he was elected to the six-member leadership of the INC.
Apart from technical qualifications and engagements Dr Rashid has taken an active part in both Kurdish and Iraqi politics. He has attended many conferences and official meetings on behalf of Kurdish political parties and Iraqi opposition groups during Saddam's regimes. Dr Rashid has also represented Kurdish politics and Iraqi opposition groups to Saddam in official meetings with various international institutions and governments.