17 Facts About Adnan Khairallah

Adnan Khairallah was Saddam Hussein's brother-in-law and cousin.

Adnan Khairallah held several titles and was a member of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council.

Adnan Khairallah served as the Defence Minister of Iraq from 1979 until his death, being appointed days after Saddam Hussein succeeded to the Presidency.

Adnan Khairallah died in 1989 in a helicopter crash that was officially labeled an accident.

The circumstances surrounding his death, including his disputes with Saddam and rumors of a potential coup, have led some to believe Adnan was assassinated under orders from Saddam.

Adnan Khairallah's father was the maternal uncle of Saddam Hussein, who would later marry Adnan's sister, Sajida.

Adnan Khairallah attended the Baghdad Military College and the Staff College, and later graduated with a degree from the Baghdad University School of Law and Politics in 1975.

Adnan Khairallah joined the Iraqi branch of the Ba'ath Party in 1956.

Adnan Khairallah was arrested in 1959 following an unsuccessful attempt by the party to assassinate then-Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim.

In 1977, Adnan Khairallah was appointed as the new Minister of Defence, taking over from Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, then Iraqi President and Secretary of the Iraqi Regional Command of the Ba'ath Party.

Adnan Khairallah was appointed Minister of State, and held membership ini both the Ba'ath Party Regional Command and the Revolutionary Command Council, the primary decision-making body in Iraq.

Adnan Khairallah then disappeared from public view, amid reports of unrest in the army, a potential coup, and the arrest of several military officers, prompting speculation of the involvement of Adnan Khairallah in a coup attempt against Saddam.

Adnan Khairallah later resurfaced in early 1989 when video footage was released showing Adnan Khairallah, Sajida, and Saddam on a fishing holiday near Basra.

On 7 May 1989, Saddam Hussein announced that Adnan Khairallah had died three days earlier in a helicopter crash.

Adnan Khairallah had been travelling by helicopter from Baghdad to Kurdish region of Iraq to inspect army positions when he had his flight diverted to meet several members of the Presidential family in the mountain resort of Sarsang, near Dohuk.

Baghdad Radio announced that Adnan Khairallah would be given a state funeral and buried in his hometown of Tikrit.

Reevaluation of Adnan Khairallah's actions led to the removal of his statue in 2009.