20 Facts About Ibrahim al-Jaafari

Ibrahim Abdul Karim al-Eshaiker, better known as Ibrahim al-Jaafari, is an Iraqi politician who was Prime Minister of Iraq in the Iraqi Transitional Government from 2005 to 2006, following the January 2005 election.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2018.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari was one of the two Vice Presidents of Iraq under the Iraqi Interim Government from 2004 to 2005, and he was the main spokesman for the Islamic Dawa Party.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari withdrew his nomination for premiership for the permanent government.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari was born in Karbala to Shia parents Abd al-Karim al-Eshaiker and Rahmah al-Eshaiker on March 25,1947.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari moved with his family to Iran where he lived and worked with the Islamic Revolution Council of Iraq, an Iran backed Iraqi opposition until 1989.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari then moved to London where he continued his political activities by eventually heading the Dawa Islamic Party.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari left for Iran in 1980 and became involved in the movement against Saddam Hussein there as part of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq where he represented the Islamic Dawa Party.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari adopted the name al-Jaafari in exile to protect his family in Iraq from retribution by Saddam.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari moved to London in 1989 where he became the al-Dawa spokesman in the UK and an important participant in the wider anti-Saddam movement.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq but returned to Iraq soon after.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari was picked in July 2003 as member of the US-backed Iraqi Governing Council, and served as its first chairman and Iraq's first post-Saddam interim President for one month.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari brought al-Dawa into the United Iraqi Alliance coalition of Shi'ite parties and was second on the party's list after SCIRI leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari was designated as Prime Minister on 7 April 2005, following the election of a Presidency Council the day before.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari's win was credited to the support of Muqtada Al Sadr's members of UIA, who all voted for him.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari was succeeded by al-Maliki as Dawa Party secretary-general in May 2007.

In May 2008, Ibrahim al-Jaafari launched a new political party called the National Reform Trend.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari was formally expelled from the Dawa party as a consequence, and his new party was widely seen as a vehicle for an attempt at regaining power.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs by newly-elect Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on 8 September 2014.

In February 2018, Ibrahim al-Jaafari condemned the Turkish invasion of northern Syria aimed at ousting US-backed Syrian Kurds from the enclave of Afrin.