Colonel General Ayad Futayyih Al-Rawi | |
|---|---|
إياد فتيح الراوي | |
 | |
| Chief of the General Staff of the Army and the Armed Forces | |
| In office 1991–1995 | |
| Preceded by | Hussein Rashid |
| Succeeded by | Sultan Hashim |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1942 Rawa,Kingdom of Iraq |
| Died | 18 May 2018(2018-05-18) (aged 76) Baghdad,Iraq |
| Awards | Order of the Two Rivers(First Class) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Iraq |
| Branch/service | Iraqi Army |
| Years of service | 1965–2003 |
| Rank |  Colonel general |
| Unit | Republican Guard Jerusalem Army |
| Commands | Jerusalem Army Chief of Staff |
| Battles/wars | |
Colonel GeneralIyad Futayyih Al-Rawi (Arabic:إياد فتيح الراوي,romanized: ʾIyād Futayyiḥ; 1942 – 18 May 2018; also spelledAyad Futayyih) was an Iraqi Army officer duringSaddam Hussein's rule. He later served as the head of theJerusalem Army. He started his service in theIraqi Army as an officer in an armoured unit,[1] later fighting in theIran–Iraq War, receiving numerous medals and suffering a severe head wound whilst leading an Iraqi counterattack against an Iranian offensive. In all, Futayyih was awarded 27 medals during the Iran–Iraq War. He was perceived to be a staunch Saddam loyalist.[2]
Futayyih was born inRawa in 1942,[3][4] and died of astroke inBaghdad on May 18, 2018.[5][6]
He served as commander of the Republican Guard forces at theSecond Battle of al-Faw, which comprised some 60% of the forces deployed.[7]
During his interview with theIraqi Perspectives Project, he was named byGeneral Hamdani as one of the few first-rate commanders.[8] Hamdani lists one of the few reasons whyHussein Kamel's attempts to improve the quality of the Republican Guard during the Iran-Iraq War was successful was that he listened to Futayyih.[9]
Futayyih went on to serve as Governor of bothBaghdad andTa'mim Governorates.[3]
He later became the Chief of Staff of the Al Quds Volunteer Army, a paramilitary force created in early 2001 in response to the beginning of theSecond Intifada. The force's objective was seemingly to defeat Israel and liberate Palestine and Jerusalem, and the force was declared to be composed of some 21 divisions and 7 million Iraqis, although in reality the force was small, ineffective and largely a propaganda stunt to show support for the Palestinians.[10]
Prior to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, Futayyih was on a list of sanctioned individuals.[3]
Futayyih was arrested on 4 June 2003, following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. He was no. 30 of Central CommandsTop 55 list, appearing as the seven of clubs in theMost-wanted Iraqi playing cards.[11] Despite its claimed size, the Al Quds Army ended up playing virtually no role in the war.[12]
In 2008 Futayyih received a life sentence for war crimes committed in the suppression of the 1991 uprisings in Iraq.[13] He died in 2018 in prison.