Saleh Ali al-Sammad (Arabic: صالح علي الصماد; 1 January 1979 – 19 April 2018[3]) was a Yemeni political figure from the Houthi movement who served as the chairman of Yemen's Supreme Political Council and the de facto President of Yemen until his assassination.
Saleh Ali al-Sammad | |
|---|---|
صالح علي الصماد | |
.png) Al-Sammad in 2018 | |
| Chairman of the Supreme Political Council of Yemen* | |
| In office 15 August 2016 – 19 April 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Talal Aklan (Acting) Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour |
| Deputy | Qassem Labozah |
| Preceded by | Mohammed Ali al-Houthi (as President of the Revolutionary Committee) |
| Succeeded by | Mahdi al-Mashat |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 January 1979 Bani Ma'az, Sahar District, North Yemen (now Yemen) |
| Died | 19 April 2018 (aged 39)[1] Al Hudaydah Governorate, Yemen |
| Cause of death | LJ-7 missile[2] |
| Alma mater | Sanaa University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Houthi movement |
| Battles/wars | Houthi insurgency in Yemen Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) |
| *Sammad's term was disputed by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. | |
On April 23, 2018, Houthi officials announced al-Sammad was killed in a Saudi-led coalition drone airstrike.[4][5]
Political career
editSaleh Ali al-Sammad was born in Bani Ma'az in Yemen's Sahar District on 1 January 1979.[6]
He was appointed in September 2014 to serve as a political adviser to President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.[7]
Al-Sammad struck a conciliatory posture during and after the 2014–15 coup. In November 2014, after the Houthis withdrew from Yemen's "unity government", he expressed support for most of Hadi's cabinet choices, including Prime Minister Khaled Bahah.[7]
As of February 2015, after the Houthi takeover of the government, he was described as "the senior Houthi leader in Sana'a".[8]
In February 2015, al-Sammad said the Houthis hoped for normal relations with the United States and other countries and suggested that the group was interested in sharing power with other political factions, potentially including members of the deposed House of Representatives in a new, 551-member parliament.[8]
On 6 August 2016, al-Sammad became head of the Supreme Political Council.[9] He was sworn in on 14 August.[10]
On 15 August 2016, the Supreme Revolutionary Committee handed power to the Supreme Political Council.[11]
Death
editOn 23 April 2018, Al-Samad was killed by a Saudi-led coalition drone strike, making him the most senior Houthi casualty. The weapon was a LJ-7 or AKD-10 air-to-surface missile, possibly fired from a Wing Loong II UCAV.[12]
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the top leader of the Houthi movement, stated that "the forces of aggression, led by America and Saudi Arabia, bear the legal responsibility for this crime and all its consequences."[13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ الجزيرة - عاجل [@AJABreaking] (23 April 2018). "عاجل | جماعة الحوثي تعلن مقتل صالح الصماد رئيس المجلس السياسي التابع للحوثيين" (Tweet) (in Arabic). Retrieved 24 April 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ Watling, Rawan Shaif, Jack (27 April 2018). "How the UAE's Chinese-Made Drone Is Changing the War in Yemen".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Houthi political chief Saleh al-Sammad killed in Saudi air raids". Al Jazeera. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ "Yemen war: Houthi political leader 'killed in air raid'". BBC. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ "قناة العربية: مقتل القيادي الحوثي صالح الصماد في غارة جوية للتحالف". kuna.net.kw (in Arabic). Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ "Biography of political leader of the Supreme Council, "Saleh Al-samad"". Yemen Press. Archived from the original on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Yemen's Houthi group endorse new government: presidential aide". Reuters. 13 November 2014. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ a b "U.S. Embassy Shuts in Yemen, Even as Militant Leader Reaches Out". The New York Times. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ "Political Council formed, al-Sammad President". Saba.ye. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ "SPC sworn on". Saba News. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ "SRC hands over authority to SPC". Saba News. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ "How the UAE's Chinese-Made Drone Is Changing the War in Yemen". Foreign Policy. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
- ^ Rashad, Marwa. "Saudi-led air strike kills top Houthi official in Yemen". U.S. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
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