View source for Salah Al-Sadr

{{Icons|Start|Altverse II}}
{{Infobox royalty
|name        = Salah bin Jaber Al-Sadr
|native_lang1 = [[Arabic]]
|native_lang1_name1 =صلاح بن جابر الصدر 
|image       = [[File:Moqtada Sadr.jpg|180px]]
|caption     = The King in 2017
|succession  = [[King of Iraq]]
|reign       = 5 December 2002 – present
|coronation  = 14 December 2002
|predecessor = [[Mubarak Al-Sadr]]
|suc-type    = Heir apparent
|successor   = [[Faisal Al-Sadr]]
|reg-type    = {{nowrap|[[Prime Minister of Iraq|Prime Minister]]}}
|regent      = [[Khalifa al-Khadimi]]<br />[[Hamad al-Matrook]]<br />[[Farouk al-Fayyadh]]
|spouse      = {{marriage|Sabika bint Ibrahim|1996}}
|issue-link  = #Personal life
|issue       = [[Nasser Al-Sadr]]
|house       = [[House of Al Sadr|Al Sadr]]
|father      = [[Jaber Al-Sadr]]
|mother      = Hessa bint Salman
|birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1974|10|28|df=y}}
|birth_place = {{W|Karkh}}, {{W|Baghdad}}, Iraq
|death_date  = 
|death_place = 
|religion    = {{W|Shia Islam}}
|module      = {{Infobox military person
|embed=yes
|allegiance  = {{flag|Iraq}}
|branch      = [[File:Flag of the Multi-National Force – Iraq.svg|23px|border]] [[Iraqi National Guard]]
|rank        = Field Marshal<br />Admiral of the Fleet<br />Marshal of the Air Force
}}
}}
'''Salah bin Jaber Al-Sadr''' ({{W|Arabic language|Arabic}}: صلاح بن جابر الصدر, born 28 October 1974) is the [[Monarchy of Iraq|King of Iraq]] and Supreme Commander of the [[Royal Iraqi Armed Forces]]. He has been the monarch of [[Iraq]] since 5 December 2002, and is the grandson of the previous king, [[Mubarak Al-Sadr]]. Salah was appointed as the crown prince in the place of the older [[Ateyatalla Al-Sadr]] because of his younger age and also due to Ateyatalla's role in suppressing the [[1990s uprising in Iraq]], as part of a new constitutional arrangement created in 2001. The country has been ruled by the [[House of Al Sadr|Al Sadr dynasty]] since it became independent in 1922.

Since taking the throne in 2002, he has been seen as a reformer by some and as a reactionary by others. King Salah introduced reforms to create a limited parliamentary monarchy, but these have been criticized as being too little and superficial, as a way of placating the [[Iraqi opposition]] and delaying real change. As the king he still enjoys near-absolute power over the government.

==Early life and education==
Salah bin Jaber Al-Sadr was born on 28 October 1974 in the {{W|Karkh}} district of western {{W|Baghdad}}, [[Iraq]]. His parents were Prince [[Jaber Al-Sadr]], a son of King [[Mubarak Al-Sadr]], and Hessa bint Salman Al-Sadr.

After attending secondary school in Baghdad, he was sent to [[Sierra]] to continue his education. Salah was a student at the [[University of Sierra]], where he studied economics, and later took military training, with courses at [[The Presidio, The Military College of San Francisco]], which he graduated in August 1992. Later, in June 1997, he graduated from the higher general staff courses at [[Pendleton Military Academy]] with a degree in leadership after one year.

==Rise to power==
Upon returning to Iraq in 1992 he was commissioned as an officer in the [[Iraqi National Guard]]. Salah personally chose to join the National Guard instead of the more traditional Royal Guard, as was custom for Iraqi princes. In February 1995 he was appointed as the Commander of the National Guard. The institution had developed into a personal force loyal to the Iraqi monarchy outside of the normal military command structure, and during his tenure as its commander, Salah increased the size by incorporating conscripts and local militias into the Guard structure. This way he was able to turn the National Guard into more of a truly national force. The prince also served as the Minister of Defense from 1998 to 2001, while still in his twenties.

During the [[1990s uprising in Iraq]], Salah Al-Sadr was unique among the Iraqi royal family in that he opposed using force against the protestors, believing that "the people have the right to voice their opinion". Even though the prince was opposed to many of the anti-monarchist, Sunni, and leftist demonstrators, he thought that too much suppression could lead to the collapse of the monarchy. Salah favored giving the protestors some token concessions to placate them, but not compromise on the power of the king. For this reason, and also due to his young age (being in his twenties at the time), Salah was appointed as Crown Prince of Iraq in early 2001 by his grandfather, King Mubarak Al-Sadr.

During the pivotal year 2001–2002, the Crown Prince played an important role in creating the new [[constitution of Iraq]], the National Action Charter, which envisioned a moderate {{W|parliament}}ary {{W|democracy}} to be created in Iraq. In practice, however, the King would still enjoy immense power over the political system. Still, the new constitution stabilized the country during the 2000s decade and prevented any further violence. For this reason, Salah was initially seen as a reformer when he became the King of Iraq upon the death of his grandfather in December 2002. 

==Reign==
On the death of his father Mubarak, Salah Al-Sadr became the King of Iraq on 5 December 2002. During his early reign as king he brought further political reforms to Iraq, including the release of many political prisoners and dissidents, the abolition of the draconian state security laws, and reintroduction of democratic elections for a national parliament – which consists of an elected Chamber of Deputies and an appointed Senate. Still, despite these reforms, Salah still has near-absolute control over the system, including the power to appoint the [[Prime Minister of Iraq|prime minister]], dissolving the parliament, commanding the army, and chairing the Judicial Council of State. Iraq's first democratic [[2003 Iraqi legislative election|legislative election]] was held in March 2003.

===Political turmoil===

===Foreign policy===
====Good relations with the Sierran court====
{{Main|Iraq–Sierra relations}}
====Involvement in the Syrian Civil War====
{{Main|Iraq–Syria relations|Syrian Civil War}}
Salah supported the [[2004 invasion of Syria|Anglo-American invasion]] of Syria in 2004 which lead to the collapse of the [[Democratic Arab Socialist Union]] and the formal dissolution of the [[Syrian Arab Republic]] providing military assitance to the invading Anglo-American forces while also hosting the [[Free Syrian Army]], the military wing of the [[Free Syrian Council]], and aiding its operations against the [[Syrian National Army|Syrian Arab Army]] during the invasion. Following the creation of the [[Syria|Republic of Syria]], Al-Sadr would recognize it and seek to establish warm diplomatic relations as a means of ensuring a peaceful and cooperative neighbor and to prevent the return of the Ba'athist regime to power in the country. Iraqi military personnel has made up a large contingent of the [[International Security Assistance Force]] (ISAF) since its creation and have been involved in numerous combat operations against the [[Syrian opposition]] in support of [[Syrian Armed Forces|government forces]]. 
==Personal life==

==Titles and styles==
{{Infobox monarch styles
|royal name = The King of Iraq
|image = [[File:Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Iraq.svg|50px]]
|dipstyle = {{W|Majesty|His Majesty}}
|offstyle = Your Majesty
}}
*28 January 1974 – 14 April 2001: ''His Excellency'' Sheikh Salah bin Jaber Al-Sadr
*14 April 2001 – 5 December 2002: ''His Highness'' Sheikh Salah bin Jaber Al-Sadr, Crown Prince of Iraq
*5 December 2002 – present: ''His Majesty'' King Salah bin Jaber Al-Sadr, King of Iraq

==See also==
{{Sovereigns of monarchies}} 

[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:Living people]] 
[[Category:Iraqi politicians]]
[[Category:Iraqi royalty]]
[[Category:Kings of Iraq]]
[[Category:Shia monarchs]]
[[Category:Iraqi Shia Muslims]] 
[[Category:Iraqi anti-Landonists]]
[[Category:Iraqi anti-communists]]