Adnan Khairallah

Khairallah, a cousin and close ally of Saddam Hussein, was appointed Minister of Defense. He oversaw the modernization of the Iraqi military, including the acquisition of advanced Soviet weaponry, and became a key figure in the regime.

As Defense Minister, Khairallah played a central role in planning and executing Iraq's military strategy during the Iran-Iraq War. He was responsible for logistics and troop deployments, but the war ended in a stalemate after eight years.

Khairallah died when his helicopter crashed in northern Iraq. The cause was officially attributed to bad weather, but rumors of sabotage circulated. His death removed a key military figure from Saddam's inner circle.