Iraq’s Al-Hakim, Head of Largest Shiite Party, Dies

[sabra]

Source: Bloomberg

Aug. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, who as leader of Iraq’s largest Shiite Muslim political party helped shape the country after Saddam Hussein was toppled, has died of lung cancer.

Al-Hakim died today in a hospital in Tehran, his son-in- law, Zargham Hosseini, who was al-Hakim’s secretary, said in a telephone interview from the Iranian capital.

The cleric was diagnosed with the disease in 2007 and had been hospitalized in Houston and Tehran for treatment. He was admitted to the Iranian hospital on Aug. 22 after his health deteriorated, according to a statement on his party’s Web site.

State-owned al-Iraqiya television interrupted its broadcast to announce al-Hakim’s death, saying he was “huge symbol” of the new Iraq. He was born in 1950, the Iraqi Embassy in London said.

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