Wissam S. Al-Hashimi

Dr. Wissam S. al-Hashimi (1942–2005)

He returned to Baghdad and held a number of positions in the Iraqi government, the Iraqi National Oil Company, and the Iraq Ministry of Oil. He was appointed the head of the Arab Geologist Association's advisory committee from 1975, just after this was formed, until 1998. He was elected as secretary general 1973 and president 2001 of the Geological Society of Iraq. He was elected to the Council of the International Association of Sedimentologists, serving from 1982 to 1990. He was elected as vice-president of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in 1996.

Wissam al-Hashimi wrote many scientific papers, in both Arabic and English, on carbonate sedimentology and diagenesis, petrology, mineralogy, geoarchaeology, engineering geology, underground storage, industrial rocks and minerals, and hydrology. He regularly wrote analytical articles which were published in Iraqi newspapers covering various political, oil and water issues in the Middle East and the Arab world.

Circumstances of death According to Wissam al-Hashimi's daughter Tara, He was kidnapped early in the morning on August 15, 2005 while going to work, his recent papers were stolen. A ransom was given but unfortunately, he was twice in the head and died. ... As his ID was taken from him it took us about 2 weeks to find his body in one of Baghdad's hospitals.