Mohammad Al-Abbasi

Brigadier General Mohammad Daoud Al-Abbasi known as Al-Za’eem Mohammad Daoud (الزعيم محمد داود; born 11 July 1914 – died 19 January 1972), was appointed Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the military government[1][2] in Jordan during the events of Black September in Jordan in 1970.

Mohammad Daoud Al-Abbasi
45th Prime Minister of Jordan
In office 16 September 1970 – 26 September 1970
Monarch	King Hussein
Preceded by	Abdelmunim al-Rifai
Succeeded by	Ahmad Toukan
Personal details
Born	11 July 1914 Silwan, Jerusalem, Palestine (present-day Israel )
Died	19 January 1972 (aged 57) Amman, Jordan
Political party	Independent

Early life

Mohammad Daoud was born in Silwan, Jerusalem, Palestine. He worked as a police officer in Tulkarm which was a part of Jordan until after 1948.

In 1952, he became a member of the Jordanian delegation of the Jordanian/Israeli Mixed Armistice Commission. He held the position of Presidency of the joint Jordanian delegation in 1958 until the war of 1967. He was taken to jail by the Israeli army for 17 days then deported to Amman, Jordan. He continued working as a head of the Jordanian/Israeli Mixed Armistice Commission until 1970.

Black September

On September 16, 1970, King Hussein of Jordan declared martial law and appointed Brigadier Mohammad Daoud as Prime Minister to lead the first military government in Jordan.[3][4] Despite efforts to defuse the tension between the Jordanian army and the Palestinian movements, between 16 and 25 September 1970, the escalating conflict resulted in the death of thousands and this conflict became known as Black September.[3][5][6]

An Arab League Summit Committee assigned Kuwaiti Minister of Defense Saad Al-Sabah, Sudanese head of state Gaafar Nimeiry, and the Deputy Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Omar Al-Saqqaf to investigate and report back the cause of the clash to the Arab summit. Meanwhile, the Arab League held a meeting for all the head of Arab states in Cairo.[7]

King Hussein assigned Mohammad Daoud to join the summit. After 10 days only as a prime minister, on 24 September, out of frustration and pressure after being unable to avoid this developing conflict and the devastating results, Mohammad Daoud submitted his resignation[8] from his position to the Jordanian Ambassador in Cairo, Hazem Nuseibah.

Mohammad Daoud requested political asylum in Cairo, following his resignation. President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt asked Mohammad Daoud to stay in Cairo for consultation of Jordanian affairs.

The timing of this resignation amidst all the turbulent and rapidly developing events at that time came as a surprise to many, and there is no doubt that it had a dramatic impact in ending the military conflict in Jordan at a faster pace.[9]

Illness and death

Mohammad Daoud was hospitalized in Cairo towards the end of 1971 being diagnosed with a brain tumor, and was sent later to Paris to undergo brain surgery. On 10 January 1972, he returned to the Military Hospital in Amman, Jordan and died 9 days later, on Wednesday 19 January.

His body was transferred from Amman to Jerusalem through Allenby Bridge after a formal funeral ceremony. A prayer was conducted at al-Aqsa mosque on Friday, 21 January 1972. He was buried at his home town Silwan as he had wished, the town where he was born and originally grew up.

References

1. "The Military Ministry leader Mohammad Daoud". House of Representatives, Jordan. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
2. Abu Moamar Al-Hajjaj, 25/09/2010. Jordanian governments in the reign of King Hussein. Available at: http://www.sadaalhajjaj.com/vb/showthread.php?t=20067 Archived 2018-03-29 at the Wayback Machine
3. Snow, Peter (1972). Hussein : a biography. London: Barrie & Jenkins. p. 221. ISBN 9780214654268.
4. An-Nahar, Beirut, 17/9/1970. King Hussein message to Mohammad Daoud leader on the assignment of the formation of an interim military government Amman, 15/09/1970. Available at: http://www.mohamoon.net/Categories/ArabicConflicts/ArabicConflict.asp?ParentID=139&Type=11&ArabicConflictID=38 Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
5. Loeb, Jack O'Connell with Vernon (2011). King's counsel : a memoir of war, espionage, and diplomacy in the Middle East (1st ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Co. ISBN 9780393063349.
6. Shlaim, Avi (2007). Lion of Jordan : the life of King Hussein in war and peace. London: Allen Lane. p. 325. ISBN 9780713997774.
7. D. Mohammad Manasir. [8/8/2009 9:45:35 AM]. Page of the history of Jordan 80. Available at: http://www.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=43087
8. Biographies of the figures contained in the book "Desert Warrior" / biographies of personalities, in Jordan. Available at: http://www.moqatel.com/openshare/Behoth/SirZatia17/Jordan/mol0023.htm
9. Mohammad Hassanain Haikal. 26/08/2010. Available at: http://www.aljazeera.net/programs/pages/4d78527f-5a0f-4b44-b11c-52ca6c162455#L3