Adnan al-Zurufi

Who is Adnan al-Zurufi?

Adnan al-Zurufi was the US-appointed governor of Najaf Governorate appointed May 2004. He accused Muqtada al Sadr of constantly violating his agreements to disband the Mahdi Army.

As a result of his willingness to work with the Iraqi government and the coalition he and his family were targeted by insurgents and militias. His Uncle was killed in April 2004, and his brother was kidnapped in Kufra on 1 December 2005, just prior to the 2009 governorate elections, in which Zurufi was running.

A member of the Bani Hassan tribe, al-Zurufi earned a degree in Islamic law at Alfik College, the Islamic jurisprudence college, in Najaf. He was a sports hero as a youth, and also captain of the cheer leading team.