Hamid Raja Shalah

Who is Hamid Raja Shalah?

Hamid Raja, also known as Hamid Raja-Shalah Hassan al-Tikriti or Hamid Raja-Shalah Hassum al-Tikriti was a commander of the Iraqi Air Force under Saddam Hussein.

During Shalah's air force career, he served as a pilot. In the 1980s, during the Iran–Iraq War, Shalah commanded several air bases, including the Kirkuk air base. He rose to three-star rank and was appointed commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Air Force in the mid-1990s.

He was reported by the United States Central Command to be in coalition custody on June 14, 2003. Prior to his capture, Shalah was number 17 on the Most-wanted Iraqi playing cards.