He died in 1989 in a helicopter crash that was officially labeled an accident. The circumstances surrounding his death, including his disputes with Saddam and rumors of a potential coup, have led some to believe Adnan was assassinated under orders from Saddam.[2]
In 1977, Adnan was appointed as the new Minister of Defence, taking over from Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, then Iraqi President and Secretary of the Iraqi Regional Command of the Ba'ath Party.[4] He was also appointed Minister of State, and held membership ini both the Ba'ath Party Regional Command and the Revolutionary Command Council, the primary decision-making body in Iraq. In 1979, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.[4]
Adnan served as Iraqi Minister of Defence throughout the Iran–Iraq War, and was appointed Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, second only to Saddam Hussein.[4][5] In this position, he played a crucial role in rebuilding and modernizing the Iraqi military.[4]
In November 1988, Uday Hussein, Adnan's nephew and Saddam Hussein's eldest child, was arrested under orders from Saddam following an incident in which Uday was accused of killing Kamel Hana Gegeo, an officer serving as one of Saddam's presidential bodyguards. The scandal caused a rift in the family, with Uday's mother and Adnan's sister, Sajida, appealing to Adnan for help. Adnan then disappeared from public view, amid reports of unrest in the army, a potential coup, and the arrest of several military officers, prompting speculation of the involvement of Adnan in a coup attempt against Saddam.
Adnan later resurfaced in early 1989 when video footage was released showing Adnan, Sajida, and Saddam on a fishing holiday near Basra. Following his return to public view, Adnan resumed his regular duties as Defence Minister.
Death and aftermath
Adnan Khairallah's statue in Baghdad, 2003.
On 7 May 1989, Saddam Hussein announced that Adnan had died three days earlier in a helicopter crash. Adnan had been travelling by helicopter from Baghdad to Kurdistan region to inspect army positions when he had his flight diverted to meet several members of the Presidential family in the mountain resort of Sarsang, near Dohuk.[2] While en route, his helicopter and two escorting helicopters, were caught in a sandstorm. The crew of the two escorting helicopters and one person travelling on Adnan's helicopter survived.[2]
Announcing Adnan's death, Saddam referred to him as one of the distinguished war heroes and a sparkling star in Iraq's sky. Baghdad Radio announced that Adnan would be given a state funeral and buried in his hometown of Tikrit.[2] A statue was also erected in Baghdad in his memory.[4]
Although labeled an accident, speculation surrounded his death due to the detonation of four explosive charges on the helicopter he was in. Saddam's son-in-law Hussein Kamel al-Majid was accused of helping to orchestrate Adnan's death.
Although a relative of Saddam's, Adnan remained a popular figure after the Iraq War and a square named in his honour exists to this day in the al-Karkh area of Baghdad where his statue continued to stand following the fall of Baghdad in 2003, unlike those of other Saddam-era figures which were all immediately removed after the invasion. Reevaluation of Adnan's actions led to the removal of his statue in 2009.[citation needed]
