CEO Mr. Kadhim Al-Waeli |
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Mr. Al-Waeli is a native of Iraq. He left Iraq in 1991 after the unsuccessful anti-Saddam Hussain uprisings in southern Iraq.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baghdad University and a Diploma in International Communications and Cyber Networking from the Naval Education and Training Center, Newport, RI. As one of the original members of Free Iraqi Forces (FIF) he trained in Hungry in preparation for the subsequent invasion of Iraq. During this training he also graduated from the Primary Leadership School.
RETURN TO IRAQ
Mr. Al-Waeli deployed to Iraq with the III Corps command group in January 2004. Mr. Al-Waeli was the senior cultural advisor to LTG Metz, III Corps Commander. He also worked as the liaison between the Commander MNC-I and the Iraqi interim government. During this service Mr. Al-Waeli reconciled differences between Christian and Muslim factions in Baghdad and Musil.
At LTG Metz's direction, he also met with the Shia spiritual leader Ayatollah Sistani to negotiate the peace agreement between the MNC-I and the rebellious factions in Najaf. After the departure of the III Corps, he became the cultural advisor to LTG Vines, Commanding General, Multi-National Corps- Iraq (MNC-I). Mr. Al-Waeli played a significant role in establishing the Iraqi Ground Forces HQs and the Ministry of Defense presence at Camp Victory. During his tenure as the principal cultural advisor to the MNC-I command group, he developed a weekly report focusing on political and military activities.
PROMOTION AND THE PENTAGON
In 2006, he was selected by the army leaders for GS15 rank, and he returned with LTG Ray Odierno as his policy adviser and coordinator of the reconciliation cell.
In early 2008 Mr. Al-Waeli returned from his 4th deployment and became a member of a think tank group advising the army leadership in the pentagon on Iraq and the Middle East.
EXPERTISE
Mr. Al-Waeli is an expert in Middle Eastern politics. Prior to his assignment with MNC-I, he provided direct support to the 101st Airborne Division (AASLT) during Operation Iraqi Freedom I (OIF I) in Mosul, Iraq. During OIF I, Mr. Al-Waeli worked directly for the 1st Brigade Commander and the Commanding General, 101st ABD (AASLT). His knowledge of the culture, religion, and language were instrumental to the success of his supported units.
He is an expert in international relations and has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East. In addition to his Arabic and English language proficiency, Mr. Al-Waeli has a basic knowledge of Kurdish and Russian.
AWARDS
In 2007, Mr. Al-Waeli received the Superior Civilian Service Award for his excellent service to the Multi- National commanding general.
Prior to OIF I, Mr. Al-Waeli worked as a job specialist with a diverse group of refugees and immigrants in the St. Louis, Mo area.
BOOKS
In addition to many articles published about Mr. Al-Waeli's accomplishments during OIF, there were full chapters in 3 books describing his honorable service to the US army.
· Banking on Baghdad, by Edwin Black
· Why We Make The Same Mistakes, by Bob Bevelaqua ("Major Bob")
· War on Two Fronts, by U.S. Army Colonel Chris Hughes