Killings of major political and military figures have been a recurring factor in the Middle East, often changing history. From Egypt’s Sadat to Libya’s Gadhafi, TamerFakahany examines some of the deaths of key Middle East leaders since World War II.
FILE - In this Oct. 6, 1981 file photo, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat smiles at the start of the military parade in Cairo. Later, during the parade, Sadat was killed with eleven others when gunmen opened fire on the reviewing stand with automation weapons.
Killings of major political and military figures have been a recurring factor in the modern Middle East, often presenting a defining moment and changing the contours of history in several instances. Whether carried out by a foreign or domestic attacker, the slayings — including some high-profile assassinations — have had a huge, immediate and lasting impact. They have derailed promising peace efforts, fueled tinderbox conflicts or ushered in new leadership.
The killing of Iran’s military figure — Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite fighting force — in a U.S. airstrike near the Baghdad airport on Friday could be such a moment as the region and world braces for Tehran’s retaliation and a potential wider conflict that could draw in various nations and militias.
Here’s a look at some of the most significant deaths of key leaders in the Middle East since World War II:The Swedish diplomat and U.N. mediator in Palestine was killed in Jerusalem in 1948 by the Stern Gang, a group of Jewish militants that counted future Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir among its members. During World War II, he had negotiated and helped secure the release of thousands of Jewish prisoners in German concentration camps.
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