Editing Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai (section)

===Iraq War===
As the invasion of Iraq loomed, it was reported in ''[[The Guardian]]'' in February 2003 that Sultan had been placed under house arrest by Saddam Hussein, in a move that was apparently designed to prevent a coup.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/feb/18/iraq.lukeharding|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826224655/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/feb/18/iraq.lukeharding|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 August 2013|title=Iraqi defence minister 'under house arrest' &#124; World news &#124; The Guardian|website=[[TheGuardian.com]]|date=26 August 2013}}</ref> He criticized [[Qusay Hussein]]’s handling of the [[Republican Guard (Iraq)|Iraqi Republican Guard]], saying Qusay “knew nothing [about commanding military]. He understood only simple military things like a civilian. We prepared information and advice for him and he'd accept it or not.” <ref>{{Cite web |title=ANALYZING THE ENEMY |url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-20060325-2006-03-25-0603250023-story.html |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=Daily Press|date=25 March 2006 }}</ref> Nevertheless, he continued to appear on Iraqi state-run T.V., to preserve a sense of normality.

Sultan was number 27 on the [[United States]]' [[U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis|list of most wanted former Iraqi officials]]. On 19 September 2003, after nearly a week of negotiations, he gave himself up in [[Mosul]] to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). [[Dawood Bagistani]], who arranged the surrender to Maj. Gen. [[David Petraeus]], said Sultan was handed over "with great respect" and was with his family at the time. Bagistani said the [[United States Armed Forces|U.S. military]] had promised to remove Sultan's name from the list of 55 most wanted, meaning he would not face indefinite confinement and possible prosecution. "We trust the promise," Bagistani said.

Special treatment for Sultan al-Tai could be an effort to defuse the [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]]-style attacks that were taking a toll on American soldiers. Many of the attackers were thought to be former soldiers in Saddam's army. Seeing their former military leader well-treated by the Americans might have encouraged them to lay down their arms.

On 24 June 2007, he was sentenced to death by hanging for war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, his execution was not carried out because of public disapproval from Iraq's president [[Jalal Talabani]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/iraqi-president-opposes-minister-s-hanging-1.960479|title=Iraqi president opposes minister's hanging|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en|access-date=17 March 2020}}</ref> In May 2018, Iraq's Parliament speaker [[Salim al-Jabouri]] requested a pardon for Sultan al-Tai, citing medical reasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/e3a15126-8cc8-4ee5-8d2f-8bdac85ec090|title=Iraqi Parliamentary Speaker seeks pardon for Saddam Hussein's Defense Minister|website=www.kurdistan24.net|access-date=17 March 2020}}</ref> He then was transferred from the prison in [[Nasiriyah]] to a prison in Baghdad.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/saddam-s-former-minister-pleads-for-clemency-as-health-deteriorates-1.734699|title=Saddam's former minister pleads for clemency as health deteriorates|website=The National|date=28 May 2018|language=en|access-date=17 March 2020}}</ref>