KARIM, NAJMALDIN O.

(1949- )

Dr. Najmaldin Karim is a prominent spokesman for the Kurdish cause in theUnited Statesand the former longtime president of theKurdish National Congress of North America. In 1996, he helped establish theWashington Kurdish Institutein Washington, D.C., and continues to serve as its president.

As a young man, Karim served as the personal physician of the elderlyMulla Mustafa Barzani. Later he became a prominent neurosurgeon living in Washington, D.C. Because of his knowledge and connections with theKurdistan Democratic Party(KDP) and thePatriotic Union of Kurdistan(PUK), as well as contacts made with officials in the United States, Karim plays an important, behind-the-scenes role in currentIraqiKurdish politics. Recently, he moved to theKirkukregion and was elected to the Iraqi parliament as a member of the KDP-PUK list in the elections held on 7 March 2010. He was also elected to the PUK politburo.