An American defense contractor whose death late last month was cited by President Trump amid escalating violence with Iran was identified Tuesday as an interpreter who was born in Iraq and lived in Sacramento.
In recent years, as an Arabic interpreter for U.S. forces in Iraq, Hamid was known to decorate his living space with pictures of the children, according to a co-worker.
Hamid was killed on Dec. 27 when U.S. authorities say an Iranian-backed militia fired rockets at a military base near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.
The attack, which injured several coalition troops, prompted Trump to order missile strikes against Iraqi militias. That in turn led to a New Year’s Eve assault on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and a retaliatory strike by the United States that killed Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander.
Hamid’s death has been a rallying cry for Trump. In a tweet on Dec. 31, Trump wrote: “Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!”
Hamid’s body was returned to the United States and buried Saturday in Sacramento, his widow, Noor Alkhalili, said in a text-message exchange with The Washington Post on Tuesday.
The Sacramento Bee first reported that Hamid had been buried at the Greater Sacramento Muslim Cemetery and that his employer, Virginia-based Valiant Integrated Services, had paid for the funeral.
In a brief statement posted on its website on Tuesday, the company called Hamid a “consummate professional and highly committed member of the Valiant team who was cherished and valued by his colleagues.”
Rep. Doris Matsui of California, a Democrat who represents the Sacramento area, said in a statement: “Our U.S. military has relied on the expertise and professionalism of linguists in almost every mission around the globe, especially in Iraq. Nawres served and sacrificed for our nation, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude. My thoughts and prayers are with Nawres’ widow and children at this time.”
Aaron Gregg, Paul Sonne, Shawn Boburg, Dalton Bennett, Alice Crites and Julie Tate contributed to this report.
