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IRAQ 1963: THE SHORT RULE OF THE BA‛TH

100%

Sorby K. R.

Asian and African Studies

2009

vol. 18

issue 1

16 - 39

In the circumstances of a military dictatorship, there was no alternative for a civilian group other than to persuade a faction of young officers opposed to ‛Abdalkarīm Qāsim’s rule to raise an open military rebellion, even at the risk of provoking civil war. The group that was ready to influence officers likely to take action was, of course, the Ba‛th Party. Its members had the reputation of not being afraid to face danger in their struggle against military dictatorship ever since their unsuccessful attempt on ‛Abdalkarīm Qāsim’s life in 1959. When they finally succeeded in carrying out one of these plots, of which the margin of success was not very great, on 8 February 1963, the army turned to them to govern the country. Once in power, they had a golden opportunity of realizing the goals of their party. Political developments in the period between February and November 1963 were extremely confused, and consisted largely of different groups manoeuvring for power against a background of indiscriminate murder and terror. However, by June, ‛Alī Ïāli‡ as-Sacdī had lost the Ministry of Interior, his faction had quarrelled with both Jamāl ‛Abdannāœir and the Iraqi Nāœirists, and fighting had broken out again in Kurdistan. He now faced increasing hostility both from other Ba‛thists in the army and from his Ba‛thist colleagues in Damascus, who were also becoming increasingly critical of some of his methods. On 18 November 1963 ‛Abdassalām ‛Ārif, with the support of the armed forces, moved to exercise personal control over the country.

THE 14th RAMAAN COUP IN IRAQ

88%

Sorby K. R.

Asian and African Studies

2008

vol. 17

issue 2

155 - 178

The 14th Ramaan 1382 (8th February 1963) coup that finally put an end to the regime of Abdalkarim Qasim came from the Arab nationalist quarter; no other element in the political spectrum was prepared to undertake the task. The Communists and the left still tacitly supported Abdalkarim Qasim, and in any event they had too little support in the army officer corps. The Kurds had weakened the fighting capacity of the army, but they were in no position to overthrow the regime by themselves. However, there was no real unity of purpose among Arab nationalists beyond their common desire to be rid of the 'Sole Leader' (az-Zaim al-Awad) and to reorient foreign policy toward some kind of union with other Arab countries. This action was no palace coup. The Bathists and their nationalist allies only succeeded in gaining control of the government after a day of fierce fighting with the defenders of the regime, which cost hundreds of lives. At last the rebel forces broke through into the Ministry of Defence compound, capturing Abdalkarum Qasim and his colleagues on 9 February. They were immediately brought before a tribunal of Bathist and pan-Arab officers, sentenced to death and summarily shot.

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2 Asian and African Studies

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2 Sorby K. R.

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IRAQ 1963: THE SHORT RULE OF THE BA‛TH

THE 14th RAMAAN COUP IN IRAQ