Ba'athist Iraq
At 03:00 on the morning of the 17th of July 1968, tanks halted in front of the Presidential Palace in Baghdad. Telephone lines were cut across the city as military units and civilian Ba'athists seized key government buildings. The electricity station, radio stations, and all bridges fell under their control within hours. Abdul Rahman Arif, the sitting president, first learned of the uprising when jubilant members of the Republican Guard began shooting into the air. He contacted other military units to seek support but found the odds against him. Arif surrendered and telephoned Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, the leader of the operation. Al-Bakr guaranteed his safety and arranged for his transport to London along with his wife and son. There were no deaths during this seizure of power. The coup was described by journalist Con Coughlin as a relatively civil affair compared to previous coups in Iraq's history.
By the mid-1970s, Saddam Hussein had become the country's de facto leader despite al-Bakr remaining president. In 1979, Saddam succeeded the ailing al-Bakr as president and publicly purged over 60 members of the Ba'ath Party leadership. These individuals were charged with fomenting an anti-Iraqi plot in collaboration with Hafez al-Assad of Syria. Before seizing full power, Saddam initiated campaigns against communists and disloyal party members. Abd ar-Razzaq an-Naif, who demanded the post of Prime Minister after the 1968 coup, was threatened with death at lunch on the 30th of July 1968. Naif fled to Morocco and was later assassinated in London in 1978. Ibrahim Daud, another key figure from the initial coup, was exiled to Saudi Arabia and met a similar fate. By 1977, al-Bakr relinquished control of the Ministry of Defence to Adnan Khairallah Tulfah, Saddam's brother-in-law. This appointment underscored the clannish character of the regime.
Iraq invaded Iran in September 1980 following the abrogation of the 1975 Algiers Agreement. Saddam believed the Iranian government would quickly disintegrate under Iraqi force but this view proved faulty. The war lasted eight years and ended in a stalemate in 1988. During the conflict, Iraq lost 100,000 soldiers out of one million mobilized. In 1982 alone, an estimated 40,000 Iraqis were taken prisoner by Iranian forces. The Revolutionary Command Council discussed ceasefire proposals that year, but Iran rejected them. Bloodshed during the conflict nearly led to a mutiny led by Maher Abd al-Rashid, father-in-law of Saddam's second son. Rashid claimed loss of life could have been avoided if not for Saddam's meddling into military affairs. This confrontation led to greater independence of military planning from Ba'athist leadership interference. By April 1988, after a series of Iraqi victories, a ceasefire was agreed between the two nations.
On the 2nd of August 1990, the Iraqi military began the invasion of Kuwait. Saddam demanded that Kuwait repay Iraq for oil it had stolen and nullified Iraq's debt to Kuwait. The Kuwaiti leadership failed to respond, leading to international condemnation. A United States-led coalition expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait on the 24th of February 1991. On the 2nd of March 1991, Turkey and Iran raised issues at the UN Security Council regarding repression in Iraq. Resolution 688 stated that Iraq had to allow access for international humanitarian organizations. In the aftermath, thousands fled their homes, most to Turkey or Iran. A nationwide uprising against Saddam's rule began in March 1991 but was repressed by loyalist forces. The Coalition established a no-fly zone to halt the advance of Saddam's forces. Instead of occupying Iraqi Kurdistan, the Kurdish Autonomous Republic was established with thousands of troops stationed at the border.
The nationalization of the Iraq Petroleum Company occurred in June 1972 after the company cut production by half. Oil revenue increased from 219 million ID in 1972 to 8.9 billion ID in 1980. During the Iran-Iraq War, military spending approached 50 percent of GNP in 1982. By the end of the war, Iraq faced foreign debt between 80 and 100 billion dollars. Following the Gulf War, United Nations Security Council Resolution 661 imposed sanctions on Iraq. Thirty percent of Iraq's GNP before the war was used to import food. The country relied heavily on oil exports which accounted for 40 percent of GNP. Agricultural output increased by 24 percent from 1990 to 1991 despite sanctions. Decree No. 367 introduced in 1990 stated that all lands not under production would be taken over by the state. Arable land grew from 16,446 donums in 1980 to 45,046 in 1990.
In 1993, the Iraqi regime embarked on the Return to Faith Campaign under the supervision of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri. This policy encouraged popular devotion to Islam within Iraqi society. Until the invasion of Kuwait in 1991, the regime had espoused secular Ba'athist ideology. The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs appointed clergy and approved mosque construction. A religious radio station called al-Qu'ran al-Karim Radio was set up to promote Islam. Aspects of Shari'ah were adopted into the judicial system requiring judges to study Islamic jurisprudence. Prostitution became illegal and punishable by death. Thieves faced amputation as punishment. Saddam Hussein introduced article 111 exempting men who killed women in defense of family honor from punishment. Daily newspaper Babil once argued the campaign would undermine Iraq's pluralistic society but later railed against Shias using the epithet rafidah.
By 1988 at the end of the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq fielded the fourth largest army in the world with 955,000 standing soldiers. The army included 4,500 tanks, 484 combat aircraft, and 232 combat helicopters. During the Yom Kippur War, an expeditionary force of 30,000 soldiers sent to Syria performed poorly on the battlefield. Military intelligence and initiative were virtually absent among small units. The Iraqi Air Force lost 26 aircraft without shooting down a single Israeli plane. In 1990, the army could deploy nearly one million men, 5,700 tanks, and 3,700 artillery pieces. Per capita military spending in 1981 was 370 percent higher than that for education. Despite this level of militarization, the army rarely showed itself favorably in combat. During the Gulf War, optimistic analysis suggested U.S. casualties could reach between 17,000 and 30,000 if all-out war occurred.
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Common questions
When did the Ba'athist Iraq regime begin its rule in 1968?
The Ba'athist Iraq regime began its rule on the 17th of July 1968 when tanks halted in front of the Presidential Palace in Baghdad. Military units and civilian Ba'athists seized key government buildings including telephone lines, electricity stations, radio stations, and all bridges within hours.
Who became the de facto leader of Ba'athist Iraq by the mid-1970s?
Saddam Hussein became the country's de facto leader by the mid-1970s despite Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr remaining president. In 1979 Saddam succeeded the ailing al-Bakr as president and publicly purged over 60 members of the Ba'ath Party leadership.
How long did the Iran-Iraq War last under Ba'athist Iraq?
The war lasted eight years from September 1980 until it ended in a stalemate in 1988. During the conflict Iraq lost 100,000 soldiers out of one million mobilized and faced foreign debt between 80 and 100 billion dollars by the end of the war.
What happened to the Iraqi military after the invasion of Kuwait in 1990?
A United States-led coalition expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait on the 24th of February 1991 following the invasion that began on the 2nd of August 1990. The Coalition established a no-fly zone to halt the advance of Saddam's forces while thousands fled their homes to Turkey or Iran.
When was the Return to Faith Campaign launched in Ba'athist Iraq?
In 1993 the Iraqi regime embarked on the Return to Faith Campaign under the supervision of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri. This policy encouraged popular devotion to Islam within Iraqi society and adopted aspects of Shari'ah into the judicial system requiring judges to study Islamic jurisprudence.