978-1-4222-3442-6

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I RAQ

other Free Officers who disagreed with him. He maintained control in the same way that Iraqi leaders had under the monarchy— rewarding those who supported him and dealing harshly with those who did not. Street demonstrations became common as different groups struggled for power, both within the civilian government and the military. Political parties began to develop increased influence in Iraqi politics. Since the Iraqi Communist Party was the only long-estab- lished political party in Iraq, Qasim looked to it for support. It was composed mostly of the thwarted and powerless, the Shia and Kurds. Another group, the Baath (Renaissance) Party, had been active in Iraq for several years; the Baath Party was a small, secre- tive group of Arab nationalists. The original Baath Party had formed in Syria in the 1940s, and a branch of the party had emerged in Iraq during 1951. The party appealed to some young people in Iraq because Baath leaders criticized the power of the landowners and emphasized the need for pan-Arabism. The Arab nationalists created an uprising against the Communists in Mosul in March 1959. Qasim stamped out the revolt with a sweeping massacre. Another demonstration occurred in the city of Kirkuk on July 14, 1959, the anniversary of the over- throw of the monarchy. Qasim again ruthlessly suppressed the dissenters and arrested many Arab nationalists leaders. As Qasim grew more and more unpopular in Mosul and Kirkuk, the leaders of the Baath Party decided they could attract new fol- lowers by assassinating him. Their attempt in October of 1959 was unsuccessful, although the Baath conspirators killed a guard and wounded Qasim. One of the assassins was a 22-year-old named Saddam Hussein, who escaped arrest by fleeing to Cairo, Egypt. In June 1961, the nearby country of Kuwait declared its inde- pendence after years of British rule. Qasim publicly claimed that Kuwait rightfully belonged to Iraq and that he wanted it to be