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annexed to his country. He argued that the League of Nations
should have included that territory in the nation of Iraq in 1923,
since it had been part of the Basra province under the Ottoman
Empire. Qasim further argued that the British had deliberately sep-
arated it from Iraq to block Iraq’s access to the Persian Gulf.
The British, fearing that Qasim would seize Iraq’s defenseless
neighbor, sent troops to Kuwait. The Arab League, to show its oppo-
sition to Qasim’s claims, admitted Kuwait as a member. By the end
of the summer, troops from the Arab League replaced the British
soldiers. As a result, Iraq broke off diplomatic relations with many
Arab countries. This unsuccessful attempt by Qasim to acquire
Kuwait further weakened his reputation within the Iraqi army and
his authority as leader of Iraq.
In spite of his disfavor within the army, Qasim became popular
I
RAQ
’
S
H
ISTORY TO
1990 53
A July 1958 coup toppled the Iraqi monarchy and brought Colonel Abd al-Salam Arif (left) and General
Abd al-Karim Qasim (right) to power. The two soon had a falling-out, however, and Qasim ordered his
rival arrested.