Ba'ath Party (Iraqi-dominated faction) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي
General Secretary	Salah Al-Mukhtar
Founded	8 February 1963
Dissolved	1 May 2003 (de facto)
Split from	Ba'ath Party (unitary)
Headquarters	Baghdad, Iraq (until 2003)
Newspaper	Iraqi News Agency
Armed wing	National Defense Battalions (until 2003) Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order (2006–present)
Ideology	Arab nationalism Ba'athism Saddamism
Colors	Black, red, white and green (Pan-Arab colors)
Party flag

The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (also called "Ba'th" or "Baath") means "resurrection" or "renaissance" in Arabic (Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي Ḥizb al-Ba‘th al-‘Arabī al-Ishtirākī). This political party was based in Baghdad, Iraq, until 2003. It is one of two parties with the same name that formed after the original Ba'ath Party split in 1966.

In 1966, the first Ba'ath Party divided into two main groups. One group was led from Damascus, Syria, and the other from Baghdad, Iraq. Both parties kept the same name and had similar structures across the Arab world. However, they became rivals. For example, Syria supported Iran against Iraq during the war between them. Syria also joined the US and its allies against Iraq in the Gulf War. The Ba'athists first gained power in Iraq in 1963 but lost it a few months later. The party's local group then ruled Iraq from 1968 to 2003. For many years, Saddam Hussein was its leader. The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region was banned in 2003 after the US-led invasion of Iraq.

How the Ba'ath Party is Organized

Important Leaders of the Party

• Michel Aflaq (1968–1989)
• Saddam Hussein (1992–2006)
• Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri (2006–2020)
• Salah Al-Mukhtar (2020–present)

Party Meetings and Structure

The original Ba'ath Party had several big meetings called National Congresses before 1966. After the split, the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party held its own meetings:

• 9th National Congress (February 1968)
• 10th National Congress (March 1970)
• 11th National Congress (1977)
• 12th National Congress (1992)

After the 1966 split, the original Ba'ath Party broke into two main groups: one led by Iraq and one by Syria. Both groups created their own "National Commands." In theory, the National Command was the highest group in the party. It was supposed to control all the party's activities in different countries. However, in both Iraq and Syria, the local "Regional Command" actually had more power.

In the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party, members of the National Command usually came from their local branches. For example, there was always a member from the Ba'ath Party in Jordan. The National Command was meant to be the top body between the big party meetings. It could control what the party did in other countries.

People attending a National Congress would vote for the members of the National Command. These members could be re-elected. Even though the National Command didn't have much real power, many of its top members were also part of Iraq's local Ba'ath Party leadership. Michel Aflaq was chosen as the Secretary-General of the National Command in 1968. He stayed in this role until he died in 1989. Then, Saddam Hussein took over. After Saddam Hussein was executed in 2006, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri became the party's leader. He was the highest-ranking member left from the old Ba'ath Party. Since November 2020, Salah Al-Mukhtar has led the party.

Ba'ath Party in Different Countries

Ba'athist Iraq's goals for influence in the Middle East between 1963 and 2003.

Algeria

The Ba'ath Party in Algeria is called the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party of Algeria. It is led by Ahmed Choutri. The party is not allowed in Algeria, and Choutri had to leave the country in the 1990s because the government was against the Ba'ath movement. The party supports the Iraqi Ba'athist group and its leader, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri. After returning to Algeria in 2003, Choutri wrote a book about Saddam Hussein.

Bahrain

The Nationalist Democratic Assembly represents the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party in Bahrain. Hassan Ali is its Secretary General. This group was started by Bahrainis who studied in Iraq during the 1960s and 1970s when the Ba'ath Party was in power there. The party did not take part in the 2002 election but did in 2006. In 2011, they boycotted the election to support the uprising in Bahrain. Their main office is in Zinj.

The party is against the government's policy of giving citizenship to many foreigners. They believe it makes it harder for local Bahrainis to find jobs. The Nationalist Democratic Assembly still supports Saddam Hussein and backs the Arab Spring movements. They were against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, seeing it as an attack on the Iraqi people. The party wants to see the current royal family removed peacefully and replaced with a democracy.

Egypt

The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Egypt Region is an active branch of the party in Egypt. This party supports removing Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria. However, they do not want any foreign countries like Israel, Turkey, or Iran to get involved in the Syrian Civil War. The party believes these countries have hidden reasons for wanting to interfere.

The party was banned in Egypt in the early 1990s. In 1991, two Iraqi intelligence officials were arrested with a large sum of money. Egyptian authorities said the money was for funding attacks in Egypt. Other Egyptian Ba'athists were also arrested around that time, suspected of being part of an Iraqi plot.

Iraq

In Iraq, the Ba'ath party started as a civilian group and did not have strong support from the military. The party had little impact at first and split into several groups after 1958 and again in 1966. It was said that the party did not have much public support. However, by building a strong party system, it managed to gain power. The Iraqi Ba'ath party originally believed in pan-Arabism, which is the idea of uniting all Arab nations.

After taking power in 1968, the party started to focus more on Iraqi nationalism. They encouraged Iraqis to see themselves as descendants of ancient Mesopotamia and medieval Islamic cultures. Saddam Hussein wanted to be seen as the leader of a great new Iraqi nation. He even had himself compared to ancient kings like Nebuchadnezzar II and Hammurabi.

In June 2003, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) banned the Ba'ath party. The CPA also banned all members from the top four levels of the Ba'ath Party from working in the new government, public schools, and colleges. This decision was criticized because it removed many experienced people from important jobs. Thousands of doctors, professors, teachers, and government workers lost their positions. Many teachers protested because they lost their jobs. Before the Ba'ath party was banned, you often had to be a party member to get a high position in the government or a school. Party membership was also required for university admission. While some joined for their beliefs, many more joined to improve their chances in life.

Later, the Iraqi government tried to ease this ban with the Accountability and Justice Act in 2008. But some feared it would lead to even more job losses. The Ba'ath Party was led by Saddam's former deputy, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, until he died in 2020.

Jordan

When the Ba'ath Party split in 1966, the Jordanian branch had about 1,000 members. It was active in the Arab Liberation Front (ALF). Munif al-Razzaz, who joined the Iraqi-led Ba'ath group in 1966, became an ALF leader. He then rose in the party and became a member of the National Command. However, Iraqi authorities later put him under house arrest. Shahir Abu Shahut became the first leader of the party in Jordan after the 1966 split.

The Ba'ath Party's popularity has decreased in Jordan. This is because both the Iraqi-led and Syrian-led Ba'ath parties have focused more on loyalty to their leaders (like Saddam Hussein or the al-Assad family) rather than their original ideas. A Jordanian expert told the American embassy that "there are far more real Ba'athists outside the party than inside." This means that many people might agree with Ba'ath ideas but not join the current party.

The party gained some support in the 1990s because it was a Ba'ath Party branch. It helped thousands of students get scholarships to Iraqi universities. However, after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the party almost went bankrupt. It lost most of its followers when it could no longer help students return from Iraq.

The Ba'ath branch was not allowed to register legally in 1992. It was finally registered in 1993 but had to change its name to the Jordanian Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. Khalil Haddadeen, a former minister in Jordan, was elected to Parliament in 1993 and 1997. He ran on a platform that supported Saddam Hussein. Today, the Ba'ath branch has no members in parliament.

In 2003, it was thought that the party had fewer than 200 members. A document from 2007 said that Ahmed Al Dmour, a figure from the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, was seen as a big challenge to another political group called the Islamic Action Front.

Kuwait

In 1983, Faisal al-Sani led the Ba'ath Party branch in Kuwait. This branch fell apart during the Gulf War because of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Saleh al-Mutlaq, a leader from Iraq, has been accused of trying to rebuild the party in Kuwait.

Lebanon

The party branch in Lebanon is now known as the Socialist Arab Lebanon Vanguard Party. This branch held its second big meeting in October 2011.

The Iraqi-led Ba'ath branch in Lebanon has a long history. After the 1966 split, Abd al-Majid Rafei led the Iraqi wing in Lebanon. At first, the Iraqi-led and Syrian-led Ba'ath branches worked together. But as tensions grew between Iraq and Syria, the two parties became enemies. The party was active in protests in the 1960s. Al-Rafei was arrested by Lebanese authorities for his political actions. However, he ran for election in Tripoli in 1968. The party grew in the early 1970s. In the 1972 election, al-Rafi was elected to parliament from Tripoli. The party was active in southern Lebanon and received a lot of help from Iraq.

During the Lebanese Civil War, the Lebanese parliament formed a National Dialogue Committee in 1975. A member of the Syrian-led Ba'ath Party joined, but no one from the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party was given a seat. Tahsein al-Atrash, who led the Ba'ath branch at the time, was shot and killed in November 1981. The party was part of the Lebanese National Movement, a political group led by Walid Jumblatt. The party also controlled the Palestinian Arab Liberation Front.

Libya

After the 1969 overthrow of King Idris, a new government led by Muammar Gaddafi was formed. This government was seen as Nasserist, meaning it followed the ideas of Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. The new government's slogan was "liberty, socialism, and unity," which was different from the Ba'ath Party's slogan. This difference was important because Ba'athists and Nasserists had different ideas. After Gaddafi's revolution, several "People's Committees" were set up. These committees arrested several Ba'athists.

Amr Taher Deghayes, who started the Libyan Ba'ath branch, was later arrested by Gaddafi's forces and died in jail. His death reportedly led to a large protest against the government, which was stopped. Many leading Ba'athists were then imprisoned. In 1982, a trial began where 25 Libyan Ba'athists were accused of being part of an illegal group. They were freed after being tortured. The next year, they were tried again for the same charge. Three were sentenced to death, and others to life in prison. These arrests and trials in the 1980s led to the end of the Libyan Ba'ath organization.

The Libyan National Movement (LNM), an Arab nationalist group, was founded by a Ba'athist lawyer named 'Umran Burweiss. The LNM, which still exists, was originally funded by Iraqi Ba'athists. They produced good propaganda, like audio cassettes that were secretly brought into Libya. The group also made broadcasts for Radio Baghdad.

Mauritania

The first Iraqi-led Ba'ath activities in Mauritania began in 1968, but the party was officially formed in 1972. Mauritanian Ba'athists divide their history into two periods: founding (1976–1982) and growth (1982–1990). The party held its first secret meeting in 1976. They were against President Moktar Ould Daddah's rule and tried to join the ruling party and government groups. After the 1978 overthrow of the government, the Ba'ath branch decided to recruit Haratin people, who are a minority group. They started publishing a newspaper to help with this. From 1978 to 1984, the party worked hard to get members into the military. The Ba'ath party strongly supported policies to make Arabic the main language in Mauritania. Because of their efforts, Mohammed Yehdih Ould Breideleil, the Ba'ath leader, became Minister of Information for a short time in 1984.

Under President Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, Ba'athists were harassed. Between 1982 and 1983, 55 Ba'athists were arrested. However, by 1986–1987, the Ba'athists had managed to get members into the military officer ranks. This made them a threat to President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya. With Saddam Hussein's approval, President Taya removed and banned Ba'athist military personnel in 1988. Mauritania strongly supported Saddam Hussein's Iraq during the war with Iran.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait, the Ba'ath party in Mauritania lost public support, and funding from the Iraqi embassy stopped. By 1990, not much was left of the original Ba'ath movement.

Another party, the National Vanguard Party, was founded in 1991. It replaced the old Ba'ath movement. The Mauritanian Ba'ath Party is still the largest Arab nationalist political group in the country. It has kept good relations with the Ba'ath Party in Baghdad, even after Saddam Hussein's fall in 2003. The party was able to run candidates in the 1992 elections. It was the only party, besides the ruling one, to run candidates for the senate. However, the party only got one percent of the votes and did not win any seats. Kabry Ould Taleb Jiddou, the party's leader, was given a government job because of his election campaign.

The branch supports making Arabic the only official language, which some critics call racist. President Ould Haidalla started a policy against Ba'athists, which continued under his successor, President Taya. However, the Mauritanian Government supported Iraq during the Gulf War. Relations between Iraq and Mauritania became so close that rumors spread that Saddam's family had found safety in Mauritania after the American invasion. The government continued to crack down on Ba'athists. In 2003, several Ba'athists were jailed because they were suspected of trying to overthrow the government. The party was banned in 1999 after Mauritania officially started relations with Israel. The National Vanguard Party was accused of planning unrest with the Iraqi government.

Mohamed Ould Abdellahi Ould Eyye, the party's leader, was arrested in 2003 after a large protest. The protest demanded that the government end relations with Israel and the United States and help Saddam Hussein. He and 13 other Ba'athists were arrested, and the party's office was searched in May. Another Iraqi-led Ba'ath party, the Party for Work and National Unity, took its place. However, this group is small and not very active.

Palestine

Before the Arab Liberation Front (ALF) was formed, there was a disorganized Iraqi-led Ba'ath fighter group. The ALF was created in 1969 at a meeting of the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party. Its goal was to reduce the influence of al-Sa'iqa, which was the Syrian-led Ba'ath group in Palestine. Unlike al-Sa'iqa, the ALF never had many people to recruit. There were few Palestinians in Iraq, and those who were there were usually well-educated. Because of this, the ALF could not have as much influence over the Palestinian movement as al-Sa'iqa did. This also meant the ALF was controlled by the Iraqi-led Ba'ath movement. This made it less effective but saved it from internal fights between Palestinian nationalists and Ba'athists, which was a problem for al-Sa'iqa. However, the ALF's influence sometimes weakened due to internal conflicts within the Iraqi-led Ba'ath movement. Because the Iraqi-led Ba'ath movement controlled the ALF, the ALF always supported Iraq within the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). The ALF was a founding member of the Rejectionist Front in 1974. This group rejected the PLO's Ten Point Program.

The invasion of Iraq removed the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party, which was based in Baghdad. This greatly weakened the movement. Since the Iraqi military helped coordinate many of the ALF's activities, the ALF has also become much weaker.

The ALF's first leader was Zaid Haydar from the Jordanian Ba'ath branch. Other leaders included Munif al-Razzaz, Abd al-Rahim Ahmad, and Mahmud Isma'il. Most recently, Rakad Salem led it from Ramallah, West Bank. Israeli forces arrested Salem in October 2002. Shahir Abu Shahut, a former leader of the Jordanian Ba'ath branch, led the Ba'ath branch in Palestine from 1970 to 1975 from Baghdad.

Sudan

The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Country of Sudan is the local branch of the Ba'ath Party in Sudan. Kamal Bolad was the leader in 1989, and Taiseer Mutassir was the leader in 1990. Even though the branch has always been small, with about 1,000 members in 2003, it has had a bigger impact than its small numbers suggest. This is mostly because Iraq provided money to the branch.

After working with the Arab nationalist government in Sudan for years, the Ba'ath Party broke off relations and became an opposition party in 1990. This would have upset Iraq if Sudan had not supported Iraq during the 1991 Gulf crisis. In 1990, the party was mostly made up of students who had studied in Iraq. The party, though small, was important in some areas. It was against the National Islamic Front and strongly believed in keeping religion separate from government. Members have often been divided between the Ba'ath and other non-religious parties, like the Sudanese communists. Because Saddam Hussein had a friendly relationship with the group ruling Sudan, the Ba'ath branch was oppressed by the authorities. Later in 1990, 26 Ba'ath military officers were executed in Khartoum after a failed military coup. In 2002, a group led by Mohamad Ali Jadein left the branch and formed the independent Sudanese Ba'ath Party. This new party is not connected to either the Iraqi-led or Syrian-led Ba'ath movements. The next year, after the invasion of Iraq, 80 Sudanese Ba'athists returned to Sudan. They agreed to stay out of politics.

Syria

The Syrian branch of the Iraqi-led party supported the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria during the uprising against the Syrian Ba'ath government.

Tunisia

The first Ba'athist branch in Tunisia was formed in 1955, when the Ba'ath Party was still unified. However, the Ba'ath Party was banned under Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. After the Tunisian Revolution, the Tunisian Ba'ath Movement was officially started at its first meeting from June 3-5, 2011. It was legally registered on January 22, 2011. However, Ba'athists had been active secretly since the 1950s. The Ba'ath Movement celebrated the fifth anniversary of Saddam Hussein's death. Omar Othman Belhadj, a leader of the Ba'ath Movement, said that "Hussein's execution was symbolic." He added that "they did not kill a person but rather the ideas he represented and fought for." Belhadj said Hussein was killed for being against colonization and for defending Arab unity and independence. He also said he did not support killing Muammar Gaddafi, believing Gaddafi had a right to a fair trial.

Omar once told a reporter that "the Syrian government has turned against the Ba'ath and is no longer Ba'athist." The party does not support Syria being removed from the Arab League. It believes foreign countries should stay neutral in the Syrian Civil War. In February 2012, the Ba'ath Movement condemned the Tunisian government's decision to expel the Syrian ambassador. The Ba'ath Movement showed support for the Syrian protesters and condemned the shooting of unarmed people. The committee predicted that expelling the Syrian ambassador would make the conflict more violent. It would also turn Arab public opinion against the government and lead to military action. After the revolution, another "Iraqi" Ba'athist Party, the Arab Democratic Vanguard Party, appeared in Tunisia. Its members are younger, and its political views are more left-leaning than the older Ba'ath Movement. It is led by Kheireddine Souabni and Ahmed Seddik. The Ba'ath Movement is part of the Popular Front, a group mostly led by communists with strong public support.

Yemen

The National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Yemen Region is led by Qassem Salam Said. Abdulwahid Hawash is the Deputy Secretary. The party publishes a newspaper called Al-Ehyaa Al-'Arabi, which means Arabic Renaissance.

The party worked secretly until 1990. It was officially registered as the National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party on February 10, 1997. It had first tried to register as the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in 1995. However, that name was given by the authorities to the Syrian-led Ba'athist party. Politically, the party works with the ruling General People's Congress. During the 2011 Arab Spring, this position caused a split within the party. In March 2011, it was reported that the party's branch in Hodeidah had sided with the uprising after violent attacks on protesters in the city.

The party ran in the 1993 election with the Syrian-led Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. They won seven seats together. After the election, relations between the two Ba'athist groups worsened, and they ran in future elections separately. The party ran in the 1997 election but did not win any seats. They called for people to boycott the 1999 presidential election. Said, the branch leader, was sued by the Ministry of Information in February 2000. This was because of an article criticizing Saudi Arabia. In the 2003 election, the party received 23,745 votes, which was 0.4 percent of the national vote. They again failed to get into parliament. However, they won two local council seats in the 2006 local elections.

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  Flag of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party