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

Quick facts for kids Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي
General Secretary	Salah Al-Mukhtar
Founded	25 February 1966
Banned	In Iraq: 16 May 2003 (still active in other states)
Split from	Ba'ath Party (unitary)
Headquarters	Baghdad, Iraq (1966–2003)
Armed wing	Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order (2006–present)
Ideology	Ba'athism Saddamism (from 1979) Islamism (from 1993)
Political position	Right-wing
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. This political party was based in Baghdad, Iraq, until 2003. It is one of two parties with the same name that formed after a major split in the original Ba'ath Party in 1966.

In 1966, the original Ba'ath Party divided into two 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 Iran–Iraq War. Syria also joined the U.S.-led group against Iraq in the Gulf War.

The Ba'athists first gained power in Iraq in 1963 but lost it a few months later. The Iraqi branch of the party then ruled Iraq from 1968 to 2003. For many years, Saddam Hussein was its leader. The Iraqi branch was banned in 2003 after the invasion of Iraq by the US and its allies. However, other branches of the party still operate in different countries.

Party Leadership

Main Leaders Over Time

This table shows the main leaders of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (Iraqi-led) since 1968.

No.		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Time in Office
				Started	Ended	How Long
1			Michel Aflaq ميشيل عفلق‎ (1910–1989)	8 February 1968	23 June 1989 †	21 years, 135 days
No leader (23 June 1989 – January 1992)
2			Saddam Hussein صدام حسين‎ (1937–2006)	January 1992	30 December 2006 †	14 years, 11 months
3			Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri عزت إبراهيم الدوري (1942–2020)	30 December 2006	26 October 2020 †	13 years, 301 days
4			Salah Al-Mukhtar صلاح المختار (born 1944)	3 November 2020	Current Leader	4 years, 298 days

Leadership Timeline

Party Meetings

The Ba'ath Party holds "National Congresses" to make important decisions.

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

How the Party is Organized

After the 1966 split, the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party and the Syrian-led Ba'ath Party each created their own "National Commands." In theory, the National Command was the highest body for each party. However, in both countries, the local "Regional Command" had more real power.

In the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party, members of the National Command usually came from their local branches in different countries. For example, there was always a member representing the Ba'ath Party in Jordan. The National Command was supposed to guide all the regional branches between the big National Congress meetings.

Members of the National Command were chosen by delegates at the National Congress. Even though the National Command didn't have much direct power, many of its top members also held important positions in the Iraqi government. Michel Aflaq was chosen as the Secretary-General of the National Command in 1968. He stayed in this role until he passed away in 1989. Saddam Hussein then took over. After Saddam Hussein was executed in 2006, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri became the leader. Since November 3, 2020, Salah Al-Mukhtar has been leading the party.

Ba'ath Party Branches in Different Countries

This map shows the areas where Ba'athist Iraq hoped to have a strong influence between 1963 and 2003.

Algeria

The Ba'ath Party branch in Algeria is called the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party of Algeria. It is led by Ahmed Choutri. The party is banned in Algeria. Choutri had to leave Algeria in the 1990s because the government was against the Ba'ath movement. He supports the Iraqi Ba'athist group that fought against the government after 2003.

Bahrain

The Nationalist Democratic Assembly represents the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party in Bahrain. This group is led by Hassan Ali. It was started by people from Bahrain who studied in Iraq in the 1960s and 1970s. The party did not take part in the 2002 election but did in 2006. In 2011, they boycotted the election to support the protests in Bahrain.

The party is against the government's policy of giving citizenship to many foreign workers. They believe it makes it harder for local Bahrainis to find jobs. The Nationalist Democratic Assembly still supports Saddam Hussein and the idea of the Arab Spring, which was a series of protests and uprisings in Arab countries. They were against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, seeing it as harmful to the Iraqi people. The party wants to change the current monarchy in Bahrain to a peaceful democracy.

Egypt

The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Egypt Region is an active branch in Egypt. This party believes that Bashar al-Assad should be removed from power in Syria. However, they do not want other countries like Israel, Turkey, or Iran to get involved in the Syrian Civil War. They think these countries have their own hidden reasons for getting involved.

The party was made illegal in Egypt in the early 1990s. In 1991, two Iraqi officials were arrested with money that Egyptian authorities said was meant to fund attacks in Egypt. Other Egyptian Ba'athists were also arrested around that time.

Iraq

In Iraq, the Ba'ath party started as a civilian group and did not have strong support from the military. The party did not have much impact at first and split into different groups. It was not very popular with the general public. However, by building a strong party structure, it managed to gain power.

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, with an Islamic identity. Saddam Hussein wanted to be seen as a great leader of a new Iraqi nation, like ancient kings such as Nebuchadnezzar II and Hammurabi.

In June 2003, the Ba'ath party was banned by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). The CPA also banned all top members of the Ba'ath Party from working in the new government, schools, and colleges. This meant thousands of experienced people, including doctors, professors, and teachers, lost their jobs. Many teachers protested because they could no longer work. Before, to get a high position in government or a school, you had to be a party member. Many people joined the party not just for its ideas, but to improve their lives.

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

Jordan

When the Ba'ath Party split in 1966, the Jordanian branch had about 1,000 members. It was involved with the Arab Liberation Front (ALF). The popularity of the Ba'ath Party has gone down in Jordan. This is because the Iraqi and Syrian Ba'ath parties became more about loyalty to their leaders (Saddam Hussein or the al-Assad family) than about their original ideas.

However, some of the Ba'athist ideas are still popular. A Jordanian expert said that many people outside the party still believe in Ba'athist ideas. The party gained some support in the 1990s because it helped thousands of students get scholarships to Iraqi universities. But after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the party faced money problems and lost many followers.

The party was allowed to register legally in Jordan in 1993. It had to change its name to the Jordanian Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. Khalil Haddadeen, a former minister, was elected to Parliament in 1993 and 1997, supporting pro-Iraqi ideas. Currently, the Ba'ath branch has no members in the Jordanian parliament.

Today, both the pro-Iraq and pro-Syrian Ba'ath branches are not very important in Jordanian politics. They have money problems and are criticized for their secular (non-religious) views. In 2003, it was thought the party had fewer than 200 members. In 2023, the Jordanian Ba'ath Party's license to take part in local elections was renewed, which caused some criticism from people in Iraq.

Kuwait

In 1983, the Ba'ath branch in Kuwait was led by Faisal al-Sani. This branch stopped existing during the Gulf War because of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

Lebanon

The Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party branch in Lebanon is now known as the Socialist Arab Lebanon Vanguard Party. This branch has a long history. After the 1966 split, the Iraqi wing in Lebanon was led by Abd al-Majid Rafei.

At first, the pro-Iraqi and pro-Syrian Ba'ath branches in Lebanon worked together. But as tensions grew between Iraq and Syria, the two parties became enemies. The party was active in protests in the 1960s. Abd al-Majid Rafei was even arrested for his political activities. The party grew in the early 1970s, and in 1972, al-Rafei was elected to parliament. The party was strong in Southern Lebanon, helped by money from Iraq. During the Lebanese Civil War, the party was part of the Lebanese National Movement. It also controlled a Palestinian group called the Arab Liberation Front.

Libya

After the 1969 overthrow of King Idris, a new government led by Muammar Gaddafi took power. This government was seen as Nasserist, which was different from Ba'athist ideas. Gaddafi's government arrested several Ba'athists.

Amr Taher Deghayes, who started the Libyan Ba'ath branch, was arrested and died in jail. His death led to protests and more arrests of Ba'athists. In the 1980s, many Libyan Ba'athists were put on trial. Some were sentenced to death, and others to life in prison. These events led to the end of the Ba'athist organization in Libya.

The Libyan National Movement (LNM), an Arab nationalist group, was founded by a Ba'athist lawyer. This group was funded by Iraqi Ba'athists and produced propaganda materials.

Mauritania

The first pro-Iraqi Ba'ath activities in Mauritania began in 1968. The party was officially formed in 1972. They tried to join the ruling party and government in Mauritania. They also tried to recruit members from the Haratin people, who faced discrimination. From 1978 to 1984, the party worked to get members into the military. They strongly supported making Arabic the main language in Mauritania.

However, the Ba'athists faced difficulties. Many were arrested in the 1980s. In 1988, the Ba'athist members in the military were removed. When Iraq invaded Kuwait, the Ba'ath party in Mauritania lost its popularity and financial support from Iraq. By 1990, the original Ba'ath movement had mostly disappeared.

A new party, the National Vanguard Party, was founded in 1991 and replaced the old Ba'ath movement. This party is still the largest Arab nationalist group in Mauritania. It has kept good relations with the Iraqi Ba'ath Party, even after Saddam Hussein's fall. The party ran in elections but did not win many seats.

The party supports making Arabic the only official language of the country, which some people see as racist. The Mauritanian government supported Iraq during the Gulf War. In 2003, several Ba'athists were jailed for possibly trying to overthrow the government. The party was banned in 1999 after Mauritania started official relations with Israel.

In 2003, the party's leader, Mohamed Ould Abdellahi Ould Eyye, was arrested after a large protest. Another pro-Iraqi Ba'ath party, the Party for Work and National Unity, took its place, but it is small and not very active.

Palestine

Before the Arab Liberation Front (ALF) was formed, there was a disorganized pro-Iraqi Ba'ath group in Palestine. The ALF was created in 1969 to challenge the influence of the pro-Syrian Ba'ath group in Palestine. Unlike the Syrian-backed group, the ALF did not have many people to recruit from. This meant the ALF was largely controlled by the Iraqi Ba'ath movement, which limited its influence.

Because the Iraqi Ba'ath movement controlled the ALF, the ALF always supported Iraq's views within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The ALF was one of the groups that rejected the PLO's peace plan in 1974.

The invasion of Iraq in 2003 weakened the Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party. Since the Iraqi military helped coordinate many of the ALF's activities, the ALF also became much weaker. The ALF's most recent leader was Rakad Salem, who was arrested in 2002.

Sudan

The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Country of Sudan is the local branch of the Ba'ath Party in Sudan. It has always been a small party, with about 1,000 members in 2003. However, it has had a bigger impact than its size suggests, mainly because of money from Iraq.

After working with the Sudanese government for years, the Ba'ath Party became an opposition party in 1990. The party was mostly made up of students who had studied in Iraq. It was against the National Islamic Front and strongly believed in secularism (keeping religion separate from government). Because Saddam Hussein had good relations with Sudan's ruling council, the Ba'ath branch was oppressed by the authorities. In 1990, 26 Ba'athist military officers were executed after a failed military coup.

In 2002, a group broke away and formed the independent Sudanese Ba'ath Party. After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, 80 Sudanese Ba'athists returned to Sudan, agreeing 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, but the Ba'ath Party was made illegal. After the Tunisian Revolution, the Tunisian Ba'ath Movement was officially registered in 2011. However, Ba'athists had been active secretly since the 1950s.

The Ba'ath Movement celebrated the fifth anniversary of Saddam Hussein's execution. Omar Othman Belhadj, a leader of the movement, said that Hussein's execution was symbolic. He believed they killed the ideas Hussein stood for, like being against colonization and supporting Arab unity. He also said he did not support killing Muammar Gaddafi, believing Gaddafi deserved a fair trial.

Omar once said that "the Syrian regime has turned against the Ba'ath and is no longer Ba'athist." The party does not support Syria being removed from the Arab League. They believe other countries should stay neutral in the Syrian Civil War. In 2012, the Ba'ath Movement criticized the Tunisian government for expelling the Syrian ambassador. They supported the Syrian protesters and condemned the shooting of unarmed people. They thought expelling the ambassador would make the conflict worse and lead to military action.

After the revolution, another "Iraqi" Ba'athist Party, the Arab Democratic Vanguard Party, appeared in Tunisia. It has younger members and is more left-leaning. The Ba'ath Movement is part of the Popular Front, a group that includes communists and has strong public support.

Yemen

The National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Yemen Region is led by Qassem Salam Said. It publishes a newspaper called Al-Ehyaa Al-'Arabi (meaning Arabic Renaissance).

The party operated secretly until 1990 and was officially registered in 1997. It tried to register as the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in 1995, but that name was given to the pro-Syrian Ba'athist party. The party is allied with the ruling General People's Congress. During the 2011 Arab Spring protests, this alliance caused a split within the party.

The party ran in the 1993 election with the pro-Syrian Ba'ath Party and won seven seats. After that, the two Ba'athist groups had problems and ran in elections separately. The party did not win any seats in the 1997 or 2003 elections. However, it won two local council seats in 2006.