1966 Iraqi coup d'état attempt

1966 Iraqi coup d'état attempt or Arif Abd ar-Razzaq second coup attempt was a failed attempt to overthrown the Iraqi president Abdul Rahman Arif and the prime minister of the Iraqi government Abd al-Rahman al-Bazzaz by the Iraqi previous prime minister Arif Abd ar-Razzaq and other Iraqi air force and army officers supported by Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser after his first failed attempt against Abdul Salam Arif in 1965.The coup was foiled in Mosul by Khaleel Jassim and his Iraqi commando unit.[1]

Major General Khaleel Jassim The commander of Mosul region and the Iraqi Commando units in Mosul airport after foiling Arif Abd ar-Razzaq second coup with Colonel Kareem Shindana. Also in the picture the Major General Abdul Aziz AL-Aqili the Minister of Defence 1966.

1966 Iraqi coup d'état attempt

Arif Abd ar-Razzaq and a number of his group of Iraqi officers entered Iraq borders through Kuwait with assistant of a Syrian officer Abdul Waham Al Khateeb `who has links to the Syrian government and he escaped to Syria later after the failed attempt' two weeks after the coup. They contacted Brigadier general Younis Atar Bashi who was the commander of the Iraqi fourth division in Mosul to support them in their attempt. He hesitated at the beginning but agreed later to corporate with the conspirators in order to overthrown the government and take control of the fourth division in Mosul and the city Airport. They conspirators received also support from the iraqi embassy in Cairo, Egypt Ali Hussain.[2] The planes took off from the Mosul airport and bombed Baghdad and the Iraqi republican Palace with three air raids, two airplanes for each raid. While another plane landed in Habbaniyah air base while four other planes landed in AL-Rashed military base near Baghdad, and other planes attacked Al-Washash military base. Another force attacked the iraqi Radio station in Baghdad but they failed to control it for some reason.[3] 8 people killed and 15 wounded as a result of the bombing. At this time Abdul Rahman Arif the Iraqi president phoned Major General Khaleel Jassim The commander of Mosul district and Iraqi Commandos Units in Mosul headquarter asking for help to stop the air raids and taking control of the iraqi units there, as there were no response from the other senior officers who are in charge of the fourth division. Khaleel Jassim promised to ease the situation, and arrest the conspirators. He attacked with his commando unit named after his name "Khaleel Jassim Unit" the Mosul air base and took control of the Ghazalni military base and restored the order there. Then captured the conspirators including Arif Abd ar-Razzaq. At the same time the Brigadier Slaibi Aljumaili a pro Arif officer took control over Baghdad TV station where the conspirators tried to occupy.

Aftermath

The coup lead to instability in Iraq on the political level as well as the military level, which lead to the overthrown of president Abdul Rahman Arif few years later in 17 July Revolution or movement. All the conspirators were jailed for a short period of time then released including Arif Abd ar-Razzaq while Younis Atar Bashi and some other officers put to retirement and the fourth division commander released from his command and was replace by Khaleel Jassim for a short period of time then by for a short period of time by Khaleel Jassim then by Abdul Jabbar Khalil Shanshal.

The Failure of Bedouin-political revenge attempts between 1993-2000

Later after many years Khalil Jassim grand son Ghaith Khalil. was targeted by some officers and Air Force pilots who were still loyal to Arif Abd ar-Razzaq in a Bedouin-political revenge with multiple assassination attempts which took place in Baghdad, Iraq between 1993–2000. Including colonel pilot Fahad Abdul khaliq and Mumtaz Al-Sadoon who were grandson of former prime minister Abdul-Muhsin Al-Saadoun and Arif Abd ar-Razzaq loyalist from the Egyptian Nasiri Arabian political movement who adopted the Arabian nationalist ideology of the Egyptian former president Gamal Abdel Nasser. Again Khalil Jassim grandson Ghaith Khalil with help of his grandfather comrade in arms [4] was able to foil all their assassination attempts despite his young age and arrest one of the pilot officer Major Ahmed Fahad Al-Sadoon Son of Colonel pilot Fahad Al-Sadoon, who were also arrested in 1966 coupe as well as their brothers and cousins such Colonel Mumtaz Al-Sadoon, and their sons, also some relatives to the former Iraqi prime minister Colonel pilot Arif Abd ar-Razzaq. Later during the struggle Colonel Ahmed Fahad Al-Sadoon life was speared, when he Sought protection from Ghaith Khalil. The group of Iraqi army officers who came to aid their comrade in arms Khalil Jassim grandson Ghaith Khalil, were General AL-Ansari, the well known senior Iraqi general Saeed Hammo and their officers sons General Suhil Hammo.[5]

References

1. اوراق اللواء خليل جاسم الدباغ , د.م. غيث الدباغ , دار دجلة للطباعة والنشر, الاردن
2. كتاب عبد الرحمن البزاّز: أول رئيس وزراء مدني في العراق الجمهوري, تاليف سيف الدين الدوري, 2006, ص
3. مقابلة لعارف عبد الرزاق مع احمد منصور, قناة الجزيرة, برنامج شاهد علئ العصر, 2002
4. الانعكاسات العشائرية لمحاولتي عارف عبد الرزاق في الجيش العراقي, ISBN 978-620-0-06646-6, غيث خليل
5. ISBN 9789957718039 أوراق اللواء خليل جاسم الدباغ