biography
| name: |
Kassem, Abdul Karim
|
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1914–63)
|
| biography:
| Iraqi soldier and revolutionary, born in Baghdad, Iraq. He joined the army and rose to the rank of brigadier. He led the Free Officers' coup which resulted in the overthrow of the monarchy and the deaths of King Faisal II and the pro-Western prime minister General Nuri Es-Sa'id. Kassem suspended the constitution and established a left-wing military regime, with himself as prime minister and president, but soon found himself increasingly isolated in the Arab world. He survived one assassination attempt, but failed to crush a Kurdish rebellion (1961–3), and was executed after a coup led by Colonel Abd al-Salem Aref. |
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