Abdul-Karim Qasim
Az-Za'im ("The Leader") Abdul-Karim Qasim عبد الكريم قاسم | |
|---|---|
Qasim in 1961 | |
| Prime Minister of Iraq | |
| In office 14 July 1958 – 8 February 1963 | |
| President | Muhammad Najib ar-Ruba'i |
| Preceded by | Ahmad Mukhtar Baban |
| Succeeded by | Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr |
| Defense Minister of Iraq | |
| In office 14 July 1958 – 8 February 1963 | |
| Preceded by | Nuri al-Said |
| Succeeded by | Saleh Mahdi Amassi |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces | |
| In office 14 July 1958 – 8 February 1963 | |
| Preceded by | King Faisal II |
| Succeeded by | Abdul Salam Arif |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 November 1914 Baghdad, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 9 February 1963 (aged 48) Baghdad, Iraq |
| Cause of death | Execution by firing squad |
| Nationality | Iraqi |
| Political party | Independent |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Iraq (1934–1958) Iraqi Republic (1958–1963) |
| Branch/service | Iraqi Ground Forces |
| Years of service | 1934–1963 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Battles/wars | |
Abdul-Karim Qasim Muhammad Bakr al-Fadhli Al-Qaraghuli al-Zubaidi (Arabic: عبد الكريم قاسم ʿAbd al-Karīm Qāsim [ʕabdulkariːm qɑːsɪm]; 21 November 1914 – 9 February 1963) was an Iraqi military officer and statesman who served as the Prime Minister and de facto leader of Iraq from 1958 until his overthrow in 1963.
Qasim came to power in 1958 when the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown during the 14 July Revolution. He ruled the country as the prime minister until his downfall and execution during the 1963 Ramadan Revolution. He led a military rule in Iraq. Relations with Iran and the West deteriorated significantly under Qasim's leadership. He actively opposed the presence of foreign troops in Iraq and spoke out against it. Relations with Iran were strained due to his call for Arab territory within Iran to be annexed to Iraq, and Iran continued to actively fund and facilitate Kurdish rebels in the north of Iraq. Relations with the Pan-Arab Nasserist factions such as the Arab Struggle Party caused tensions with the United Arab Republic, and as a result it began to aid Kurdish rebellions in the Kurdistan Region against the government.
During his rule, Qasim was popularly known as az-Zaʿīm (الزعيم), or "The Leader".