Saddam Seizes Power: Iraq's Dictator Takes Control
Saddam Hussein had been the effective power behind President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr for years, running Iraq's intelligence services and oil nationalization program while his aging cousin held the ceremonial role. On July 16, 1979, Bakr was forced to resign due to "health reasons" and Saddam formally assumed the presidency. Within days, Saddam convened a televised meeting of the Ba'ath Party where he read names from a list while weeping. Those named were escorted out of the room one by one. Some were executed. The message was clear: loyalty or death. Within a year, Saddam would invade Iran, beginning an eight-year war that killed over a million people.
July 16, 1979
47 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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