Communists Fight New Iraq Regime

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30054, 12 February 1963, Page 13

Communists Fight New Iraq Regime

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) TEHERAN, February 11. Armed Iraqi. Communists are reported to be fighting the new revolutionary regime’s forces in Basra, near Abadan, the Associated Press said today. Reports from the Persian frontier said the Communists invaded the Basra gaol yesterday and freed about 1500 imprisoned Communists and criminals. It was indicated that Iraqi forces were being withdrawn from the border with Kuwait and moved to Basra to meet the Communist threat.

In Bagdad, fighting continued in the capital for the third successive day yesterday as the revolutionaries tried to wipe out all remaining pockets of resistance. Travellers reaching Beirut from Bagdad said suburban streets echoed with gunfire as troops flushed Communist sympathisers out of houses, shops and clubs. Opponents of the new regime were fighting back hard, the travellers said. Bagdad Radio repeatedly broadcast a communique announcing prison sentences for those found guilty of carrying weapons such as firearms, knives and clubs. The radio also announced the establishment of “national guard” units throughout the country to help police and troops “protecting the people’s safety” to crush “subversive elements.” Except for planes flying out of Bagdad, Iraq remained sealed from the outside world. Travellers indicated that casualties were likely to he much smaller than the intense fighting suggested, the British United Press said. Describing last night’s television film of General Kassem’s execution by fifing squad, they said he appeared to have been heavily beaten before his execution. An American engineer. Mr Edward Fowley, said there ■was absolutely no doubt the body shown in the film was General Kassem’s. An American architect, Mr Peter Morton, of Boston, said that last Friday, from his hotel, he saw the rebels make between 50 and 60 attacks on Government buildings with Hunter and MiG jet fighters. He said the aircraft blasted the Iraqi Defence Ministry building for five hours with cannon shells. “People in Favour” "This has been a very successful revolution of which 80 per cent, of the population are fully in favour. This morning people were in the

streets and they seemed happy and smiling,” said Mr Morton. Another traveller, Mr Peter Lowe, a businessman from Cheshire, said: “The atmosphere is frightening. There are tanks, armoured cars and jeeps with bazookas manned by soldiers at every comer. “Roadblocks have been put up throughout the city and young students with green armbands are stopping people and searching them. The students are only teen-agers and they are prodding people with tommy-gurus.” Bagdad Radio said yesterday that order and calm prevailed and people had resumed their everyday activities in freedom.

Shops and airports had reopened. The curfew had been lifted to 5 p.m. until further notice.

People reaching Beirut said the revolution had been successful and the new regime appeared in control. Neutral Policy

Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Mr Taleb Hussein Chedid, said yesterday that Iraq would follow a policy of positive neutralism and adherence to the principles of Kassem’s revolt of 1958, A.P. reported. “We will follow a policy of positive neutralism because of our deep conviction in it,” he said in a statement to the

Iraqi News Agency. “The aims of the revolution are those of the July 14, (1958) revolt, to be carried out in an atmosphere of democracy and justice.”

The Foreign Minister also pledged allegiance to the United Nations Charter, as well as to the principle® set out at the Bandung conference in order to promote Afro-Asian solidarity. He said Iraq would follow a course designed to promote unified Arab aims and Arab unity. Iraq’s foreign policy would be based on mutual friendship and understanding with all countries, he said. He said Iraq would “leave no stone unturned to see that occupied Palestine —the great Arab problem—is restored to the bosom of the Arab nation.” The British United Press reported from Washington today that Colonel Mohammed Khalid, military attache at the Iraqi Embassy in Washington, said General Kasem was overthrown because he had betrayed the men who helped him to power. He said the 1958 revolutionary movement had been diverted from its purposes by the Kassem regime and stolen from the people. Informed sources said the British Ambassador in Bagdad (Sir Roger Allen) yesterday had a friendly interview

with the new Iraqi Foreign ■ Minister, Mr Talib Hussein Shabib. In the course of the interview the Minister raised the question of British recognition, the sources said. In London, a Foreign Office spokesman said Britain would consider recognition of the new Government in Iraq “as rapidly as possible,” a Foreign Office spokesman said in London tonight. The spokesman, answering questions, said this would be done in accordance with the British Government’s normal criteria for recognition in such cases.

The spokesman did not amplify his remarks but observers pointed out that the main condition for recognition applied by the British Government was usually that any new regime should be in effective control of the larger part of the country in question.

Iraq’s new President, Colonel Abdul Arif, in a cable to the Syrian President (Dr. Nazem Kudsi) was quoted by Bagdad Radio yesterday a® saying: "We wish to assure you that our revolution is going ahead to achieve its aims and national aspirations. "The revolution's national council will work towards realising and securing freedoms for our people and realising their hopes in unity, freedom, democracy and socialism.” The Arab League secretarygeneral, Abdel Khaliq Hassouna, had cabled congratulations to the new Iraqi rulers, a Cairo message said. The Syrian Socialist leader, Mr Akram Hourani, called for “progressive rule in Syria to stand side by side with Iraq’s new regime.” Kurdish Message The Kurdish leader, Ahmed Barzani told the Iraqi President in a telegram yesterday: “We declare with joy our delight at your elimination of the dictatorial regime, and our full support for the revolution.” In the telegram, broadcast by Bagdad Radio, the Kurdish leader also said: "We ask you to look favourabaly on your brothers, the Kurds, who bore the brunt of the oppression in the period of tyranny, which mocked the rights of the people.” The official Jugoslav news agency reported that Jugoslavia had recognised the new Iraqi regime, and A.P. reported that the Sudan today also recognised the new Government. Reporting from Teheran, the British United Press said Persia would recognise the new Government in Iraq today, according to official reports. Reuter reported from Bonn that West Germany had today recognised the new Iraqi Government, according to a Foreign Ministry spokesman. More Executions Bagdad Radio reported that more officers had been executed today. It named them as retired Brigadier Abdel Majid Selim, retired Brigadier Hussein Dhouri, Colonel Ibrahim Kadim, and retired Staff Brigadier Daoud Janabi. The announcement of the executions came from the military Governor-General of Iraq. The executed officers were described by Bagdad Radio as “criminals and traitors who despised the rights of the people and spread chaos.”