Heavy Overnight Street Fighting In Bagdad

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30057, 15 February 1963, Page 9

Heavy Overnight Street Fighting In Bagdad

(N.Z. Press Association—Coppright) BAGDAD, (Iraq), February 14. Fighting which broke out in the streets of Bagdad last night continued in heavy bursts until dawn today, the Associated Press reported.

Pitted against each other were ' troops and civilian national guards of Iraq's new revolutionary regime and Communists waging a lastditch battle against it. Rifles, machine-guns, and occasionally heavier tank weapons were heard in the centre of the city from about 9.30 p.m. until 5.30 a.m. It was the heaviest outburst of gunfire since Saturday night, the second night of the revolution that overthrew and killed General Abdel Karim Kassem, A.P. said. Iraqi Communists have been urged by clandestine radios to stage an armed uprising against the antiCommunist regime. They have held out in pockets of resistance in the

heavily-populated sections of Bagdad. Pro-Government forces have been moving in systematically to clean out the pockets. The gunfight started on a street near the Tigris river, in the vicinity of the city’s main telegraph station, A.P. said. A rifle bullet cracked from an upstairs window, according to a witness, and an Army tank crew stationed on the side street opened fire with two machine-guns. Small arms and heavier guns were heard firing sporadically for the rest of the night, finishing up just before dawn in a heavy outburst near Bagdad’s main intersection, Liberation square. The new regime in Bagdad has arrested Iraq’s top Com-

munist, Abdul Kader Ismail Bustani, the former Foreign Minister, Hashem Jawad, and the brother of General Kassem, the “Daily Star" newspaper said today. AT. reported.

In a further effort to locate Communist students and civil servants in hiding, the rebels decreed that all those who do not return to their classes or offices within three days will be dismissed, the newspaper said. It said a number of Kassem's relatives, together with pro-Communist Army officials and former Cabinet Ministers were gaoled yesterday. Iraq's new Foreign Minister (Mr Taleb Hussein Shabib) said yesterday that his country’s regime "will not tolerate any foreign interference in Iraqi internal affairs.”

The Foreign Minister speaking ait a press conference added: “We have faith in our revolution and trust that God will crown A with success ” Asked about the attitude of the new Government towards Communists. the Foreign Minister said the regime was against diotaitorship, and not against any class or sect. The Minister said the revolution had managed to stamp out pro-Kaseem Communisto and any further attempts to impair the present regime would meet with a similar fate. He said: "The revolution will work lor the restoration of the bonds between Kurds and Arabs " Asked about the relatione between the new Iraqi Government and the Arab League, the Foreign Minister said the dispute between Iraq and the league now was being discussed. “for we are determined to spare no efforts in promoting Arab unity.” On differences with the oil sheikdom at Kuwait. he was very hopeful of a satisfactory casngvomise. Replying to a question on relatione between the United Arab Republic and Iraq, Mr Sbebib said: “We believe that all free Arab countries are of the seme rank and the same destiny. They are all working for the reeliastion of Arab unity. “Accordingly, we can state that our Government will exert all-out efforts and will work to concert those of free Arab countries in a bid is realise pen-Arab unity.”