History Iraq

 Historical dates

1930: Independence of Iraq: Hachemite monarchy
1933: Assyrians were massacred in Kemele, extinction of their own political entity; they became Kurdish allies.1936 to 1958: Successive coups d'etat.
14 July 1958: A left-wing nationalist group organised a coup d'état and instituted a republic. King Faisal was executed. General Qassem's government decided to free politics and liberate parties; those who were denied were allowed to undertake their activities.
February 1963: ?Baathist' coup d'état led by the Aref brothers who believed in Arab nationalism and favoured unity with Nassar's Egypt. Communists and partisans of the former regime were repressed and political parties dissolved. The Revolution Commandment National Council was created.
July 1968: General Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr became President. His cousin Saddam Hussein became RCNC's Vice-President.
1979: Saddam Hussein took over power and executed 500 people including General Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr.
1980 to 1988: The Iran-Iraq war (300,000 killed in Iraq).
1990 to 1991: 1st Gulf War.
April 1992: The new boundary between Kuwait and Iraq is drawn.
7 September 1995: RCNC decided to pass a law whereby Saddam Hussein's position as president was to be voted by Parliament and by referendum. Parliament elected Saddam Hussein President of the Republic for 7 years renewable.
29 January 2002: George W. Bush declared that Iraq, Iran and North Korea form an ?axis of evil', which he intended to fight.
13 December 2003: Saddam Hussein was arrested near Tikrit, his hometown.
4 January 2005: Ali Radi al-Haïdari, the Governor of Bagdad and one of his guards were killed in the west of the capital in a car bombing attack.
30 December 2006: Saddam Hussein (69 years old), former Iraqi President, was hanged after he was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity.