Regional Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region explained

The Regional Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region, officially the Regional Command of the Iraqi Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, was the highest decision-making organ of the Ba'ath Party organization in Iraq. The Regional Command has normally had 19-21 members throughout its history. When in power, the Directorate of Security Affairs was responsible for the security of the president and the senior members of the Regional Command.

The Iraqi Regional Branch was organized on the Marxist–Leninist model, with a small elite, the Regional Command, controlling the party from the top down. As in the Soviet Union, the party leadership became the government. While the Regional Command was the de facto highest legislative and executive organ of state and party, the Revolutionary Command Council was according to the 1970 Constitution of Iraq "the supreme body of the state." In theory, the Regional Command was to be subordinate to the National Command.

Structure

Secretary of the Regional Command

• Fuad al-Rikabi (1951–1959)
• Talib El-Shibib (1959– May 1962)
• Ali Salih al-Sadi (May 1962 – 25 September 1963)
• Hamdi Abd al-Majid (25 September 1963 – 11 November 1963)
• Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr (11 November 1963 – 1 February 1964)
• Saddam Hussein (1 February 1964 – 1966)
• Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr (1966–1979)
• Saddam Hussein (1979–2003 de facto, 2003–2006 de jure)
• Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri (2007–2020)
• Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed (2020–present)

Deputy Secretary of the Regional Command

• Unknown (pre-1966)
• Saddam Hussein (1966–1979)
• Taha Yassin Ramadan (1979–1991)
• Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri (1991–2007)
• Unknown (2007–present)

Members

Name! scope="col"

Took office	Left office	Term(s)	Duration
	December 1955	29 November 1959	2
	December 1955	1957	1
	December 1955	1957	1
	2 February 1960	May 1962	2
	1957	July 1960	2
	1957	29 November 1959	1
	1957	29 November 1959	1
	1957	25 September 1963	4
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	1957	29 November 1959	1
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	1957	29 November 1959	1
	2 February 1960	11 November 1963	4
	2 February 1960	25 September 1963	1
	June 1982	September 1991	1
	1994	18 May 2001	1
	2 February 1960	February 1964	5
	2 February 1960	July 1960	1
	May 1962	11 November 1963	2
	May 1962	11 November 1963	2
	May 1962	11 November 1963	2
	May 1962	11 November 1963	2
	25 September 1963	11 November 1963	1
	25 September 1963	11 November 1963	1
	11 November 1963	16 July 1979	5
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	11 November 1963	9 April 2003	1
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	1 August 1965	9 April 2003	9
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	11 November 1963	1967	1
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	11 November 1963	February 1964	1
	February 1964	9 April 2003	8
	February 1964	October 1965	3
	February 1964	October 1966	3
	January 1974	16 July 1979	1
	February 1964	March 1970	3
	February 1964	1973	3
	February 1964	October 1966	1
	October 1966	1971	2
	October 1966	January 1974	2
	October 1966	9 April 2003	8
	October 1966	1970	2
	October 1966	November 1968	1
	November 1966	9 April 2003	8
	November 1968	1971	2
	November 1968	September 1969	1
	January 1974	June 1982	2
	January 1974	16 July 1979	1
	January 1974	16 July 1979	1
	January 1974	January–March 1977	1
	January 1974	March 1977	1
	January 1974	16 July 1979	1
	January 1974	16 July 1979	1
	January 1974	16 July 1979	1
	January 1974	September 1982	2
	January 1974	September 1982	2
	January 1974	June 1982	2
	January 1974	June 1982	2
	January 1974	June 1982	2
	January 1974	4 May 1989	3
	January 1974	September 1991	3
	January 1974	September 1991	3
	January 1974	September 1991	3
	June 1982	1994	2
	June 1982	September 1991	1
	June 1982	September 1991	1
	June 1982	September 1991	1
	June 1982	18 May 2001	3
	June 1982	18 May 2001	3
	June 1982	9 April 2003	4
	June 1982	9 April 2003	4
	June 1982	September 1991	1
	1994	9 April 2003	2
	September 1991	1994	1
	September 1991	1994	1
	September 1991	1994	1
	September 1991	1994	1
	September 1991	1994	1
	September 1991	18 May 2001	2
	September 1991	18 May 2001	2
	September 1991	9 April 2003	3
	1994	18 May 2001	1
	1994	18 May 2001	1
	1994	9 April 2003	1
	1994	9 April 2003	2
	1994	9 April 2003	2
	18 May 2001	9 April 2003	1
	18 May 2001	9 April 2003	1
	18 May 2001	9 April 2003	1
	18 May 2001	9 April 2003	1
	18 May 2001	9 April 2003	1
	18 May 2001	9 April 2003	1

References

General
Regional Command membership was taken from this source:

Specific

Bibliography

• Book: Coughlin, Con . Con Coughlin

. Con Coughlin . Saddam: His Rise and Fall . . 2005 . 0-06-050543-5.

• Book: Ghareeb . Edmund . Dougherty . Beth . Historical dictionary of Iraq . . 2004 . 978-0-8108-4330-1.
• Book: Tripp, Charles . Charles R. H. Tripp

. Charles R. H. Tripp . A History of Iraq . . 2010 . 978-0-521-87823-4.

• Book: Sassoon, Joseph. Saddam Hussein's Ba'th Party: Inside an Authoritarian Regime. Cambridge University Press. 1st. 2012. 978-0-521-14915-0.