Former Iraqi Intelligence Chief Reveals Secrets of Baath Party Assassinations
In a gripping testimony aired on Al Jazeera 360, former Iraqi Intelligence Director Fadhel Al-Azzawi sheds light on the dark era of the Baath Party's rule following their coup against President Abdul Rahman Aref on July 17, 1968. Al-Azzawi's revelations focus on the assassination policies that targeted key figures, including Abdul Razzaq Al-Nayef, Saleh Mahdi Ammash, and Hardan Al-Tikriti, exposing the brutal tactics employed during Saddam Hussein's regime.
Al-Azzawi disclosed that Al-Nayef was assassinated on July 9, 1978, in London by intelligence officer Ahmed Al-Abbasi, who was acting under orders from Iraqi intelligence. The motive behind the assassination was rooted in fears that Al-Nayef had connections with the British and posed a threat to the nascent revolution. Al-Azzawi recounted that Al-Abbasi later faced imprisonment in England and was eventually released, returning to Iraq, where he was unjustly imprisoned again after the American invasion.
The former intelligence chief also addressed claims about the motivations behind the assassinations, specifically denying that Al-Nayef was killed due to possessing documents linking Saddam to the CIA. Instead, he sarcastically questioned why the CIA would fabricate such narratives if Saddam was indeed an agent. This underscores the complex relationship between Iraqi leadership and foreign intelligence agencies during the tumultuous period.
Al-Azzawi recounted the assassination of Hardan Al-Tikriti, another prominent figure, who was killed in Kuwait on the orders of the Baath Party leadership. He also touched upon the mysterious circumstances surrounding Saleh Mahdi Ammash’s death, suggesting that while he cannot confirm the poisoning claims, Ammash was a significant player in the 1968 coup.
In his testimony, Al-Azzawi acknowledged that while there were instances of liquidations within the regime, he was never personally ordered to carry out assassinations. He characterized Saddam as a powerful ruler whose decisions were rarely opposed, even noting his own dissent against Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Al-Azzawi's insights reveal not only the ruthless nature of the Baath regime but also the tribal dynamics and loyalty-based criteria that governed Iraq's executive agencies during this dark chapter in history.
