Assadist–Saddamist conflict

Last updated
Assadist-Saddamist conflict
Date1979–present
Location
All over the Arab world, mainly in Iraq and Syria
Belligerents

Assadists

Flag of Syria.svg  Syria
Flag of Iraq.svg  Iraq (after 2003)
InfoboxHez.PNG Hezbollah
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran
Flag of Iraq.svg Popular Mobilization Forces

Contents


Supported by:
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Shiism arabic blue.svg Iraqi Shia militias
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
Flag of Palestine.svg PLO (factions)
PFLP
Flag of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.svg DFLP
Houthis Logo.png Ansar Allah

Saddamists

Flag of Iraq (1963-1991).svg Ba'athist Iraq (until 2003)
Flag of Iraq (1963-1991).svg JRTN


Supported by:
Flag of the United States.svg  United States (until 1991)
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia (until 1991)
Flag of Kuwait.svg  Kuwait (until 1991)
FLCross.jpg Lebanese Forces
Flag of the Muslim Brotherhood.svg IMS
Syrian revolution flag.svg Free Syrian Army
Flag of Palestine.svg PLO (factions)
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Syria.svg Hafez al-Assad
Flag of Syria.svg Bashar al-Assad
Flag of Syria.svg Maher al-Assad
Flag of Syria.svg Hassan Turkmani
Flag of Syria.svg Assef Shawkat
Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Saddam Hussein
Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri
Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Tariq Aziz
Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Ali Hassan al-Majid
Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Salah Al-Mukhtar
Flag of Iraq (1991-2004).svg Raghad Hussein

The Assadist-Saddamist conflict, also known as the Ba'ath Party intraconflict, refers to the conflict between the Assadist Syrian-led Ba'ath Party and its subgroups, and the Saddamist Iraqi-led Ba'ath Party and its subgroups.

History

The conflict emerged after the Ba'ath Party split into two factions, that of Syria and that of Iraq, following the 1966 Syrian coup d'état where Michel Aflaq and Salah al-Din al-Bitar were overthrown by Hafez al-Assad and Salah Jadid. In the 1970s, the two Ba'athist parties managed to reconcile, although the conflict erupted again as a result of the 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge in Iraq. [1] [2]

In 1980, when Saddam Hussein invaded Iran, leading to the Iran-Iraq war, the Syrian Ba'ath chose to ally with Iran. This began a Syrian Baathist alliance with Shia Islamists, and an Iraqi Baathist alliance with the West and Sunni Islamists. Despite the Baath Party as a whole claiming to be secular, the conflict is partially rooted in sectarianism as the Iraqi Baath party was led by Sunnis, while the Syrian Baath party was led by Alawites. [3] The Iraqi Baath Party supported the Muslim Brotherhood in their revolt against the Syrian Baath. [4]

In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. After United Nations Security Council authorization, Syria joined the coalition that liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupation in the 1991 Gulf War. Syria broke relations after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 and joined other Arab states in sending military forces to the coalition that forced Iraq out of Kuwait. However by 1997, Syrian president Hafez al-Assad began reestablishing relations with Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. [5] Hafez died in 2000 and Iraq sent Vice President Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf to attend the state funeral. The ascendance of Bashar al-Assad in 2000 boosted this process. [6] Under Bashar, Syria ignored the sanctions against Iraq and assisted Iraq to illegally import oil. [7]

In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq and removed the Saddamists from power, leaving the Syrian Arab Republic as the only remaining Ba'athist state.

See also

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References

  1. Batatu, Hanna (1999). Syria's Peasantry, the Descendants of Its Lesser Rural Notables, and Their Politics. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Princeton University Press. ISBN   0-691-00254-1.
  2. Ehteshami, Anoushiravan; Hinnebusch, Raymond A. (2002). Syria and Iran: Middle Powers in a Penetrated Regional System. New York, USA: Routledge. ISBN   0-415-15675-0.
  3. Nasr, Vali, The Shia Revival (Norton), 2006, p.154
  4. "The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood". Cablegate. 26 February 1985. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  5. Mansour & Thompson 2020, p. 118.
  6. Mansour & Thompson 2020, p. 117.
  7. Harris 2012, p. 267.

Bibliography