Revolutionary Command Council (Iraq) - Important Leaders of The RCC

Important Leaders of The RCC

Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, President and Prime Minister of Iraq from 1968 to 1979, also held the position of Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council. Al-Bakr’s role as Chairman of the RCC strengthened and maintained his power and control of the decision making process. Hassan al-Bakr’s involvement in the RCC led to legislation that greatly reinforced the power of the Ba’ath party as he created a strong Ba’ath base within the government. Charles Tripp makes the point that “in 1969, Saddam Husain was appointed Vice-Chairman of the RCC, arguably the second most powerful office in the state.” Al-Bakr and Husain’s political positions helped them consolidate their power and control. The RCC was mostly composed of Ba’ath leaders and their control limited the input from other groups. However, Shi‘i Iraqis were later accepted into the RCC to help appease the unrest among the Shi‘a in the 1970s. Many scholars argue that the powerful positions held by al-Bakr and Husain in the RCC reinforced their supreme control of the Iraqi government. Hussein promoted an agenda of modernization as vice chairman of the RCC that included literacy and education. As vice chairman Hussein built a strong reputation as an effective and progressive leader. In 1979 Saddam Husain became President of Iraq and Chairman of RCC, with deputy chairman Izzat Ibrahim ad-Douri, and deputy Prime Ministers Tariq Aziz and Taha Yassin Ramadan. Izzat Ibrahim ad-Douri played an important role in leading the RCC during Saddam Husain’s administration. The council was led by the deputy chairman, ad-Douri. Through their leadership positions in the council, the deputy chairman and deputy prime minister worked on behalf of Saddam Husain in the RCC to advance the Ba’ath Party’s interests. The RCC was the supreme policy making force in Iraq until the American-led invasion in 2003 dissolved the council and replaced it with Coalition Provisional Authority. The power of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) was transferred to newly appointed Iraqi Interim Government in 2004 and the CPA was dissolved in 2008.