Iraq's Beloved Leader Betrayed and Executed by His Own Trusted Officers

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]The most beloved leader in Iraq's history was destroyed by the very loyalty that made him great. It's 1958, Baghdad, Iraq. A young Brigadier General leads a bloodless coup, ending centuries of monarchy in a single night. Abdul Karim Qasim takes power and immediately gives land to peasants, kicks out foreign oil companies, and builds schools in every village. The people worship him as their savior. He refuses to bow to Moscow or Washington, charting Iraq's own path. His fellow officers share power as equals, and he trusts them completely. For four years, he transforms the nation, but his popularity terrifies foreign powers, and his refusal to join the Cold War makes him dangerous to both sides. The CIA begins meeting with Ba'ath Party conspirators, including a young Saddam Hussein. They plan carefully while Qasim suspects nothing. February 8th, [music] 1963. Tanks surround the ministry as gunfire erupts in the streets. Qasim refuses to [music] flee, trusting his officers until the end. They drag him before cameras and execute him on live television. The leader who believed in collective leadership was Abdul Karim Qasim.