Key Leaders of Iraq

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, Iraq was under the control  of the British. In 1921, Faisal I became the king of Iraq, and later he achieved in getting Iraq it's independence later in 1932. After the death of Faisal, his son, Ghazi  took the spot previously own by his father. Many violent attacks on the government took place over the next several years during Ghazi's reign and when he was killed in an accident, his son, Faisal II was the next person in line. However since he was only three years old, his uncle,  Emir Abd al-Ilah took his spot until he grew up. General Abdul Karim Kassem killed Faisal II and declared Iraq a republic, and became the ruler of Iraq. Kassem was killed in 1963 by a coup led by Colonel Abd al-Salam Aref and the military as well as members of the Ba'ath party. The Ba'ath party supports secularism, and socialism. Colonel Aref became the president, and when his time was up, Ahmed Hasan al-Bakr of the Ba'ath party became the president. As more people began to take power through violence, the Ba’ath party began to take over more and began to gain more and more power in Iraq. When Al-Bakr resigns, Saddam Hussein took over the power and immediately began to execute political rivals. On December 2006, Saddam Hussein was hung. The next leader was voted by the people in their new government. This leader was President Jalal Talabani, and he has been president since April 6, 2005. Hussein, before his death was taken

out of power, and he was put in.