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"Wearing a black suit amidst a desert sun is akin to torture"---
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November 14, 1961
Ministry of Interior Administrative Building
(Picture of Soldat Hussein)
There were many within the government that still questioned the role I played in the larger game. That many were of those who had no idea who I was. To some I was just a young inexperienced fool who got higher positions from coat tailing off of President Arif. To others I was just a mere Minister of Home Affairs responsible for public security, civil registration and identification, emergency management, supervision of regional and local governments, conduct of elections, public administration and immigration (including passport issuance) matters.
This position was sorely overlooked by some and envied by others. I myself saw it as an opportunity to carry out important task unimpeded by the eyes of the Government and Arif. Besides the Law Enforcement Agency and the ISB under it, there were other organizations that tended tasks of Administrative and Civil matters under his jurisdiction which were just as important if not more.
As Minister of Interior he held immeasurable power but still limited , he would have been confined to his jurisdiction if it were not for blackmail, persuasion assassinations and his position in the military . His title of military officer and commander of my Elite infantry Division further gave him power many didn't have.
'On another note he was also putting the final touches to the development and reorganization of the Local Law Enforcement. The Iraqi Constabulary Force or the National Police. It wasn't even surprising in anyway when he learned about the precarious actions of some of the previous members before its overtures .
Many of the typical police were susceptible to bribery, corruption , murder and unlawful harassment.A disgusting lot they were but blame could not fall on them alone but on the higher ups who allowed them to do as they pleased. How can the people respect the law when the law enforcers don't.All of that had to changed '
"Sir" A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts .
"Enter" He ordered without raising his head from the papers in his hand.
"They are here" His beautiful secretary voiced
Looking up from his documents he pursed his lips into a small smile.
"Let them in Fatima"
She nodded at his words before exiting to get the visitors.
'A beauty she was 'he thought .He always patted himself on the back the day he chose her. You cant be a powerful man and not have a beautiful secretary.'
It wasn't uncommon for women to work in Iraq especially in this time and their presence in the work environment was slowly increasing year by year.
"Gentlemen " he stood to welcome them as he moved from around his desk .
Ahmed Hassan al bakr smiled before shaking the man's hand , then came Saddam Hussein his older brother and last , Salah Omar Al-Ali.
"Its always a pleasure to see you all, might I offer you refreshments, water? Tea perhaps?"
"Water would be alright for me ", Hassan proclaimed , the other two men nodded their heads for the same .
The secretary took their responses and did the service without Soldat ordering.
"Have a seat in the meantime" Soldat stated indicating to chairs to the left side of his office to which they all sat comfortably.
"I suppose Ali Salih is not giving you anymore trouble Secretary Hassan ? " He started giving the man a smug smile.
" For these pass few days no , though I wonder how you convinced that stubborn creature otherwise". Hassan replies with a scowl
"Lets just say he had his skeletons in his closet and I found where he hid them. But knowing how he's so prideful and egotistical he will not be cowed for long , nor will he take such a slight lightly . He will not let us blackmail him and have him ousted, he will be planning to seek revenge even with what I have on him "
"You wish to get rid of him ?" Came Salah
"No,… we need to get rid of him!" Soldat corrected his words.
"And how do you propose we go about that ?The man has guards with him 24/7 ." Saddam enquired
" Well it needs to be private and humiliating , that much I can say." Soldat retorted
Salah had a concerned look on his face.
"His control of the National Guard militia is concerning and dangerous, if not for your role in the army and your Infantry brigade then I doubt we'd all be living for so long " Hassan stated with a frown
As the secretary general of the Ba'ath Party, al-Salih if not combated by Soldat and his coalition formed from other bath party members' Al Salih would have basically been the new leader of Iraq; through his control of the National Guard militia (commanded by Mundhir al-Wanadawi), al-Sa'di exercised more power than the prime minister—prominent Ba'athist general Ahmed Hassan al bakr or the largely ceremonial president, Abdul Salam Arif.
The nine month rule of al-Salih and his civilian branch of the Ba'ath Party has been described as "a reign of terror" as the National Guard, under orders from the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) "to annihilate anyone who disturbs the peace," detained, tortured, or executed hundreds of suspected Qasim loyalists. Furthermore, the National Guard which developed from a core group of perhaps 5,000 civilian Ba'athist partisans but increased to 20,000 members by August 1961, with members identified by their green armbands—was poorly disciplined, as militiamen engaged in extensive infighting, creating a widespread perception of chaos and disorder.
"The man has a miltia of indiscipline brigands with guns yes , but I have 10,000 well trained and well equipped men , plus we have our own militia at 4000 more trained than those dogs. Ali Salih will be removed swiftly and quietly. His brigands and their leadership will also be swept away and punished for their crimes."Soldat stated firmly .
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Historian Marion Farouk-Sluglett
The Ba'athists that were under Ali Salih al-Sa'di had developed a profoundly unsavory image through "acts of wanton brutality" on a scale without prior precedent in Iraq. Ali Salih had overseen and given orders for some of the most terrible violence to be committed the post-war Middle East. Yet his tyranny of the bath Party was being contested. Soldat and a coalition of other Bath Party members including his cousin , Ahmed Hassan al bakr were key leaders to his rule . Soldat even proposed splitting from the bath party since Ali Salih has destroyed its reputation through wanton unnecessary acts of violence , to which some would disapprove as it would also mean disassociating from all bathist in the arab world."
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