Early life and career Abd al-Karim Qasim

qasim in 1937.

abd al-karim s father, qasim muhammed bakr al-fadhli al-zubaidi, farmer southern baghdad , iraqi sunni muslim of arab descent died shortly after son s birth during world war i. qasim s mother, kayfia hassan yakub al-sakini shiite muslim baghdad.

when qasim 6 years of age family moved suwayra, small town near tigris, baghdad in 1926. qasim excellent student; entered secondary school on government scholarship. after graduation in 1931, taught @ shamiyya elementary school 22 october of year until 3 september 1932, when accepted military college. in 1934, graduated second lieutenant. qasim attended al-arkan (iraqi staff) college , graduated honours (grade a) in december 1941. in 1951, completed senior officers’ course in devizes, wiltshire. although shy , lacking in rabble-rousing skills on successful arab politicians rely , nonetheless nicknamed snake charmer classmates in devizes, because of gift in convincing them undertake improbable courses of action during military exercises.

militarily, participated in suppression of tribal disturbances in middle euphrates region in 1935, during anglo-iraqi war in may 1941 , in kurdistan war in 1945. qasim served during iraqi military involvement in arab-israeli war may 1948 june 1949. toward latter part of mission, commanded battalion of first brigade, situated in kafr qasem area south of qilqilya. in 1956–57, served brigade @ mafraq in jordan in wake of suez crisis. 1957 qasim had assumed leadership of several opposition groups had formed in army.