Word: kassem
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Dates: during 1958-1958
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...Communists show themselves to Kassem as Iraqi patriots who believe that Nasser wants to end Iraq's independence. Kassem, a politically unsophisticated soldier, is not generally regarded as Communist-although, as British Journalist Michael Adams points out, it could be risky to underestimate Kassem's powers of dissimulation, since he fooled the wary Nuri asSaid for all those years...
Next day, while the newspapers gloated about Rountree's "fleeing from the crowds which came to receive him," the State Department envoy was scheduled to call on Iraq's head of state, General Kassem. The Iraqis sent an army station wagon and a jeepload of troops and-semi-secretly and with no flag flying-the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State was smuggled off to call on the Prime Minister of a supposedly friendly country. It was the only time he left the embassy in his two days in Iraq...
...Kassem was amiable but hardly contrite. Over cigarettes and coffee he explained that "the people here are free to demonstrate their feelings," insisted they had nothing against Rountree personally but were simply expressing resentment of the U.S. built up over the years of the Nuri asSaid regime, which came to a bloody ending last summer. In turn, Rountree said the U.S. wanted friendly relations with Iraq and hoped that greater mutual confidence could be created. After exchanging platitudes for 90 minutes, Rountree left. Kassem's next visitor was the Soviet ambassador, who spent 45 minutes with the general...
...about a Middle Eastern city like a hunted criminal. Yet, if Fritzlan had followed the route from the airport that the mob had expected, the embassy car would certainly have been stopped, probably overturned and set afire, and the men inside could have been in gravest peril. If General Kassem had not wanted William Rountree humiliated or worse, he showed an inefficiency and stupidity not previously apparent...
...officials in Baghdad swallowed their anger as best they could. They feel that nothing would have suited the Communists better than an unhappy incident-even Rountree's murder-which would have provoked an aroused U.S. into breaking off relations with Kassem. As U.S. representatives, they recognized the need to be there in Baghdad. But, understandably, they did not enjoy...