Abdul Salam Arif

Abdul Salam Arif was the second president of Iraq from 1963 until his death in a helicopter crash in 1966. He played a leading role in the 14 July Revolution, in which the Hashemite monarchy was overthrown on 14 July 1958. Along with Abdel Karim Qasim and other Iraqi military officers, Arif was a member of the clandestine organisation, the Free Officers of Iraq. He fought in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and joined the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire. He supported Faisal I's bid for the Syrian throne and followed him to Iraq when he was deposed by the French. He became the deputy prime minister and interior minister under Qasim, but was later arrested for plotting against him. He was pardoned and released in 1961. In 1963, he and the Ba'ath Party overthrew Qasim, and Arif was elected president of Iraq. He was an ardent Arab nationalist and sought to create unity in the Arab world and peace among quarreling factions in his country. He negotiated a cease-fire with the Kurdish rebels in 1964, but the fighting resumed later. He invited Abd al-Rahman al-Bazzaz to form a new government in 1965, hoping to set up a civilian government that would take orders from him. He died in a helicopter accident in 1966 and was succeeded by his brother Abdul Rahman Arif.