July 16, 1979

Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein succeeds Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr as president of Iraq

The surviving Iraqi resolution records a unanimous vote, took effect the same day, and already carries his signature as chairman of the council that elected him.

16 July 1979

President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr abdicated on 16 July 1979 and Saddam Hussein formally inherited Iraq’s presidential and leadership responsibilities.

Iraq’s Revolutionary Command Council unanimously elected Saddam its chairman effective the same day, with Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri as deputy chairman. He now held the presidency, the premiership and the council chair at once.

Why al-Bakr went is the unsettled part

The resignation was officially attributed to poor health. A contemporary U.S. diplomatic cable said genuine ill health remained possible and that the precise reason was unclear; later accounts often say Saddam forced him out.

The same assessment called the succession smooth and judged Saddam firmly in control, while noting that the timing of al-Bakr’s departure had been unexpected.

The purge came six days later

The filmed Ba’ath Party meeting at Khuld Hall, where Saddam began removing alleged conspirators, was convened on 22 July. It was not part of the 16 July transfer.

Nor did he suddenly acquire effective power that day. Saddam had been the regime’s strongman and designated successor for years; 16 July made that dominance formal.

Sources

Researched 24 Aug 2026 5 sources not yet audited

How this was checked

Researched from the web into a fact sheet and rewritten from that sheet. This article has not yet had an independent model audit. How the pipeline works →

What the sources leave uncertain

The date and formal transfer are well documented. The disputed point is why al-Bakr resigned: later accounts often say Saddam forced him out, whereas the contemporary U.S. cable said genuine ill health remained possible and the precise reason was unclear.