Khaleel Jassim
Major-general Khaleel Jassim Al-Dabbagh (Arabic: اللواء خليل جاسم الدباغ 1916-1969) was an Iraqi senior officer from the first era of the old Iraqi Army, the Commander of the Mosul zone, the Commander of the Light regiments and a vice-commander of the fourth division, the commander of the Iraqi commando units in the Iraqi army between 1963–1968, the commander of the fourth division 1966–1968. He was well known for his role in the 1948 Arab–Israeli war for his letters and negotiations with the Israeli army officers,[1] defending 'Ara, Ar'ara and other territories,[2] and also setting up the Palestinian regiments. Additionally, he commanded couple of campaigns and battles in northern Iraq region against Kurdish rebels between 1943-1969, starting with The second Barzani movement, The third Barzani movement, The third Barzani movement, The Iraqi Campaign on Alquosh 1963 against communist elements and the Kurd rebel allies known as Alansar army (جيش ألانصار) in Alqosh, as a part of the First Iraqi–Kurdish War in the Iraqi–Kurdish conflict. Furthermore, driving other Campaigns against Kurdish Insurgents under the command of Mustafa Barzani the most well known The Iraqi campaign on Amadiya 1965 on 9 September, 1965. Also, he played a major part in foiling the coup of Arif Abd ar-Razzaq in the Arif Abd ar-Razzaq second coup[3] against the former president of Iraq Abdul Rahman Arif on 12 June 1966 which resulted in arresting Arif Abd ar-Razzaq as well as other officers at Mosul Airport.
Early life
Khaleel Jassim was born at 1916 in Mosul Iraq from a family who had a long profession in leather smith and leather trade which brought the family name 'Al-Dabbagh' which means a leather smith in Arabic. His father Jassim participated in WWI on the Iraq front with the Ottoman army, he was injured and lost one of his legs during the operations south of Baghdad and stayed about a week before he was rescued by a British patrol then sent to the British military hospital in Basra where he was treated from his wounds.
Education
Khaleel Jassim studied at the military school and military college in Baghdad. Graduated as a lieutenant at 1940, "graduation cycle 18 ".
Positions and achievements
The first participation of Khaleel Jassim in combat was at the Anglo-Iraqi War when the coup of 1941 Iraqi coup d'état took place and followed by British air raids and attacks on the Iraqi army position near Habbaniya RAF Habbaniya. He showed a lot of courage and rescued his unit from dying from thirst after they lost their directions in the Iraqi desert near Fallujah after the heavy air raids. He ran for a very long distance alone and reached to some Bedouins and asked them for help and water to rescue his unit which they complied and sent with him a couple of horses and camels with water. In 1943, 1945, and 1947, he participated in the war in the north against the Kurdish rebels, tyari and other communist elements with a rank of first lieutenant then captain at that time at the 1943 Barzani revolt, Third Barazani Movement and Fourth Barazani Movement. This war was a guerrilla warfare kind of war, it gained him and other officers a lot of experience and made him one of the most reliable Iraqi generals that will take place in the struggle of fighting Kurdish rebels and peshmerga in the future. He served with other Iraqi senior leaders in the north such Omer Ali and Gazi Al-dagistani and others. He was involved in training many Arab officers from Libya, Jorden and Yemen, and exchanging the expertise with the Yemenis early officers who visited Iraq at that time in the Yemenis expedition 1947 led by Colonel Ahmed Al Thulya 'Later the leader of Yemen revolution 1955' to gain expertise from the Iraqi officers who had gained this experience from the constant mountain guerrilla warfare.
He participated in WWII with the Iraqi army when Iraq declared war on the Axis powers in 1943 after cutting diplomatic ties. The Iraqi army played a role in protecting the logistic routes of the Allies, especially the military aid to the soviet union which used to arrive from Basra, Baghdad and karkuk.
In 1948–49, Iraq sent part of its forces to defend the Arabian villages in the west bank at the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Gazi Al-dagistani appointed him as leader of Wadi Ara and Ar'ara, then he became in charge of all the villages and towns in the region including Ara and Ar'ara, Ijzim and many other villages and towns. He was well known to the Israeli officers as he led many negotiations with them. and he organized the area defence in a way that David Ben-Gurion mentioned later after the war that the Israeli army and Alexandroni Brigade particularly, was unable to capture Wadi Ara and Ar'ara due to the strong defences in that region, which was obviously under Khaleel Jassim's leadership. Yet the Iraqi forces were replaced by the Jordanian forces later in 1949, and Jordan had to sign 1949 Armistice Agreements that gave Israel the control for those lands. He led many successful negotiations with the Israeli officers in the presence of Palestinian leaders in that region and helped the refugees to resettle. And his efforts were very much appreciated in that war by his commanding officers such as Omer Ali, and Gazi al-Dagistani and others. Also he was in charge of the Palestinian regiments and helped establish them such as Al-karmel regiment which was financed and trained by the Iraqi army and other Arab nations, what came later to be known as the PLO.
After the war, he was promoted as major then lieutenant colonel. He was appointed as an intelligence officer for the Queen Alia brigade in Baghdad and helped to establish the first royal special forces. Later, in 1954, there was flood which hit Baghdad and Iraq in general. The army was called to rescue, and Khaleel Jassim was one of those who participated in the flood relief. Khaleel Jassim had no political activity in Iraq his loyalty was to the military establishment and to the country during all his military career. He did not participate in any of the coups or so called revolutions that the Iraqi army participated in, although he had very strong ties and connections to Abdul Salam Arif and other officers who took part in the struggle for power in Iraq before or after 14 July Revolution, The Iraqi army and army officers during their struggle for power were involved in many other movements after the overthrown of the monarchy such as 1959 Mosul uprising, Ramadan Revolution, Arif Abd ar-Razzaq first coup , and 17 July Revolution, he did not participate in any of those. Yet he played a major role in November 1963 Iraqi coup d'état when the army moved to clear the Bath party militia from Baghdad districts, and he played also a major role in foiling Fayda movement 1963 and Arif Abd ar-Razzaq second coup 1966 and was able to capture the former prime minister who led the coup in mosul airport .
Kurdistan Iraq war 1960–1970
Between 1961 and 1970 and after, general Abd al-Karim Qasim and his officers succeeded in their 14 of July 1958 movement and the overthrow of the monarchy in Iraq. They pardoned Mulla Mustafa Barzani and agreed to bring him back from his excel in soviet union where he was residing after his defeat from the Iraqi and Iranian armies in 1943,1945,1947, at The second Barzani movement, The third Barzani movement. So he came back to Iraq with 600 of his followers and they were received as heroes in all the parts of Iraq. Yet, the honeymoon didn't last long between the government and the Barzani who asked for high demands which resulted of Qassim government refusal and soon they returned to arm and guerrilla warfare in the north of Iraq in 1961.
The Qasim government and later Abdul Salam Arif once again had to send the experienced Iraqi officers in the north to face the Kurdish movement, but this time the war was more bloody and brutal, and the Kurds received arms and logistic support from both Iran and Israel which made the operations for the Iraqi army harder specially when they were also communist elements that supported the Kurdish movement represented by Toma Tommas and others. Khaleel jassim, was one of the key Iraqi officers in the north and he helped to establish the light regiments which are regiments consisted of Kurds who are loyal to Iraq government and opposing Barazani. Also, some regiments consist of other minorities in Iraq such as Assyrians and Yezidis, those regiments were named as Fursan salah alDien, and Fursan khalid bin al waleed, or what they used to be called as Jash or chatta. Also, he led many campaigns in the region such as the Iraqi campaign on Alqosh in June 1963, the campaign on Amadiya 1965, and he succeeded to restore the order in that region. He also led many other campaigns on Ain Zalah, Ankawa and also Rawandiz where the Barazani forces had sieged a large Iraqi force under the command of Saeed Hammo for more than two months were Khaleel Jassim along side with the Kurdish Jash forces managed to break the siege and rescue the garrison. And he was described by a hero from Mustafa Barzani many times, during the negotiations with Iraqi government which happened every now and then although they were enemies on the battlefield.
After the bath party second coup in 1968, Khaleel Jassim went to retirement, but he passed away shortly afterwards in 1969. Later, there was a major purge against many Iraqi officers by the Baathist regime, and there was a last attempt to restore president Arif to power that was made by some of the army officers that saw danger from the Bath party coming to power and leading Iraq into dictatorship but this attempt failed to exist due to Khaleel Jassim early death in 1969.
Orders and Medals
He received many orders and medals such as the Iraqi Order of Two Rivers and the Iraq Republican Order first class, Iraqi Bravery Medal many times after foiling Arif Abd ar-Razzaq second coup,[4] the Rescue Medal, World War II Iraqi Medal, Iraqi WWII Victory Medal, Iraqi Service Medal, the Crownation Medal, 1948 Palestine War Medal, 1941 May Movements Medal, Corporation 1967 Medal. After his death, he was awarded the Iraqi Army Golden Jubilee Medal, the Peace Medal, and the 18 November Movement Medal for participating in the November 1963 Iraqi coup d'état. Also, he received medals which were awarded to most of the officers in the Iraqi army such as the 14 July Revolution Medal, the Ramadan Revolution Medal and the 17 July Revolution Medal; yet, he did not participate in any of those movements or coups.
See also
References
- ↑ Israeli Defense Forces archive, report No. 60, Alexandroni Brigade, 12/07/1948
- ↑ Israeli Defense Forces archive, report No. 61, Alexandroni Brigade, 13/07/1948
- ↑ David Lea, A Political Chronology of the Middle East, Europa Publications Limited, 2001, page 73
- ↑ الأوسمة والأنواط العسكرية والمدنية وقوانينها في الدولة العراقية، د.م. غيث الدباغ، 2018، دار النور للنشر والتوزيع، 978-620-2-34789-1