ABSTRACT
The historical record shows Iraq to have been a difficult country to govern. The most critical factors leading to dissension in the domestic and international fields have, in fact, often been specific to one particular incident or period-perhaps stemming from the nature of the class structure at that time, or from the objectives pursued by an outside power in the region. In November 1963, following attempts by the Ba'th Party to entrench its hold on power, Abd al-Salam Aref ousted the principal Ba'thist leaders from the government and dismissed senior Ba'thist military officers from their posts. To the extent that organised civilian involvement in government continued, it was a loosely organised grouping of Arab nationalists and Nasserists who provided the regime's civilian base. While this is of little significance as long as industrial production is geared towards a heavily protected domestic market, it will become important when Iraq seeks to enter highly competitive export markets.
