1979 Ba'ath Party Purge significant person Saddam Hussein
Resignation of al-Bakr
On 11 July 1979, an ailing Ahmed Hussein al-Bakr announced his resignation before a meeting of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) and his intention to transfer the presidency to Saddam Hussein. US government's Radio Free Europe claimed in 2003 that it was a "coup" orchestrated by Saddam who compelled the ailing President to retire "for health reasons".RCC member Muhyi Abdul-Hussein fiercely objected to al-Bakr's resignation during the session and urged al-Bakr to take a temporary vacation without transferring power to his successor, a proposition that was declined by Al-Bakr. This had raised the suspicion of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi second-in-command who became president on 16 July 1979. In an assembly of party leadership convened on 22 July, Saddam staged a purge against the military wing of the Baath-Party whom he accused of collaborating with Syria to topple the regime in Iraq.