The 1996 Iraqi coup d'état attempt was a coup d'état attempt against president Saddam Hussein and his regime, as part of a wave of attacks and assassination attempts on the president of Iraq. The attempt occurred in June 1996, when a failed coup plot against the government was planned by the United States according to the Iraqi government.[1][2]
Quick facts Date, Location ...
| 1996 Iraqi coup d'état attempt |
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| Part of CIA activities in Iraq and Aftermath of the Gulf War |
| Date | June–July 1996 |
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| Location | Baghdad, Iraq (with broader implications in northern Iraq/Kurdistan) |
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| Result |
Coup attempt failed
- Mass arrests and executions of conspirators
- Saddam Hussein remains in power
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| Belligerents |
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Government of Iraq (under President Saddam Hussein) |
Iraqi National Accord (INA), backed covertly by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), with support from MI6, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, and Turkey |
| Commanders and leaders |
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Saddam Hussein; Iraqi Mukhabarat (intelligence service) |
Ayad Allawi (INA leader), Mohammed Abdullah al-Shahwani (military planner); involvement of disaffected Iraqi military officers |
| Strength |
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Intelligence and security forces highly rated in regime control |
INA-backed officers within the Republican Guard and defectors (numbers unspecified) |
| Casualties and losses |
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None publicly reported for regime forces |
Hundreds arrested; dozens (including ~82 operatives and al-Shahwani’s sons) executed |
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Operation code-named "DBACHILLES"; compromised by double agents and intercepted communications; marked a severe blow to U.S. covert efforts in Iraq |
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