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'''General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr''' ([[Bahasa Arab|Arab]] '''أحمد حسن البكر''') ([[July 1]], [[1914]] – [[4 Oktober]] [[1982]]) adalah [[Presiden Irak]] dari [[1968]] hingga[[1979]].
Al-Bakr entered the '''Iraqi Military Academy''' in [[1938]] after spending six years as a primary-school [[teacher]].
During his early military career, he took part in the '''Rashid Ali revolt''' in [[1941]], was arrested, imprisoned, and compulsorily retired from the army, but was reinstated in [[1957]]. As a brigadier general, he was one of the "free officers," a group that overthrew the monarchy in [[1958]].
He was again forced to retire from the Army in [[1959]] because of his alleged leadership of a rebellion in [[Mosul]] (Al-Bakr was a member of the '''Ba'th Socialist Party''' at that time) organized officers favouring closer ties with the [[United Arab Republic]].
He became [[Prime Minister]] for 10 months following the Ba'th coup of [[1963]]. A leading member of the [[Ba'ath Party]] he orchestrated the [[1963]] [[coup d'état|coup]] that overthrew Iraq's military leader [[Abdul Karim Kasim]]. Al Bakr left the government in November 1963, when Field Marshal [[Abdul Salam Arif]] staged a countercoup. Al-Bakr stayed on as Vice President.
In January [[1964]] he was removed as Vice president, but retained control of the Regional Command of the Ba'th Party.
With [[Egypt]]ian help, he helped orchestrate an internal coup within the government of President [[Abdul Rahman Arif]]. He exiled Arif, and installed al-Bakr as Iraq's fourth president. Al-Bakr became the leading face of the Ba'ath party and Iraqi [[pan-Arabism]] and was praised as "leader of the revolution."
== President of the Republic (July 1968 – July 1979) ==
He quickly nationalized the '''Iraq Petroleum Company''' and compensated all foreign oil companies operating within its borders while introducing wide-ranging social and economic reforms.
The country enjoyed a massive increase in oil revenues starting in late [[1973]] when international petroleum prices began a steep rise. His economic policy began with a cautious continuation of the former regime's five-year plan but turned toward industrial expansion as oil revenues increased.
His government supported closer ties to the [[United Arab Republic]] and under his rule Iraq almost joined the state. Under his rule, the flag of Iraq was modified in preparation for this dream.
Bakr's regime also strengthened Iraq's ties with the [[Soviet Union]]: On [[April 9]], [[1972]], Iraq and the Soviet Union signed a treaty of friendship. The two countries agreed to cooperate in political, economic, and military affairs. The Soviet Union also agreed to supply Iraq with arms.
His government also aided [[Syria]] with troops and weapons during the [[Yom Kippur War]] of October 1973. Calling for military action against [[Israel]], he denounced the cease-fire that ended the 1973 conflict and opposed the interim agreements negotiated by [[Egypt]] and Syria. Iraq was able to hurt the Western economy when it participated in the [[oil]] [[boycott]] against Israel's supporters.
Under Bakr conflicts intensified between the government and the Kurds. In early [[1974]] heavy fighting erupted in northern Iraq between government forces and [[Kurdish]] nationalists, who rejected as inadequate a new Kurdish autonomy law based on a [[1970]] agreement. The Kurds, led by [[Mustafa al-Barzani]], received arms and support from [[Iran]].
After Iraq agreed in early [[1975]] to make major concessions to Iran in settling their border disputes, Iran halted aid to the Kurds, and the revolt was dealt a severe blow.
In July [[1978]] a decree was passed which made all non-Ba'thist [[political]] activity illegal and membership of any other political party punishable by [[death]] for all those who were members or former members of the Armed Forces.
Al-Bakr is best known for appointing [[Saddam Hussein]], his Tikriti cousin, as his [[Vice President]]. As the president got older, more and more authority was gradually usurped by Hussein, and by the mid-[[1970s]] the vice president had established virtual ''[[de facto]]'' rule over the entire nation, leaning on al-Bakr to resign.
On [[July 16]], [[1979]] the 65-year-old Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr stepped down, ostensibly on health grounds, and Saddam Hussein assumed the presidency in a move that was widely regarded as little more than a formality.
His death in [[1982]] received little recognition from the new regime.
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