AREA BRIEFS

Created: 5/8/1979

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

hsfllssal 0' cofinunist

e. IRAfl t IRAfll PRESIDENT BAKR FIRED THE RERAIMIN5 COnnUNIST MEMBER OF THE CABINET LAST WEEKEND, INTENSIFYING THE FEUD THAT OVER THE PAST YEAR HAS RESULTED IN VIRTUALOF IRAQI COMMUNISTS BY THE GOVERNMENT'S BAATHIST LEADERSHIP. STRIPPING THE COMMUNISTS OF THEIR NOMINAL MEMBERSHIP IN THE RULING POPULAR AND PROGRESSIVE NATIONAL FRONT. THE REMAINING SYMBOL OF BAATHIST-COHMUNIST COULD BE THE NEXT MOVE. THIS WOULD DENY THE PARTY "HAT LITTLE POLITICAL PROTECTION IT NOW ENJOYS FOR OVERT ACTIVITY AND DRIVE IT UNDERGROUND. MANY COMMUNISTS HAVE

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ALREADY CONE INTO HIDING IN IRAQIHERE THE PARTY HAS LONG HAD GOOD CONTACTS- THE SOVIETS OBJECT TO THE REPRESSION Or THE IRAfll COndUNISTS* BUT THEY MOULD NOT JEOPARDIZE RELATIONS WITH IRAfl BY PUBLICLY EXPRESSING THEIR UNHAPPINESS.