Baghdad Plot
| Baghdad Plot | |
|---|---|
| Location | Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq |
| Date | 5 August, 1952 |
| Target | Charles III and Queen Lauren of the United Kingdom |
Attack type | Assassination |
| Weapons | 3 Webley Revolvers |
| Assailants | Abdul Hassan Ahmed al-Fatami Hadeed al-Fatami |
| Motive | Assassinate the British royal family to facilitate a nationalist uprising in Iraq. |
The Baghdad Plot was an assassination attempt conducted by a trio of Iraqi nationalists, which targeted the king and queen of Britain. The attempt, though unsuccessful became a catalyst for Arab nationalists in the Kingdom of Iraq in its longstanding struggle against British influence in Iraq, eventually leading to the 14 July Revolution that overthrew the Hashemite monarchy, establishing the Iraqi Republic.
Prelude
On 23 August 1992, the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq was founded by the British following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War. Throughout its years, the newly-founded kingdom underwent through a subsequent period of gradual decline in British influence and a temporary regime change during the Second World War. Regardless, Arab nationalism continued to foster among the local Iraqi populace.
Plot
In the immediate months following their coronation, the newly coronated king and queen promptly embarked on a series of international visits in order to strengthen relations between the United Kingdom and its allies. In early August, by Churchill's suggestion, the two scheduled ahead for a state visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq, then under the regency of Crown Prince Abdullah of Iraq. Prior to the visit, concerns were immediately raised in regards to the acceptance of the locals as a result of the queen's Jewish background. Regardless, the visit went ahead with the full assurance by the Iraqi government on the royal couple's safety, aided by the heavily armed British escorts accompanying.
On the midnight hours of 4 August 1951, the royal couple were received by the Crown Prince of Iraq at an Iraqi air base in private, where they were soon relocated to a private residence in Baghdad. On the first day of their state visit, the king and queen toured Iraqi military installations and visited several public monuments amidst expected public protest against their presence, which was regulated by local police. At the same time, classified findings on an impending plot against the royal couple were relayed to the British government with some success, leading to the tasking of several MI6 agents into the country.
On the next day, the royal couple were hosted at the newly constructed Rihab Palace, where the two parties were believed to had exchanged suggestions on a possible alliance between the Iraqi and Iranian monarchies. At 12:45 p.m., as the royal couple were exiting the royal compound, three armed men attempted to breach the gate and deliberately opened fire on the royals from their Webley revolvers. Luckily, neither of the gunmen' shots had been accurate enough to harm either the king or queen, though one of the royal guards, who had been near the queen at the time of incident was inflicted with a minor injury. Almost immediately, local authorities promptly arrested the three gunmen. One of the gunmen, Abu Hassan particularly suffered minor injuries during a brief scuffle with local authorities trying to apprehend him.
Aftermath
News of the assassination attempt soon reached Britain, with the Prime Minister immediately ordering an evacuation of the royal couple. As the royal plane was still inside the Iraqi base, on the advice of the British government, the plane first departed for the Atatürk Airport in Istanbul. Several hours later, at 5:40 p.m., the king and queen finally departed back for the United Kingdom.
Soon after the failed attempt, the three gunmen were put on trial and were sentenced to death for their attempted assassination. Reactions among the British populace were mixed however, as several parties criticised the government for allowing a state visit into an extremely risky country, while others praised the government's spontaneous and quick reaction that further saved the royals' lives in the midst of crisis. Renowned British fascist politician, Oswald Mosley publicly express disappointment at the failed prospects of the assassination attempt, writing that, '"It is quite saddening for me to hear that the Jewish woman had been spared from her imminent death, a truly saddening failure.. .