When is Baghdad Liberation Day?
Baghdad Liberation Day is an official holiday observed in the autonomous Kurdistan Region in Iraq on April 9th.
This regional holiday marks the anniversary of the overthrow the former regime and the removal of Saddam Hussein’s rule from power on this day in 2003.
History of Baghdad Liberation Day
Until the end of the First World war, Iraq had been part of the Ottoman Empire. Following the collapse of Ottoman rule, Britain took control of Iraq, naming it the 'State of Iraq' and installing the Hashemite King, Faisal I.
In July 1958, a coup d'état overthrew the Hashemite monarchy with the King and members of the royal family killed during the uprising. The coup created the Republic of Iraq. The Ba'ath Party first came to power in 1963.
In July 1979 Saddam Hussein assumed the offices of both President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council.
Saddam Hussein proved to be a potent enemy of the Kurdish people, suppressing rebellions with massive and indiscriminate force.
In March 2003, the U.S., assisted by several other countries, invaded Iraq with the aim of disarming Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction.
The invasion was a quick and decisive operation with the U.S. forces meeting little resistance.
On April 9th, the troops rolled into Baghdad, ending Saddam Hussein's 24‑year rule.
Saddam Hussein was captured during Operation Red Dawn in December 2003 and executed three years later.
Though the invasion resulted in regime change, it failed to find any weapons of mass destruction and led to the Iraqi War, the Iraqi Civil War and ongoing instability in the region. Despite this, the deposing of Saddam Hussein remains reason enough for Kurds to mark this with a public holiday, demonstrating what a pariah Saddam Hussein was to the Kurdish people.
