Happy Ba'ath Revolution Day!!!

[underpants]

http://www.earthcalendar.net/_php/lookup.php?mode=date&m=07&d=17&y=2006

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq

In 1968, Rahman Arif was overthrown by the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party led by General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr. The Ba'ath's ruling clique named Saddam Hussein vice-chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council and vice president of Iraq. After years of consolidating defacto control over the nation, Hussein formally acceded to the presidency in 1979 and took control of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), Iraq's supreme executive decision making body, executing many of his opponents in the process. Saddam Hussein would go on to serve nearly 25 years as president, and preside over a highly tumultuous period for the country, both domestically and internationally. Internally, Saddam implemented a harsh police state and personality cult with widespread torture and murder of dissident Iraqis.