The Iraqi military junta that ousted President Abdel Rahman Arif in a coup today has called for more militant action against Israel, according to reports reaching here from Baghdad. A communique broadcast by Baghdad radio said the revolutionary command council formed to run the country accused the Arif regime of having ignored the needs of the Army, participating in the disaster of the June, 1967 war against Israel and having done nothing to reach a settlement of the Kurdish problem. The new regime charged that the latter failure had deprived Iraq “of the honor of contributing to the struggle against Israel.”
The Baghdad radio also broadcast an appeal to Iraqi troops, stationed in Jordan since June, 1967, to support the revolution. It said one of the reasons for the coup was the need for “more action and fewer words In striking blows against the Jews.” “Let us march behind our revolution to fight Israeli aggression to the end,” the broadcast said. President Arif, who took office in April, 1966, was reported to have been stripped of his powers and pensioned off. Other reports today said he has fled to Turkey.
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