ABD-AL-QADIR ISMAIL AND AZIZ SHARIF 1949-1958

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-00915R000900170011-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 11, 1998
• Sequence Number: 11
• Content Type: REPORT

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ABD-AL-QA.DIR ISMAIL AND AZIZ SHARIF
1949-1958
Abd-al-Qadir Ismail and Aziz Sherif, two of Iraqi's most
important Communists, have had amazingly similar careers. Both
have resided in Damascus most of the time since 1948, having been
forced to flee their own country. During late 1948-early 1949 Ismail
and Sherif were separately noted as working for the creation of an
Arab-Jewish "democratic" Palestine. And all during the period of
their Damascus residence they have reportedly both been extremely
close to Syrian, Communist leader Khalid Bakdash, serving as links
between the Syrian and Iraqi Communist Parties, and to the Soviet
Legation (later Embassy) in Damascus, acting as emissaries to
Iraq for that institution. In 1954 Aziz was described as a "frrend,
contact, or follower" of Abd-al-Qadir, and both were noted as being
somewhat opposed to the policies of the al-Oaidah faction which was
then dominant in Iraqi Communist circles. Ismail and Sharif have
both,at one time or another, taken part in World Peace activities,
and both were reportedly delegates to the Cairo Afro-Asian
Solidarity Conference of December 1957-January 1958.
Ismail, one of the founders of Iraqi Communism, is clearly the
senior of the two. Aside from being some ter:years older--he is
sixty-four?he has been reported as a Central Committeeman of the
Syrian Communist Party ever since he arrived in Damascus and on
two occasions, in 1949 and 1958, was even alleged to have taken over
the leadership of the Syrian Party in Bakdash's absence. Al.-al-Qadir
lomatl's age seems to have restricted his external activities in
recent years, however.* When the Soviet Embassy in Damascus
*If, as alleged, he was a leader of the Syrian Party in March 1958.
it would seem likely that he has been consistently in harmony with
Bakdash, even if not particularly active in avert Party work.
S-E-
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attempted to heal the breach between Kurdish and Arab Iraqi
Communists in late 1957. it was reported to have sent one lea Arafat
to the Kurdish Unity Party and Asia Sherif to the Communist Party
of Iraq (CPI). Early that year, Sherif had also acted as Khaltd
Bakdash' a spokesman in criticizing the CPI Central Committee for
right deviationism. Tn 1948 such assignments would probably have
fallen to Ismail, described at that time as "the liaison between
Soviet Legations in Arab countries and the Kurds and between Syrian
and Iraqi Communists." Ismail was active in Middle East Peace
Partisan activities as of 1951, but little international front activity
has been noted on his part since that time. On the other hand, Aziz
Sherif appeared to have become prominent In the front field during
1957; he led the Iraqi delegations to the Colombo World Peace
Congress and the Moscow World Youth Festival and was one of the
two Iraqis on the Afro-Asian Solidarity Conference Preparatory
Committee.
Avis Sherif was consistently reported during the period 1949-
mid-1956 to have been the leader of a group of Iraqi Communists
variously described as the al-Nidhal (Struggle) group, the al-Haqiqah
(Truth) group, and the United Corrammist Party of Iraq. This was a
small group composed mainly of intellectuals--Sharif himself had
earlier been a university professor. Having disagreed with the
al-Oaidah group by its continued opposition to the partition of
Palestine during the Arab-Israeli war in the late 1940's, the al-Nidhal
group failed to unite with the regular Communist Party of Iraq until
1956, although the CPI allegedly enjoyed Moscow support. In April
1956, however, Sherif reportedly began to cooperate with the CPI.
allegedly on Moscow's orders, and appeared actually to have joined
that organization prior to its amalgamation with the dissident
Shaghils, (Workers' Banner) faction in June of that year. It is pre-
sumed that Sherif was an important factor in the at least partially
successful Soviet efforts to unify Iraqi Communism. As of early
1957, Sherif, who lives in the same house with Khalid Bakdash in
Damascus, was reported as being responsible for Syrian aid (nature
unspecified) to the CPI. In March 1958 he reportedly left Damascus
for Communist China and Japan, the reason for the trip not being
stated. In May 1958. Sherif was reported directing the anti-
Government activities of Iraqi refugees in Damascus.
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NOTES ON THE UNITED FRONTS OF 1954 AND 1956
With the eturn of overt political aztivity in 1953, the Left again
became more active. The National Democratic Party (NDP)? when
it reappeared, was apparently more infiltrated by Cornmaniets and
began to give open support to such front organizations as the Peace
Partisans and the Democratic Youth Union. Earlier that year a
group led by lama]. Haydari, c&iLng itself the Baru-ter a Toilers
(Elea; Sb.a. E) &Sas sociated itself from the major group of Iraqi
Commanists and advocated closer relationship with nationalist groupin
In 1954. Cotrentini ate (which groups, is not stated) gave their blessing
and support to the NDP-Istigial United National Front (UN') and are
reported even to have participated u.nofficially in the UNY's Executive
Committee.* Aga however, the diesolution of Parliament and the
banning a the National Democratic Party blocked the unity drtve.
To a great extent as a reault of the efforts of Azia Sherif, the
Iraqi Conalmmists achieved a degree of unity in June 1956?apparently
more so than at sexy time since 1947 (see above). Sitarif's Communist
Unity Party (aleiliallah,j, al Nidh.ak) group joined the al-Shaghila group
and the mal ranaf-tfairarfaction in a rejuvenated Iraqi Commu-
nist Party (1CP). Later, the Isitiqlal and NDP merged to form a
Nation.al Congress Group (NCG). The Beth (Resurrection) Party.
now a potent power in Iraq, thereupon joined tie NCO and the ICP in
a new Mega' National Front, The Rea'th apparently was urging the
Front's High National Committee to adopt an activist policy, calling
for demonstrations. and open agitation, Even when the decision was
made to boycott the May 1958 elections, the Beth urged demonstra-
tions in connection with the campaign. The CP1. NDP, and Istiqlal
eletnents as of early June 1953 objected to the Ba'thi action campaign.
*Alfeged -Co-enszt? unists and Peace Partisans Kulayban Salih el-Ubii
and 1Qtalen Amin Zaki served as labor and student repreeentatives.
respectively, on the Committee.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES ON AZIZ SHARIF -19304948
Sherif, though more often than not at odds with the hard-headed
leadership of the "regular" Iraqi Communist group, has apparently
been the key figure in Moscow's unity-of-action tactics for many
years. In the 1930's he served as a member of the "radical"
(Communist) abd-al Qadir Ismail faction of the Aliali (Baghdad)
group. In 1945 he organized the People's Party (Hisb ash-Sha'ab) to
be a legal party with a program identical to that put out by the regular
Communist Party earlier that year. After a trip to Syria that year,
where he conferred with Khalid Bakdash, he called on the Conernu-
nistts to give up their legal status and come into the People's Party,
This maneuver was unsuccessful at the time.*
? In 1946 Sherif was noted as trying to draw into a united front his
former AIiaU (but Conservative wing) cohorts Karnil Chaderchi and
Muhammad Hadid (see above), now leaders of the Leftist but non.
Communist National Democratic Party (NDP). Though a faction in
the NDF favored it, these offers were rejected. Close personal
relationships were apparently maintained, for Sherif was noted as a
participant in the successful legal defense of Chaderchi in 1946; and
the ND? leadership was steadily becoming more radical. In 1947,
after all Left Wing parties were declared Illegal, some degree of
success was achieved in the unity campaign. Apparently facilitated
by the arrest of "regular" Communise leader Yusuf Suleman Yugui
(aka Fahaci), a coalition was reportedly brought about between the
regular Communists, the bulk of the membership of the People's
*Note: The similarity between this device and the Tudeh (Workers)
Party in Iran is substantial--however, in Iran the Communist Party
had no independent existence in the war years. and there was,
therefore, no problem of "liquidatiordsm" to complicate the
concentration of forces in the new front party.
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Party. the "progressive" (extreme Left) faction of the NDP, and
another Communist splinter group that had been advocating unity
with non-Communist elements9 called the National Revolutionary
Committee
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