2. Abd al-Karim Qasim

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The United States has a long history of involving itself in the internal affairs of Iraq, a tradition that goes back a bit further than many of us expected. In 1960, the CIA arranged for Iraqi leader Abd al-Karim Qasim to receive a poisoned handkerchief in an effort to end his life. What could possibly go wrong? As it turned out, the attempt failed. He was later executed after being overthrown as the result of a Ba’athist coup.