205. Editorial Note
On October 7 at approximately 6:30 p.m. local time, Prime Minister ‘Abd al-Karim Qassim was wounded in the shoulder in an assassination attempt. Radio Baghdad announced that the Prime Minister was not seriously hurt, asked the Iraqi people to remain calm, and established a curfew for the night of October 7.
In an October 7 report to Secretary Herter, Director of Intelligence and Research Hugh Cumming, Jr., suggested that this assassination attempt might be the beginning of the coup against the Qassim government about which the United States had been picking up rumors. Cumming reported that later that evening Qassim gave a broadcast over Radio Baghdad giving substance to the claims that his wounds were slight. Cumming suspected that the United Arab Republic would be blamed for the attempt. (Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 61 D 43, Baghdad)
On October 10, the Department of State drafted a message from President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Qassim, cleared with Goodpaster at the White House, expressing deep gratitude that Qassim escaped serious harm in the attack on his life and wishing him a speedy recovery. (Telegram 1016 to Baghdad, October 7, 7:41 p.m.; ibid., Central Files, 787.13/10–759)