RCC with eight
members as of 2001 (Chairman SADDAM Husayn, Vice Chairman Izzat IBRAHIM
al-Duri) which controls the ruling Ba'th Party; the RCC is the highest
executive and legislative body and the most powerful political entity
in the country; new RCC members must come from the Regional Command
Leadership of the Ba'th Party head of government: Prime Minister SADDAM
Husayn (since 29 May 1994); Deputy Prime Ministers Tariq Mikhail AZIZ
(since NA 1979), Hikmat Mizban Ibrahim al-AZZAWI (since 30 July 1999),
Ahmad Husayn al-KHUDAYIR (since NA July 2001), and Abd al-Tawab Mullah
al-HUWAYSH (since NA July 2001)

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani
(250 seats; 30 appointed by the president to represent the three northern
provinces of Dahuk, Arbil, and As Sulaymaniyah; 220 elected by popular
vote; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 27 March 2000
(next to be held NA March 2004) election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation

Political parties and leaders: Ba'th Party [SADDAM Husayn, central
party leader]

Political pressure groups and leaders: any formal political activity
must be sanctioned by the government; opposition to regime from Kurdish
groups and southern Shi'a dissidents

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF,
CAEU, CCC, EAPC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC,
OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Iraq has an Interest
Section in the Algerian Embassy headed by Akram AL DOURI; address:
Iraqi Interests Section, Algerian Embassy, 1801 P Street NW, Washington,
DC 20036; telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500; FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; note - the US has an
Interests Section in the Polish Embassy in Baghdad; address: P. O. Box
2051 Hay Babel, Baghdad; telephone: [964] (1) 718-9267; FAX: [964]
(1) 718-9297

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and
black with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered
in the white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic
script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the left
of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the Persian Gulf