 When the National Command was toppled in 1966 , the Iraqi Regional Branch remained , at least verbally , supportive of the " legitimate leadership " of Aflaq . When the Iraqi Regional Branch regained power in 1968 in the 17 July Revolution no attempts were made at a merger , to achieve their supposed goal of Arab unity , or reconciliation with the Syrian Ba 'ath . After the establishment of Ba 'ath rule in Iraq , many members of the Syrian @-@ dominated Ba 'ath movement defected to its Iraqi @-@ counterpart , few if any Iraqi @-@ loyal Ba 'athists attempted to change its allegiance to Damascus . The reason for this was that those defecting from Damascus were loyal to the old , Aflaqite National Command . Several older members such as Bitar , Hafiz , Shibli al @-@ Aysami and Elias Farah , either visited Iraq or sent a congratulatory message to Ahmed Hassan al @-@ Bakr , the Regional Secretary of the Iraqi Regional Command . Aflaq did not visit Iraq until 1969 , but from late @-@ 1970 , he would become a leading Iraqi Ba 'ath official , although he never acquired any decision @-@ making power . 
