 From the beginning the Damascus government began an overwhelmingly anti @-@ Iraqi Ba 'athist propaganda campaign , to which their counterparts in Baghdad responded . However , the Iraqi Ba 'athists helped Assad , who at the 4th Regional Congress of the Syrian Regional Branch called for the reunification of the Ba 'ath Party , in his attempt to seize power from Jadid . It was reported that Assad promised the Iraqis to recognize Aflaq 's historical leadership . Iraq 's foreign minister Abd al @-@ Karim al @-@ <unk> even had his own personal office in the Syrian Ministry of Defence , which Assad headed . However , this should not be misconstrued , the Iraqi Regional Branch was Arab nationalist in name only , and was in fact Iraqi nationalist . 
