) ▁was ▁the ▁third ▁President ▁of ▁Ira q , ▁from ▁April ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁to ▁July ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁career ▁soldier , ▁and ▁supported ▁the ▁military ▁coup ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁that ▁over th rew ▁the ▁mon archy . ▁He ▁also ▁supported ▁the ▁coup ▁that ▁brought ▁his ▁brother , ▁Abd ul ▁Sal am ▁Ar if , ▁to ▁power ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁His ▁brother ▁appointed ▁him ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁army ▁following ▁the ▁coup , ▁and ▁when ▁the ▁younger ▁Ar if ▁died ▁in ▁an ▁aircraft ▁crash ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Abd ul ▁Rah man ▁al - B azz az ▁(" a ▁Western - orient ed ▁lawyer " ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁civil ian ▁to ▁head ▁an ▁Ira qi ▁government ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁revolution ) ▁became ▁acting ▁president ; ▁three ▁days ▁later , ▁al - B azz az ▁was ▁chosen ▁to ▁become ▁president , ▁then ▁al - B azz az ▁immediately ▁rel in qu ished ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁to ▁Abd ul ▁Rah man ▁Ar if . ▁It ▁is ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁the ▁transfer ▁of ▁power ▁possibly ▁occurred ▁because ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁military ▁thought ▁that ▁Abd ul ▁Sal am ▁should ▁be ▁succeeded ▁by ▁his ▁weak ▁and ▁easier ▁to ▁manipulate ▁brother ▁instead . ▁Ar if ▁was ▁appointed ▁president ▁by ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁Revolution ary ▁Command ▁Council . ▁He ▁continued ▁his ▁brother ' s