Organization of Iraqi Revolutionary Communists

Iraqi Revolutionary Communists (Arabic: تنظيم الشيوعيين الثوريين العراقيين‎) was the name of an Iraqi political organization, founded in 1973.[1] The group was formed as a split from the Revolutionary Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party led by Salim al-Fakhri.[1][2][3] The group was led by Tahsin Ali Ash-Shaikhli (alias 'Yahia al-Iraqi').[2][3]

Cover of Al-Asas May 1980 issue, published after the killing of Ash-Shaikhli

Ash-Shaikhli had been a student activist and joined the Revolutionary Committee in 1964.[1] He was jailed in 1969.[1] Following his release in 1970 he escaped to Jordan but left for Beirut following Black September.[1] In Beirut Ash-Shaikhli maintained contacts with revolutionary leaders such as Abdullah Öcalan.[1]

The Organization of Iraqi Revolutionary Communists called for complete rejection of Baathist rule and appealed for armed struggle against the regime.[4] Moreover, it questioned why the Iraqi Communist Party had entered into an alliance with the Baathists, and issued criticism against perceived lack of internal democracy in the Communist Party.[4]

The organization published a periodical called al-Asas from Beirut.[4][2][3][5]

Ash-Shaikhli was assassinated in Beirut on March 24, 1980, allegedly by agents of the Iraqi regime.[1] Another key cadre of the group, Ali, was killed in Kurdistan.[5]