Tareq Y. Ismael is Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, Canada. He also serves as President of the International Centre for Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies and as the co-editor of the International Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies. Additionally, he is an author and editor of numerous books on Iraq and the Middle East, including Middle East Politics Today: Government and Civil Society (2001); Iraq: The Human Cost of History, with William H. Haddad (2003); The Iraqi Predicament: People in the Quagmire of Power Politics, with Jacqueline S. Ismael (2004); and The Communist Movement in the Arab World (2005).

• 1. The Communist Party of Iraq: origins and foundations; 2. Ascent of the ICP in Iraqi politics; 3. Party rift: the emergence of the central leadership; 4. Alliance with the Ba'th; 5. The rebirth of central leadership in the 1970s; 6. Crisis: disintegration or renewal; 7. Conclusion: the legacy.

Tareq Y. Ismael is Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, Canada. He also serves as President of the International Centre for Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies and as the co-editor of the International Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies. Additionally, he is an author and editor of numerous books on Iraq and the Middle East, including Middle East Politics Today: Government and Civil Society (2001); Iraq: The Human Cost of History, with William H. Haddad (2003); The Iraqi Predicament: People in the Quagmire of Power Politics, with Jacqueline S. Ismael (2004); and The Communist Movement in the Arab World (2005).

• 1. The Communist Party of Iraq: origins and foundations; 2. Ascent of the ICP in Iraqi politics; 3. Party rift: the emergence of the central leadership; 4. Alliance with the Ba'th; 5. The rebirth of central leadership in the 1970s; 6. Crisis: disintegration or renewal; 7. Conclusion: the legacy.

Tareq Y. Ismael is Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, Canada. He also serves as President of the International Centre for Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies and as the co-editor of the International Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies. Additionally, he is an author and editor of numerous books on Iraq and the Middle East, including Middle East Politics Today: Government and Civil Society (2001); Iraq: The Human Cost of History, with William H. Haddad (2003); The Iraqi Predicament: People in the Quagmire of Power Politics, with Jacqueline S. Ismael (2004); and The Communist Movement in the Arab World (2005).

• 1. The Communist Party of Iraq: origins and foundations; 2. Ascent of the ICP in Iraqi politics; 3. Party rift: the emergence of the central leadership; 4. Alliance with the Ba'th; 5. The rebirth of central leadership in the 1970s; 6. Crisis: disintegration or renewal; 7. Conclusion: the legacy.