“Al Ahram” said today that all patients had been evacuated from the Baghdad Hospital where Maj.-Gen. Abdul Karim Kassem, Iraqi Prime Minister, is recovering after an assassination attempt.
The Cairo newspaper added that the hospital was being guarded by 1,000 soldiers and said that this “strange measure” may have been taken following--as reports from Teheran said-a third attempt on the Prime Minister’s life when a hand grenade was thrown through a window.
According to the report. Gen. Kassem was unhurt as he had been moved to another room. Several people in the room, where the grenade exploded, were severely injured.
Gen. Kassem was admitted to hospital a fortnight ago with bullet wounds after a gunman had shot at a car in which he was travelling. On October 16, it was reported by Baghdad newspapers that a new plot had been discovered and investigations were being made seeking a link between the two conspiracies (An Iraqi Government spokesman said yesterday that Gen. Kassem’s condition was “good” but it was not yet known when he would leave hospital).
NERVOUS SHOCK
Al Ahram said the reason for Gen. Kassem’s prolonged stay in hospital was that he was suffering from nervous shock.
“It is certain that Gen. Kassem is still alive but it must be recalled that he has suffered a nervous breakdown in the past and the attempts against his life must have provoked a serious nervous condition,” the newspaper said.
{{/usCountry}}“It is certain that Gen. Kassem is still alive but it must be recalled that he has suffered a nervous breakdown in the past and the attempts against his life must have provoked a serious nervous condition,” the newspaper said.
{{/usCountry}}The paper said it was reported that there was still one bullet in the Prime Minister’s body close to the lung and an operation could only be carried out abroad.
The Syrian newspaper, Al Ayyam, today quoted Syrian drivers who returned from Iraq yesterday as saying that Iraq had sealed her borders with “all the neighbouring countries including Iran.”
The newspaper said the sealing off took place as soon as the Syrian convoy had crossed the frontier.