Faisal II of Iraq

Faisal II (May 2, 1935 - July 14, 1958) was the last king of Iraq from April 4, 1939 to 1958. He was the son of the second king of Iraq, Ghazi, who was killed in an automobile accident when Faisal was three. For most of his reign his uncle, Abdul Illah[?] ruled as regent (until 1953). As a teen, Faisal studied at Harrow in the United Kingdom, together with his cousin King Hussein of Jordan. The two boys were close, and reportedly planned even then to merge there two realms in order to counter what they considered the militant pan-Arab[?] nationalism coming from Nasser's Egypt. Once the two men came of age, plans proceeded to unite their kingdoms. This was achieved in February 1958, when Faisal, as the senior member of the Hashemite family, became the king of the newly created Arab Federation of Iraq and Jordan[?]. The plan foundered when Hussein requested Iraqi military assistance, and the Iraqi army marched into Baghdad and proclaimed a republic. Though he was promised safe conduct into exile, the army exxecuted the young king and the family that had gathered around him. Among the officers participating in the extermination squads was Saddam Hussein.