The Baathists and the military officers together formed the Revolutionary Command Council, which was declared the supreme authority of the country. Al-Bakr was elected as the President of the nation, and he invited Colonel an-Nayif to form a cabinet. Al-Bakr was a man of action, a leader born out of revolutions, he was not very much interested in administrative details, which was the reason that Saddam was gaining momentum as a political leader. The new President’s health was also deteriorating hence he began to rely more and more upon the young and competent Saddam – to streamline the functions of the government.

Although the Baathists and the military rebels had formed an ally, to overturn President Arif’s government, they had nothing else in common than a desire to assume the political power. On the contrary, they had fundamental differences in their basic values and style of working. Saddam was not pleased with an-Nayif and his group particularly on the issue of socialism and foreign policy. Soon the struggle for control over the regime became fairly visible between the Baathists and the al-Nayif - an-Daud group.

An-Nayif was invited for a luncheon meeting, and to resolve some issues at the Presidential Palace. The meal session was finished without much discussion. Even before the taste of the food would have gone from his mouth, al-Nayif was taken by a shock. Saddam Hussein entered the room backed by a group of armed officers. He told an-Nayif bluntly that he was under arrest.

Once again the intentions of Baathists were as clear as the crystal, that they did not want to shed even a drop of blood as long as they were not pulled into a bloody encounter. Saddam told an-Nayif that his life would be spared if he left the nation. An-Nayif was content with that and left for Morocco as the ambassador of Iraq.

The Baath Party had not a clear way to total control over the regime. A combing operation headed by Saddam was carried to remove any Nayif – sympathizer from the cabinet and the civil services. Al-Bakr, in addition to being the President, also assumed the Premiership, and Saddam became the key person.

With the Baathists coming in power, Saddam naturally rose to a very powerful position, as a very active member of the party. Although he did not hold the position, he acted almost as the vice-chairman of the party. Ultimately he was officially elected as the vice-chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) in late 1969. Meanwhile, he finished his third and fourth year of study and became a graduate from the College of Law.

The RCC was formed by the Baathists, who were primarily socialists. Soon after having the power, they decided to address the domestic problems.

During the negotiations, he proposed absolute autonomy on the part of the country, state of self-rule. However the agreement did not came into practice.

On the domestic front, revolutionary reforms became essential to streamline the economic conditions of Iraq. Saddam was well aware of the invaluable resource that was lying under their land – the oil, the black gold. He could not find any other resource that would match oil, capable to improve the economy. In those days, Western oil companies had the monopoly over Iraq’s oil resources and they supplied oil at very low cost to the Western world. Saddam figured out a way and played a significant role in nationalizing the entire oil sector of the country in 1973.

He held the strings of the nations topmost revenue generating sector. With an absolute control over oil and its exports, he brought a hike in the oil prices, particularly the oil, supplied to the West. Eventually this step led to an improved economy, development program of new schools, universities, hospitals and production units.