There was a coup attempt alleged against the military, and Saddam’sregime exectuted some 22 of the top brass, if I recell correctly. What’s the old saying, to scare the monkeys, kill a rooster.
Saddam only had someone confess to an attempted coup and used it as an excuse to kill 22 people. Mind you, he ‘confessed’ after he ended up possobly tortured and coerced for who knows how long until he broke.