 After the success of the Iraqi coup d'état led by the Ba'ath Party's Iraqi Regional Branch, the Military Committee hastily convened to launch a Ba'athist military coup in March 1963 against President Nazim al-Kudsi (which Assad helped plan).The coup was scheduled for 7 March, but he announced a postponement (until the next day) to the other units.During the coup Assad led a small group to capture the Dumayr airbase, northeast of Damascus.