Editing Ba'ath Party (section)

===Regional organization===
A "region" (''quṭr''), in Ba'athist parlance, is an Arab state, e.g., Syria, Iraq, or Lebanon.{{sfn|Choueiri|2000|p=234}} Use of the term ''region'' reflected the Party's refusal to acknowledge these countries as separate nation-states.{{sfn|Choueiri|2000|p=234}} The Regional Congress, which combined all the provincial branches, was the region's highest authority and elected a Regional Command, the party leadership in a specific region; the Regional Tribunal, the body responsible for discipline inspection; and a Regional Secretary, the regional party leader.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} The Regional Congress was made of delegates from the provincial branches; other members attended, but as observers.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} The Regional Congress was responsible for evaluating the party's performance since the last Regional Congress, while at the same time formulating new policies for the next period, which would last until the next Regional Congress was held.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} How long this period lasted was decided by the Regional Command.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} The Regional Command, similar to the Branch Command, operated through bureaus and met for weekly-sessions.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}}

Below the Regional Commands were ''branches''.{{sfn|Choueiri|2000|p=234}} The branch came above the sub-branch; it comprised at least two to five sub-branches{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} and operated at the provincial level.{{sfn|Choueiri|2000|p=234}} The branch held a congress periodically in which it elected a Command and a Secretary (leader).{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} The Command operated through bureaus, such as the Workers Bureau and the Bureau of the Secretariat.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} The ''sub-branch'' level constituted three to five sections "and was the lowest level of the party to hold a periodical Congress."{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} Some sub-branches were independent of central authority and elected their own Command and secretaries, while other sub-branches were incorporated into the branches.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} In the latter case, the sub-branch secretary would be appointed by the superior branch.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}}

A ''section'', which comprised two to five divisions, functioned at the level of a large city quarter, a town, or a rural district.{{sfn|Commins|2004|p=65}} It elected its own command, composed of five members, but the sub-branch appointed the command's secretary.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} Beneath the section were ''divisions''.{{sfn|Commins|2004|p=65}} A division comprised two to seven ''circles'', controlled by a division commander.{{sfn|Commins|2004|p=65}} The lowest level was the circle. It was composed of three to seven members, constituting the basic organizational unit.{{sfn|Commins|2004|p=65}} Such Ba'athist groups occurred throughout the bureaucracy and the military. They functioned as the Party's watchdogs and were an effective form of covert surveillance within a public administration.{{sfn|Choueiri|2000|p=234}}

The Military Organization was made up of branches similar to those in the Ba'ath's civilian sector.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} However, unlike the civilian sector, the Military Organization was controlled by a separate Military Bureau and held periodical Military Congresses.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}} The Military Organization and the Civilian Organization converged at the Regional Congress.{{sfn|Rabinovich|1972|p=230}}