to take one path?

It means to "(make) comparatively minor cuts of key players at the top of the Baath party and the military."

In other words, to adopt a single strategy.

Of those available to take, "to take ONE of the paths" (comparatively minor cuts of key players) open to them.

Bazza is not a native speaker if English, and has no business attempting to advise others on Enghlish language usage.

What is "a native speaker if English"? If or of?

"What does "to take one path" mean here? "

Means one possible path of action. Also suggests that more than one path may be possible, but let us try one, at first and if necessary, we'll move on to another path of action.

A native speaker would probably mean a person who has learned English as a language at an early age and probably (?) at the time, he/she was learning English as the sole language in a home, where English was the sole language.

For example, my grandmother grew-up in a home where German and English were both spoken. She learned German and English as a child, but as an adult, she never spoke German. She spoken only English.

She was a proud German-American and a very good woman.

That's it. Cool.
But Setanta has given us a myth - "if English". It sounds more than just a slip of tongue.

I think he meant to write "of".

There is another meaning/ usage possible, but seems a very unlikely choice here.

Now you take Set, he has heard of the English language and intends to one day learn some of it .

Thank you!!!