History of Iraq

1
History of Iraq
2
History

• Historically, modern Iraq ancient
  Mesopotamia, or the area between the Tigris and
  Euphrates Rivers.
• Muslims conquered the area in 7th Century, AD

3

• Ruled by the Turks under the Ottoman Empire
  (1534-1917)
• Ottoman Empire collapsed during WWI (1917)
• Came under British rule after WWI

4
Post WW I

• British designated as a kingdom under King
  Faisal Husayn
• British mandate ended in 1932
• Monarchy overthrown in 1958
• Baath Party took power in 1963
• Saddam Hussein was the secretary general of the
  Baath

5
Post WW I

• 1979 Saddam wins elections and takes power

6
Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988

• Reasons for War
• Border issues between the two countries--Iran
  occupied a couple of Iraqi islands in the Persian
  Gulf near the outlet of Shatt al-Arab
• Costly war for Iraq

7

• Iraq was also objecting the Islamist propaganda
  that was transmitted from Iran
• Fear that there could be a revolution among the
  Iraqi Shi'ites in the south.

8

• The war was disastrous for both countries
• stalling economic development
• disrupting oil exports
• costing an estimated 1.5 million lives.

9

• Iraq was left with serious debts to its former
  Arab backers
• including fourteen billion US dollars loaned by
  Kuwait, a debt which contributed to Saddam's 1990
  decision to invade Kuwait.

10

• Much of both sides' oil industry was damaged.
• The end of the war left the borders unchanged.
• 1998 as war with the western powers loomed,
  Saddam recognized Iranian rights over the eastern
  half of the Shatt al-Arab, reverting to the
  status quo which he had repudiated a decade
  earlier.

11
Why Iraq Invaded Kuwait

• Key Issues in the disputes
• Amount of coastline that Iraq was granted by
  the British (Sir Percy Cox) on the Persian Gulf
  Kuwait was given 310 miles while Iraq had only 36
  miles.

12
Why Iraq Invaded Kuwait

• Accused Kuwait of violating its territorial
  integrity.
• Convinced that there was a plot to invade Iraq.

13
Why Iraq Invaded Kuwait

• Rumalia Oil Field
• a huge, 50 mile long oilfield that runs beneath
  the Iraq-Kuwait border
• 90 of the field is under Iraqi land
• Iraq accused Kuwait of pumping over 10 billion
  of oil

14
Why Iraq Invaded Kuwait

• Significance Iraq had serious debt after the
  Iran/Iraq war and much was owed to Kuwait
• Known as the first Gulf War or Desert Storm

15
Consequences to Iraq

• Kuwait undermined Iraqs ability to repay debts
• Stole oil
• flooded oil market with cheap oil and depressed
  price of oil on open market.

16
Consequences to Iraq

• Saddam compared the drop of oil prices (1/barrel
  1 Billion per year to Iraq) to an act of
  war.
• http//www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/chemistry
  /petroleum/knowl/4/2index.htm?oilcost.html

17
International Involvement

• Coalition force of 34 nations led by the US
• Economic Sanctions imposed by the UN
• Drove Iraq out of Kuwait
• Fighting remained in Iraq, Kuwait, and the Saudi
  Border

18
During the Persian Gulf War Saddam became
well-known for his distinctive uniform and beret,
pictured here.
19
Current Gulf War of 2003

• After the first Gulf War, a UN commission was set
  up to monitor Iraqs compliance with restrictions
  on weapons of mass destruction and ballistic
  missiles.
• Considered a disarmament crisis

20
Current Gulf War

• Teams were expelled several times as Iraq
  accused the US as using them for espionage
  (later admitted as true)
• US, Great Britain, and several other minor
  participants invaded Iraq in March, 2003.

21
Current Gulf War

• Known as Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Searching for alleged weapons of mass
  destruction.
• Ongoing War on Terrorismpossible link to
  Al-Qaida

22
Results

• Capture of Saddam Hussein
• Installation of temporary government
• Pending elections
• No weapons of mass destruction found
• No concrete tie to Al-Qaida

23
Saddam Hussein with a long beard shortly after
capture.
24
(No Transcript)
25
Baath Party Headquarters
26
Iraq/Kuwait Coastline
27
(No Transcript)