Page 68 - History of War - Issue 10-14

BRIEFING

insecurity between the two nations. In March
1975 Iran decided to close its border with Iraq.
Within the country, Al-Bakr faced opposition
too. Dismayed at being marginalised, a
resurgent Kurdish force rose in the north of
the country. In response, the Ba’ath Party
established its own militia of 50,000 men.
The Kurdish resistance was crushed and in
June 1975 the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
was formed to put a barrier between the
warring factions. After the Kurds had been
suppressed, Ba’ath power entered a period of
relative consolidation in 1976. Al-Bakr’s cousin,
security chief and vice president Saddam
Hussein, whose influence was growing steadily,
oversaw a swathe of successful economic
policies as social mobility and the distribution
of wealth increased. This improvement in
education and healthcare was achievable
primarily due to the increasing income from oil.
By this point, the Ba’ath Party had total control
and all other parties were deemed illegal. This
power would grow again with the rise to power
of Saddam Hussein in July 1979.
Saddam Hussein: Iraq’s dictator
Many believe that Saddam Hussein’s
principal ideology was for Iraq to lead the
Operation Desert Storm in full flow as US and
Islamic world. The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Saudi forces fly into Iraqi territory
neighbouring Iran threatened to endanger his
belief. The return of Shia Muslim figurehead
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as leader of the “Many believe that Iraq is still yet to
Iranian people was a great danger, as he had
been expelled from Iraq by Hussein only a recover from the effects”
year earlier. These were two leaders with very
different ideologies and Hussein feared the
Iranian firebrand would sponsor a similar Shia After the devastating eight-year war, Iraq
insurrection in his own country. desperately needed to rebuild its crippled
The war began on 22 September 1980 and economy, so in 1990 President Saddam
huge losses amassed on both sides with over 1 Hussein turned his attention to invading the
million casualties. There was no clear victor and neighbouring oil-rich nation of Kuwait, with a
both nations suffered a ruined economy and view to increasing his control of the world’s
destabilised politics. Saddam portrayed the war oil reserves to 20 per cent (and negating
in the same way that the USSR did with World the US$14 billion debt he owed the Kuwaiti
War II: with fervent patriotism. This enabled him government for loans in the Iran-Iraq War). This
to secure emergency rules that tightened his sparked an armed response from the UN and
grip and ensured totalitarian power. Saddam major Western nations led by the USA.
also, quite shrewdly, pumped the Iraqi army full Initially only Operation Desert Storm
of Shias to save Sunni bloodshed and render bombing raids were undertaken, but when this
the conflict a Shia war. This astute scheme was deemed insufficient, UN and US troops
increased tensions between Sunni and Shia, entered Kuwait on the ground in Operation
which groups such as ISIS are now feeding off Desert Sabre. Iraqi forces rapidly retreated and
as they seek recruits. The war was made worse a ceasefire was declared on 28 February 1991.
by a well-timed Kurdish uprising, which affected In what would later prove decisive, Western
both sides. This resistance was soon crushed forces did not advance any further northward
with extreme force by Iraq, even reportedly towards the cities of Basra and Baghdad to
using chemical weapons. The Iran-Iraq War directly depose Saddam and instead outlined
(1980-1988) ended up being the longest the terms of peace. Iraq was now in disarray.
conventional war in the entire 20th Century. Political and cultural differences were rife in the
Iraq is yet to recover from the effects and the country and both the Kurds and Shia provided
huge death toll and social turmoil provided the Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq for 24 years resistance to the Sunni majority in the country.
perfect base for extremist politics and creeds. inciting divisions between Sunni and Shia The chaos in society would continue until 2003

2003 2004 20 May 7 June 30 December 2010 2011
Conflict resumes Al-Qaeda in 2006 2006 2006 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi The last
astheIraqWar Iraq (AQI) is Nouri Musab Saddam Hussein takes control of AQI remaining US
begins.USforces officially declared al-Maliki al-Zarqawi executed by hanging - now called Islamic and UK forces
swiftly capture a terrorist becomes is killed by a after being charged State of Iraq (ISI). withdraw from
Saddam within a organisation by Prime US airstrike with crimes against The US reward for Iraq. Other
month. Coalition the US Bureau of Minister of on an AQI humanity by the Iraqi his capture stands at coalition troops
occupy Iraq. Counterterrorism. Iraq. safehouse. Special Tribunal. US$10 million. left 2005-9.

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