Iraq
I.
In order to understand anything about this country,
you must first know about it’s ETHNORELIGIOUS DIVISIONS!
II. Iraq- History
A. 1918-32 British rule
A. Even after independence
Britain retained oil rights
and kept military bases in
Iraq
B. Monarchy military rule
Ba’athists (1960s / secularism,
socialism, and pan-Arab
unionism)
C.
1979 Saddam Hussein took
power
D. Saddam suppressed opposition
also Kurdish minority
KURDISH AREAS
III. Iran-Iraq War, 1980-88
A. War for
regional
domination
and rights to
the Shatt alArab waterway
B. 367,000 died;
700,000 wounded
C. U.S. supported
both sides
D. Precipitated
proliferation of
U.S. bases in
region—
particularly in
Saudi Arabia
The Iran-Iraq war recalled WWI trench
warfare on Iran-Iraq border
IV. Gulf War
A. 1990 Saddam Hussein
invaded Kuwait
B. 1991 put down by
U.S.-led coalition
C. Weapons inspections
and economic
sanctions begin
V. America’s “war on terror”
A. 9/11 attacks on World
Trade Towers
B. 2001: Northern Coalition
topples Taliban in
Afghanistan
C. 2003 : Invasion of Iraq on
charges of WMD and
aiding and abetting
terrorism
VI. Iraq now
A. U.S. forces were in Iraq longer than they fought in World War II
B.
U.S. is currently spent approximately 2 billion dollars/week on Iraq;
nearly 100 Americans died every month
C.
Over 4000 American forces have been killed. 1 in 16 American service
personnel wounded
D. Estimates vary for Iraqis:
A. 655,000 [Lancet Survey]
B. 50-55,000 [Iraq Body Count Project]
C. 100-150,000 [Iraq Health Minister]
E.
Sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia.
F. al Qaeda in Iraq (a precursor to ISIS)
G. …And now ISIS
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=AQPlREDW-Ro