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Iraq Basics

Iraq Basics. Where? Tigris/Euphrates Fertile Crescent. Iraq Basics. Who? Ethnic Groups A. Arab 2/3 of Iraq B. Kurd 1/4 of Iraq Est. 26 million (Syria, Iran, Iraq, Turkey). Kurds. Iraq Basics. Who? Religion Shiah 3/5 of the population Sunni 2/5th of population

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Iraq Basics

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  1. Iraq Basics • Where? • Tigris/Euphrates • Fertile Crescent

  2. Iraq Basics • Who? Ethnic Groups A. Arab • 2/3 of Iraq B. Kurd • 1/4 of Iraq • Est. 26 million (Syria, Iran, Iraq, Turkey) Kurds

  3. Iraq Basics • Who? Religion • Shiah • 3/5 of the population • Sunni • 2/5th of population • 90% of world’s Muslims • Main differences: Who should lead the Muslim community? Kurds

  4. Iraqi History • Ottoman Empire • 1535-1918 • British Mandate • Monarchy (1921) • “well rooted country” • Baath Revolution (1958) • Who are the Baaths? • Political Party • Secular (non-religious) government • Largely Sunni HUSSEIN CARD AS PART OF DECK OF 55 CARDS OF US CHARACTERS WANTED Reuters/CORBIS

  5. The Rise of Saddam Hussein • Saddam Hussein (July 1979) • Hussein begins to eliminate opponents • Personality cult: portraits and statues • The Republican Guard: elite presidential security force

  6. Cult of Personality 1989 Victory Arch

  7. Persian Gulf War (the 1st one!) • August 2, 1990 • Why? • Iraqi’s claimed the land • Claimed Kuwait was stealing oil (“slant drilling”) • Kuwait owed money • Hussein thought no one would stop him • UN Security Council Resolution 678: • authorized military force to be used against Iraq.

  8. SCUD Missiles • Israel & Saudi Arabia: The fear of bio-chemical attacks.

  9. The War • Allied Bombardment • January 1991 • Liberation of Kuwait • February 26, 1991 • Cease-Fire • February 28, 1991

  10. Persian Gulf War (the 1st one!) • US invades w/full UN backing • US bombs Iraqi military & civilian infrastructure • We make no attempt to hold Iraqi towns or capture Saddam Hussein

  11. Environmental Disaster

  12. Persian Gulf War (the 1st one!) • Results? • Peace Terms: • Iraq accepts border with Kuwait, surrenders all WMDs, destroys all WMD production capability • Iraq can sell oil in exchange for food & medicine • No Fly Zone • Shiah Uprising

  13. Iraq War (2003-Present) • March 20, 2003: US and Allies invade Iraq • Reasons: • Believed Iraq could still build WMD’s (UN Weapons Inspectors)

  14. Iraq War (2003-Present) • “Shock and Awe” (Air Campaign) • Iraqi Provisional government

  15. Iraq War (2003-Present) • Saddam Executed • December 30, 2006 • Iraqi Insurgency • Baathists, Al-Qaeda, Shiah Militia • Iraqi Elections • October 15, 2005 • March 7, 2009 • Iraq Surge 2007

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