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Iraq A History
Background
• Created at the end of WWI– Treaty of Versailles– Combined 3 ethic
groups• Kurds (North)• Sunni’s (Central)• Shia (South)
What’s the difference?Shi’ite
• When Muhammad died believed Islams leader should follow his blood line
• Portraiture main decoration
• 10% of worlds Muslims
Sunni• When Muhammad died
believed Islams leader should chosen
• Blamed for death of Muhammad’s Nephew
• Calligraphy (quotes from Koran) main decoration
• 90% of worlds Muslims
Sunni’s/ Shi’ites
Sunni• Central Iraq• Little oil or water• 20% population• Has controlled the area
for over 1200 years• Lost power with removal
of Saddam Hussein
Shi’ite • Southern Iraq• Great wealth of oil• 60% of population• Close connection with
Iran– Iran is a Shi’ite nation
• Political social vengeance
Kurds
• Kurds– Northern Iraq– 17% of population– Little Oil Wealth– Mostly Sunni Muslims
• Different ethnic group
• Different religious traditions
– Persecuted by Saddam– Wants
Separate State
Government
• British established a Monarchy
• 1958: The Kings assassination brings a military dictatorship
• 1968: Ba’ath Party takes control by assassination– Secularism– Pan-Arabism– Socialism
Saddam Hussein
• Gained power in Ba’ath Party as an assassin
• 2nd in command when Ba’ath Party took control
• Became Dictator in 1979
• Authoritarian control: – Define:
Iran- Iraq War 1980-1988
• Saddam uses Chemical weapons– Even against the
Kurds in his own nation
• 1 million people die • Saddam has 4th
largest Army in the world– Low on money from
war
Aug. 1990: Iraq invades Kuwait
• Invades Kuwait/ places troops on Said Arabian border
• Saudi Arabia asks U.N. for protection– U.N. –led by U.S.- sent
troops to Saudi Arabia– President Bush sets Jan.
15 1991 as deadline for Iraq to leave Kuwait
• Iraq ignores the date
Persian Gulf War
• Jan. 16th 1991: U.S. begins bombing forces in Kuwait and in Iraq
• Feb. 23- U.N. forces invade Kuwait
• March 3 Iraq signs cease fire
• Iraq agrees to:– No biological/ chemical/
nuclear weapons– Open to U.N. weapons
inspections– No fly zones (to protect
Kurdish, Shia Iraqi’s)