ISSUES IN MODERN IRAQ Brief History of Iraq

ISSUES IN MODERN IRAQ

Brief History of Iraq • Part of Ottoman Empire 1534 -1918 • State of Iraq created by Britain after WW 1 • 1979: Saddam Hussein became president • 1980 -1988: at war with Iran • Since then: ethnic and religious conflict and war

Persian Gulf War • Hussein ordered invasion of Kuwait because he • • • accused them of stealing oil from the Ar-Rumaylah oil fields 2/3 of the Arab League countries condemned this. UN called for Iraq to leave Kuwait. Operation Desert Shield began. Collective security: countries working together Result: Hussein not forced from power, US/Britain maintain no-fly zone over Iraq, UN to carry out weapons inspections Iraq refused weapons inspectors Video: Persian Gulf War (5: 01)

The Iraq War • US-led coalition forces invaded Iraq in • • • 2003 because they believed Iraq possessed or was in the process of building weapons of mass destruction After major combat operations ended on May 1, 2003, guerilla war continued on resulting in thousands of deaths. Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a hole, arrested, and began trial for crimes against his people. He was found guilty and executed on December 30, 2006. No WMDs were found in Iraq. The US completed military withdrawal from Iraq in 2011. Iraq War (5: 47)

Tension Between Sunni & Shiite (Shia) Muslims • Sect – division (of a religion) • Division occurred about 1400 years ago • Shiite government took over Iraq after US invasion in 2003 • Two groups made up of Sunnis: ISIS and Al Qaeda • What's the Difference Between Sunni and Shia Muslims? (2: 55)

The Kurds • Turkey, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria all have Kurdish inhabited areas. • The name of the homeland the Kurds wish to establish is Kurdistan. • In the 1980 s, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein attacked the Kurds and used chemical weapons (mustard gas, nerve gas) against them. • The Kurds are currently fighting ISIS. • The name of the Kurdish soldiers is peshmerga – “those who face death”. • Who are the Kurds? (3: 00)