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)