Iraq Wars

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Table of Contents

1920

– Iraq became a League of Nations mandate under British control – Hashemite dynasty Sunni ruling elite under King Faisal 1932- Independence
* Middle east borders are artificial, shaped by the geopolitics of 20th century and not by Geography
Access to sea –limited 4th largest proven oil reserves (acc. to OPEC)

Administrative divisions

Iraq is composed of governorates or provinces Iraqi Kurdistan – Autonomous since 1991 . Ethnic Kurds have their own government, parliament and army (Peshmerga)

Political History

1941 – Coup against Hashemite king (restored later) 1958 – Military Coup (Hashemite rule over) 1968 – Ba’ath party comes to power *Sunni rule over Shia majority

Ba’athist Iraq 1968-2003

Ba’ath Party – ‘Resurrection/Renaissance’ Arab Nationalism + Socialism Ahmed Hassan Al-Bakr : 1st president 1968 – 1979
• This period began with high economic growth and soaring prosperity
• But due to Wars and several internal policies of the regime – social and political problems, economic stagnation during later period of Ba’ath rule

Saddam Hussein (1979 – 2003)

• From Tikrit
• Vice president under Al-Bakr
• President at age 42
• Brutal dictator
• Multiple wars
• Purges • Rebellions by Shias and Kurds
• Genocide of Kurds
• Regime overthrown by US led invasion in 2003

Iraq – Iran war

Causes
• Saddam wanted regional dominance
• He wanted to take advantage of chaos in Iran after the revolution • Historical Border disputes Khuzestan Province
Shatt -al-Arab waterway
• Euphrates and Tigris confluence
• Historical boundary between Persia and Arab regions
• Oil producing region
• Vital Transport link for Iraq and Iran

Iranian revolution

• 1978 –1979
• Caused by Discontent with the Shah’s rule

• Resulted in Overthrow of the Shah and monarchy Supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini asked the Shias of Iraq to bring a revolution and overthrow Saddam Hussein1980-82 : Iraq attacked Iran and captured large amount of territory in the initial phase It was supported by USA covertly(to subvert Iran’s revolution) and USSR too(banning of communist party by Iran) 1982 : Iran gathered a large number of volunteers and retaliated, liberating its territories and attacking BASRA . Iran now wanted to enter Iraq and overthrow Saddam’s rule 1984-86 War of attrition – stalemate

• Human wave attacks by Iran Iraq bombed Iranian cities Iran aligned with Kurds in the North
• 1984- Iraq started bombing Iran’s oil tankers
• Iran blockaded the straits of Hormuz to retaliate
• 1987- USA and other nations sent their navies to protect their own oil transport ships

• Kurdish Genocide 1988-89

Anfal campaign Chemical and Biological weapons (Sarin and Mustard gas) used on Kurds
• 1 lakh+ civilians died
• Over 2000 Kurd villages burned or destroyed
• World War I similarities : in terms of the tactics used trench warfare with barbed wire stretched across trenches, manned machine gun posts, bayonet charges, “human wave attacks”, use of chemical weapons by Iraq, deliberate attacks on civilian targets.
• The world powers United States and the Soviet Union, together with France and most Arab countries provided support for Iraq, while Iran was largely isolated.
• After eight years of war, war-weariness, lack of international sympathy as Iraq was targeting Iranian civilians with weapons of mass destruction, eventually led to a UNbrokered ceasefire.
• 0.5 – 1 million soldiers
• ~1 million civilians
• No change in borders
• ‘Status quo ante bellum’
• Iraq and Iran both failed in their objectives

The Gulf War 1990-91

• Other names : Persian Gulf War ,1st Gulf War , Kuwait War, First Iraq War and Iraq War
• Three phases of the war : 1. Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait – August 1990 2. Operation Desert Shield (2 August 1990 – 17 January 1991) for operations leading to the build up of troops and defence of Saudi Arabia 3. Operation Desert Storm (17 January 1991 – 28 February 1991) The combat phase

• Iraq owed a large debt to Kuwait due to the previous war (Iran Iraq war)
• Kuwait was a rich oil producing nation .Iraq depended on Kuwait for transporting its oil ,especially during war time
• Kuwait was over producing oil, beyond its OPEC Quota – leading to falling Oil prices
• Kuwait was side drilling into Iraqi oil fields
• Iraq was losing precious oil revenues due to this
• Saddam Hussein attacked Iraq’s southern neighbour in August 1990 when they refused to pay $10 billion
• Iraqi army occupied Kuwait city , the capital .
• The Govt, royal family and elite fled and the country collapsed in 2 days Later, Akshay ‘Khiladi’ Kumar hatched a heroic rescue plan for all Indians

Uncle Sam intervenes

• UN sanctions on Iraq
• Iraq army deployed on border with Saudi Arabia
• Fear of Saudi Arabia being invaded led to Operation Desert Shield
• A coalition of 35 nations under UN banners was gathered by George H.W. Bush
• USA+ started amassing its forces along Saudi Iraq border
• Iraq was given a deadline of January 15 1991 to leave Kuwait

The Coalition

Operation Desert Storm

• 17 January 1991- Heavy air bombing of Iraq’s military installations, communication systems for weeks • Iraq launched missiles on Israel to retaliate • February 1991 – A fast moving attack that defeated Iraqi army within 100 hours

• Ceasefire signed on 28 Feb
The retreating Iraqi army set fire to many oil wells – ‘’scorched earth’

Q. Why didn’t the coalition attack Baghdad and topple Saddam’s Govt. for good ?? A. Rebellions by Kurds in the north and Shia soldiers made them complacent
• The US did establish a No fly zone over Kurdish areas in North Iraq that led to respite from Air attacks over Kurds but did not provide any other assistance ,as promised. • Saddam crushed the uprisings and stayed in power
• The economic sanctions over Iraq continued till 2003

Casualties

• 20-30,000 Iraqi Soldiers KIA
• 200 Coalition soldiers KIA
• 3500 Iraqi civilians dead
• Heavy losses for Iraqi Infrastructure
• The first live telecasted war – CNN
• Video game war

IRAQ WAR 2003-2011

• At the end of Gulf war in 1991, Saddam Hussein had agreed to destroy all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons stockpile
• After 9/11, George Bush Jr. declared Saddam Hussein regime as a threat to the world (New axis of evil)
• War on Terror declared

• November 2002 – UN resolution charged Iraq of violating sanctions and threatened serious consequences A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological or other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans or cause great damage to human-made or natural structures or the biosphere Operation Iraqi Freedom
• March 2003
• US,UK,Australia and Poland attacked Iraq
• Objective – To remove Saddam from power and destroy the WMDs**
• Shock and Awe!
• In 3 weeks ,Baghdad and all other major cities were captured by ground forces
• Saddam Hussein captured in December 2003

Aftermath of US Invasion

• The power vacuum left by Saddam Hussein was filled by multiple groups leading to armed struggle/insurgency against the occupying forces – instability
• Elections held in 2005
• Power was now in hands of the long oppressed Shia majority but they started oppressing the Sunnis leading to violent clashes, ethnic violence for years
• Iran, Saudi Arabia– major players were vying for influence in Iraq,were supporting their respective proxy militias
• Al-Qaeda became active in Iraq- leading the resistance at many places • Large scale ethnic violence from 2004-07
• 2 pronged fight – Against US and Iraqi security forces + sectarian conflict among various groups Asymmetric warfare
• 2007 – Troop surge by US to contain Violence

• Finally, US forces withdrew from Iraq in December 2011 Casualties Initial invasion (March to May 2003) 200 coalition soldiers 7,000 Iraqi civilians Insurgency (2003-2011) 5000 Coalition soldiers 18,000 ISF soldiers ~5,00,000 civilians Nouri Al Maliki ,Prime minister from 2006-2014 • Centralized power and ran govt on Shia sectarian lines
• His policies led to alienation of Sunni population (Ex: Arrest of the Sunni vice president Tariq al-Hashemi in 2011)
• The Sunnis rose up in protests(2012-13) in many provinces –they were repressed brutally
• Many oppressed Sunnis favoured a military solution.
• Such conditions paved the way for ISIL’s rise in North western Iraq in 2013-14