Background information on Iraq

A History of Conflict

Behind the current conflict in Iraq lie a history of war and a society divided by ethnic and religious differences exacerbated by a brutal regime.

Since Saddam Hussein assumed the presidency of Iraq in 1979, the country has been involved in two wars. In Iran, Ayatollah Khonemi, who rose into power during the 1979 Iran revolution, strongly opposed Saddam's secularist state and encouraged Iraqi Shia Muslims to join Iran for a United Islamic Republic. This started an eight year Iran-Iraq war that claimed at least a million lives.

In Iraq, the war ignited existing religious and ethnic divisions. The large Kurdish community in the north rose against Hussein's regime and suffered great defeats as a result. In March 1988, a chemical bombing was launched on the Kurdish town of Halabja where about 5,000 to 12,000 civilians were killed.

Kuwaiti Oil

In August 1991, Iraq invaded Kuwait over oil disputes. The invasion, condemned by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), resulted to a US-led coalition bombing of Iraq. While Iraq was defeated within seven weeks, the bombings destroyed the country's infrastructure and killed thousands of Iraqi soldiers.

In the aftermath of the Gulf War, another Kurdish uprising was met by violence from Hussein's regime, forcing millions of Kurds to flee the country. Shia Muslims, representing some 60% of the Iraqi population, also rebelled against Hussein, resulting in tens of thousands of Shia killed, tortured and imprisoned.

Because of its invasion of Kuwait, several sanctions were imposed on Iraq. A UNSC resolution required Iraq to open up for inspection of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), among others. A no fly zone, applied to Iraqi planes, was enforced to protect the Kurds and Shia communities in the north and south of Iraq.

Invasion, Insurgency & Instability

Following the 9/11 attacks in the United States, UN weapon inspectors returned to Iraq in 2002 to search for WMD. Iraq was accused of WMD accumulation and of failing to cooperate with UN inspection. In 2003, a US-led coalition invaded Iraq and overthrew Saddam Hussein. He was later convicted of crimes against humanity and executed in 2006.

The war moved rapidly into a low-intensity guerrilla-style war with insurgent groups targeting coalition forces and violence arising between Shia and Sunni Muslims. In April 2003, temporary authority was established. A national election followed in December 2005, wherein a coalition was formed between representatives of the Shia, Kurd and Sunni community.

However, the government has failed to ensure stability in Iraq and some argue that the country is in a state of civil war. Terrorist attacks, insurgency violence and fighting between Sunni, Shia and coalition troops continue to destabilise the elected government and claim the lives of civilians everyday.