 Ethnic population ◦ Arabs  2/3 population ◦ Kurds  1/3 population  Have own language and customs  Want own state  Suppressed in Iraq

 Two Islamic sects ◦ Shiite  3/5 of population  Believe Muslim leader should be a direct descendant of Mohammed

 Sunni ◦ 2/5 of population ◦ Believe leader should be a respected leader of the community ◦ Saddam Hussein belonged to this group  Main difference is over who should lead the Muslim community!!!

 Baath Party ◦ Party of Saddam Hussein ◦ Characteristics ◦ Secular group  Non-religious government ◦ Uses oil money for government projects ◦ Hussein begins to eliminate opponents

 Baath Party gains control of Iraq in 1963  1968 Saddam takes part in coup ◦ Named deputy to the new president ◦ Becomes deputy chairman of Baathist Revolutionary Command Council

 Progressive politician ◦ Modernized Iraqi economy ◦ State welfare and development programs ◦ Oversaw seizure of oil interests

 1976 ◦ Saddam becomes general in Iraqi armed forces ◦ Took increasing role as face of government ◦ Architect of foreign policy ◦ De facto leader until 1979 July officially assumes presidency of Iraq

 Causes ◦ Border disputes ◦ Fear of Shiite revolution  Saddam was Sunni  Feared impact of Iranian revolution  Ayatollah Khomeini and Iranians were Shiite ◦ Iraq wanted to assert itself as dominant Arab nation

 Goals for Iraq ◦ Remove Iranian leaders ◦ Gain oil and land  Wanted access to Persian Gulf ◦ Make Saddam a national hero

 September 22, 1980 ◦ Iraqi forces invade Iran  War lasts 8 years ◦ Oil fields and oil tankers attacked ◦ Mines placed in Persian Gulf ◦ 1987 – US Navy sends ships to protect tankers

 Long, brutal war ◦ use of chemical weapons on both sides ◦ more than a million combined deaths

 Several billion dollars in aid  Sale of dual use technology ◦ Technology used for both peaceful and military aims  Weapons  Military Intelligence  Special Operations training  Why would the US support Iraq?

 Anti-Iranian sentiments  Oil interests  Desire to promote stability in both Persian Gulf and Middle East

 Results in a Stalemate, UN cease- fire in 1988  U.S. puts sanctions on Iraq and decreases its support b/c of human rights violations  What next?