Impeach Bush Topics

Brief History of Modern Iraq

See also this page on Bush's more recent lies about Iraq.

Iraq has a long and amazing history that cannot be covered in depth here. I will only cover recent topics related to Bush and Rumsfeld. Apparently the US helped Saddam Hussein build and use chemical weapons against Iran in the 1980's.

1917 - Britain seized control of Baghdad from the Ottoman Empire. Iraq borders arbitrarily drawn to include three separate regions.
1921 - King Faysal crowned King of a constitutional monarchy with Britain behind the throne.
1932 - Iraq enters the League of Nations as an Independant nation led by General Nuri as-Sa'id. Britain keeps air bases in Basrah and west of the Euphrates.
1958 - 'Abd al-Karim Qasim leads a revolution that results in the royal family and Nuri being executed and the establishment of an Islamic republic.
1963 - 'Abd as-Salam 'Arif arrested the Ba'th party leaders and formed a socialist state and began to nationalize industries.
1968 - Ba'th party storms the palace and regains control. Saddam Hussein sends 'Arif to Morroco.
1972 - Iraq and the Soviet Union signed a treaty of friendship and agree to cooperate in political, economic, and military affairs.
1972 - The rich North Rumaylah oil field begins production, operated by the new Iraqi Company for Oil Operations.
1979 - President al Bakr resigns and is succeeded by Saddam Hussein.
1979 - Shah of Iran overthrown by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini denounces Iraq as a secular regime. Several border clashes follow.
1980 - Iraq invades and bombs Iran. Ten years of bloody fighting follow.
1982 to 1983 - US covertly funnels weapons to Iraq through Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait.
1983 - In December, President Reagan sends Donald Rumsfeld to Iraq who said “It struck us as useful to have a relationship, given that we were interested in solving the Mideast problems.” The US wanted Iraq as a counter to Iran. Iraq buys 60 Hughes helicopters.
3/24/1984 - - Rumsfeld returns for a visit with Tariq Aziz. On the same day UPI reports Iraq used Mustard gas mixed with nerve gas Tabun on Iranian soldiers. Declassified papers later reveal that US was aware of almost daily use of chemical weapons by Iraq.
1984 - Iraq buys 45 Bell helicopters. Full diplomatic relations between Iraq and US restored. CIA helps Iraq calibrate mustard gas attacks on Iranian soldiers.
1988 - Kurdish civilians killed by poisonous gas. Sweeping sanctions were unanimously passed by the US Senate that would have denied Iraq access to most US technology. The measure was killed by the Bush White House. Iraq buys anthrax, chemicals, and cluster bombs from US companies.
1990 - Iraq and Iran agree to a cease fire under UN Resolution 598.
1990 - Iraq accuses Kuwait of violating the Iraqi border, flooding the oil market, and pumping oil from its Rumaylah oil field.
7/25/1990 - Saddam Hussein meets with United States Ambassador April Glaspie who assures Saddam that the US would not get involved in this dispute.
8/2/1990 - Iraq invades Kuwait. US reverses itself and condemns the invasion.
1/17/1991 - George Bush Sr. bombs Baghdad. Over the course of the six week war over 100,000 Iraqis are killed and Iraq is driven from Kuwait.