Iraq: 1991 and 2003 Invasions
Introduction to Iraqi Modern History, Conflict and Incursions
Aug 9, 2007
Countless commentators have added to the debate over the tragedy of Iraq since the 2003 invasion. Every conceivable dimension of this tragedy appears to have undergone some form of analysis by the media in the past four years, and it may be tempting to succumb to ‘Iraq fatigue’ and question the wisdom of further analysis.
The value of revisiting this issue lies in the recognition it affords to every life that has been lost since the invasion began and to the almost certain number of lives this tragedy will continue to claim until a resolution is found.
Two Questions
Two pressing questions seem to permeate every discussion about Iraq. Simply put, they ask:
- Should the 2003 invasion have taken place?
- What is the way forward?
The 2003 invasion represents a monumental abuse of cultural diplomacy by the so called ‘coalition of the willing’ and while its review would have an undoubted value, a far greater purpose would be served by focusing on the way forward.
Background
The modern state of Iraq sits among an exclusive list of countries that can claim to have had the greatest influence on world culture and occupy the most valuable piece of global real estate. The general location of Iraq is often mentioned in the same breath as the tower of Babel, Tigris, Euphrates, Babylonian Empire, gates of Ishtar, hanging gardens of Babylon, Jerusalem, Alexandra the Great, Abbasid Caliphate, and Ottoman Empire.
Following the 1st world war and demise of the Ottoman Empire, diplomatic negotiations at the League of Nations placed Iraq under the mandate of British rule. Iraq managed to gain its independence in October 1932, but, has had a turbulent evolution. This is evidenced by coups and a border dispute that led to a protracted war with Iran, until a ceasefire was enforced by the United Nations in August 1988.
Iraq’s decision to invade Kuwait two years later resulted in international condemnation and the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 660, calling for a full withdrawal from Kuwait. This Resolution sowed the seeds for several bombing campaigns and two major invasions of Iraq by coalition forces in 1991 and 2003.
Invasion
The 1991 invasion is commonly referred to as ‘operation desert storm’, it was conducted over a period of two months and succeed in its aim of liberating Kuwait. This invasion was followed by twelve years of cultural diplomacy and UN sanctions that aimed to secure Iraq’s compliance with weapons inspections.
Iraq’s persistent non-compliance and the ineffectiveness of sanctions frustrated a section of the UN, led by the United States, that sought an end to diplomacy and promoted regime change. This frustration was invigorated by the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US and a diplomatic campaign was launched to invade Iraq.
This campaign was premised on a contrived form of cultural diplomacy that sought to depict Iraq as a clear and present danger to world peace. It was fueled by fear and thrived on conjecture, as the world was led to believe that Iraq had accumulated ‘weapons of mass destruction’.
Observers to this episode of contrived cultural diplomacy could not have foreseen the tragic and persistent consequences that would follow the coalition of the willing’s failure to properly observe the conventions of the United Nations.
Read more: Iraq Study Group Report
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Source: Iraq Government Official Information Gateway
