Between 1921-1932, King Faysal I lead the Iraqi people from a mandate under Great Britain to an independent nation. In 1933, he died, and his son Ghazi became king. During the next eight years, prime ministers were appointed and dismissed, creating a period of instability (Farouk-Slugett 15-16). Between 1939 and 1945, Iraq experienced shifting tides of political upheaval because of World War II. To keep Iraq out of Axis powers influence, Great Britain used provisions of the Angelo-Iraqi Treaty of 1930 to land troops and reoccupy Iraq in 1941 (Metz 45-46).
Political turmoil, focusing on British influence, dominated Iraq following World War II. Many Iraqi were not happy with the government as it appeared to be a puppet of the British. Finally on July 14, 1958, the Hashimite monarchy was overthrown in a coup led by Brigader Abd al Karim Qasim and Colonel Abd as Salaam Arif of the Nineteenth Brigade of the Iraqi Army (Metz 46-49).
However, political unrest did not end. Although Qasim "was primarily a centrist in outlook, proposing to improve the lot of the poor while not dispossessing the wealthy,"" he leaned toward the communist where he found support for his policies (Harris 50). On the other hand, Arif found support for his pro-Nasserite sympathies in the Ba'th Party (Harris 50).
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In the struggle between Qasim and Arif, Qasim would be victorious, but he would not be able to quell the political opposition (Farouk-Sluglett 72-76, Harris 50-53). The rise in the strength and power of the Ba'th Party after the demise of the monarch became a force in opposition to the Iraqi Communist Party. The consequences of the political turmoil led to the seizure of control over the government and the quick trial and execution of Qasim in 1963 (Farouk-Sluglett 81-83).
The Arab Ba'th (Resurrection) Party was started in Damascus, Syria, in 1940. Its principle ideology was based on Arab unity encompassing all Arab lands and people (Baram 9).
What Will Come About In Post-War Iraq? ... They asked us why the United States was taking over Iraq, and whether the Americans would stay in Iraq forever. ... Resentment and suspicion, not gratitude and embrace were what Iraqis felt when American troops invaded Iraq. ... How does Bush plan to seed Iraq with democracy? ... Iraqis will be happy Saddam Hussein is gone. ...
On August 2, 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait. Iraq then annexed Kuwait, which it had long claimed. ... The UN Security Council called for Iraq to withdraw and subsequently embargoed most trade with Iraq. ... The main coalition forces invaded Kuwait and Iraq on February 24 and, over the next four days, encircled and defeated the Iraqis and liberated Kuwait. ... s invasion of Iraq was Iraq's failure to comply with every U.S. demand. ...
Americans believe in having freedom, but yet, most do not want our military to go to Iraq and fight for the Iraq people, so they have freedom as well. ... Many Americans believe we should pull our troops out of Iraq, because we are not accomplishing what we want, Iraqi freedom bye the military troops being in Iraq. Some also believe that our military troops are being put in danger while in Iraq. ... Our government decided that if we could get Iraqi leader Jadam Hussein, then the Iraq people could become free; like the United States. This is why we are calling this war "Iraqi Freedom." ...
"Victory" in Iraq! ... The people of Iraq were thrilled to see the American troops coming to save them. ... The fall of Iraq is the biggest victory in the war against terror so far. The war in Iraq is over but the war on terror is far from over. ... This victory is a victory for both the Iraqi and American people, our leaders should be brave enough to help people in need anywhere throughout the world. ...
"President Bush warned he had "zero tolerance for any Iraqi attempts to hide weapons of mass destruction," according to the Associated Press's article "Iraqi agrees to U.N. ... The article speaks poorly of Iraq and Hussein's administration, strongly implying that Iraq is not to be trusted and is lying to the U.N. about possessing weapons of mass destruction. Iraq's U.N. ... Both of these articles clearly show the bias of the U.N. against Iraq and it's administration. ... Not believing that Iraq will fight fair and let their weapons capabilities know. ...
A United States invasion of Iraq would involve killing a large amount of Iraqi civilians. ... A United States invasion of Iraq would be a clear violation of international and US law. ... The US said that Iraq has or will develop "weapons of mass destruction," threatening the US and Iraq's neighbors. ... There is no clear-cut proof that Iraq has chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons, and Iraq has never claimed it was targeting the US. ... Almost the entire world community is opposed to a US invasion of Iraq. ...
