Iraq-Desert, Oil and Saddam Hussein

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Iraq-Desert, Oil and Saddam Hussein
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Iraq

• Arabic people 75 of
• population
• 60 - Shiite Muslim
• Sunni Muslim Arabs governed country for most of
  last 100 years (even though they are minority)
• Kurds also Sunni Muslims 3rd largest group
• Oil industry most important. 2nd largest oil
  reserves in the world
• 3 major wars and many rebellions

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Saddam Hussein

• Leader of Baath Party that ruled Iraq from
  1979-2003
• Didnt like the western world/America
• After he took power got
• rid of many of his rivals
• Dictator
• Led Iraq into war with Iran

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Iran/Iraq War

• Lasted 8 years
• Very expensive
• After the end of this war Kurdish tribes began
  an uprising.
• Iraq used poisonous gas against Kurds
• 1990 Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait set off the
  Persian Gulf War

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Persian Gulf War
Saddam Hussein president 10 years and
most of time had been in war with Iran

• Iraq in debt to Kuwait and Jordan
• Iraq-Iran war ends 1988
• Saddam felt like Kuwait should forgive massive
  loans made to Iraq
• Kuwait didnt!!! Demanded repayment
• Kuwait 5th largest produce of oil in the world
  though small it was very rich.
• SADDAM WAS FURIOUS!!

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Saddams Accusations

• Accused Kuwait of
• 1. flooding market with too much oil
  decreasing the price thus costing Iraq millions
• 2. slant drilling sticking long pipes under
  Iraqi border and stealing his oil
• Demanded 27 million from Kuwait!!!
• They refused to pay he decided to invade!!

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Invasion

• Iraq had 4th largest army in the world
• Well equipped with military hardware by US and
  Soviet Union from war with Iran
• Kuwait conquered in a matter of days

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Shocked!!

• Other countries thought they were next
• Saudi Arabia worlds largest oil producer and
  very wealthy country
• US afraid Iraq would cut off their source of
  oil, driving up the price
• Would have destroyed economies of these countries

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United Nations Gets Involved

• Security Council spoke out against the invasion
• Told Iraq to withdraw
• George H. Bush sent first American troops and
  warplanes to Persian Gulf
• Became known as Operation Desert Shield

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• Saddam Hussein defied the order of the UN
• January 16, 1991 US and others launched a
  massive air strike on Iraqi military targets
• Started Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert
  Storm)

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OVER QUICKLY!

• Short war 42 days but very deadly
• Thousands of lives lost and Kuwait was left in
  ruins
• Iraqis left but Saddam Hussein stayed in power
  there for another 12 years