Iraq

On the banks of Tigris and Euphrates rivers famous ancient civilisations flourished. In this area, modern Iraq was created by Britain but was virtually kept in a land-locked position. Successive Iraqi rulers have staked their claims on Kuwaiti territory to be able to be free from Iranian hegemony. Soon after the 1958 revolution Qassem claimed Kuwait which led to Baghdad''s isolation but was partly repaired by the Arif brothers. The Baathist regime, since 1968, revived Iraqi claims over Kuwait. The author examines the reasons why Kuwaiti rulers were so determined in rejecting Iraqi demands. The Iranian revolution and the eight year war brought Saddam Hussein none of the gains he was expecting. The author believes that just as there is a direct link between the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war, the 1990-91 Kuwaiti crisis would not have erupted but for the same. Soon the UN sanctions began to slowly strangle Iraq. The author reasons that Saddam Hussein and his regime survived since 1991 due to his resourcefulness and his capacity for survival. Although many states began to normalise ties with Iraq, the US was determined to bring down Saddam Hussein and his Baathist regime mainly to control the Iraqi oil. By 2003, the UN sanctions had reduced Iraq from a booming nation to a shadow of its former self. These and many other crucial issues are presented in an impassioned and penetrating analysis. This book has both historical relevance and contemporary significance.