The withdrawal of American forces from Iraq has been a contentious issue within the US since the beginning of the Iraq war.
Capital (and largest city):
Baghdad
Official language(s):
Arabic, Kurdish
Demonym: Iraqi
Government: Federal parliamentary republic
President: Jalal Talabani
Prime Minister: Nouri al-Maliki
Independence:
From the Ottoman Empire:
October 1, 1919
From the United Kingdom:
October 3, 1932
Republic: July 14, 1958
Current constitution:
October 15, 2005
Total Area: 438,317 km2 (50th)
169,234 sq mi
Water (%): 1.1
Population: 2009 estimate,
31,234,000 (39th)
71.5/km2 (125th)
184.6/sq mi
2010 estimate
$113.366 billion
$3,537
2010 estimate
$82.150 billion
Currency: Iraqi dinar (IQD)
Iraq is a country in western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert. Iraq is bordered by Jordan to the west, Syria to the northwest, Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, and Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to the south. Iraq has a narrow section of coastline measuring 58 km (35 miles) on the northern Persian Gulf. The capital city, Baghdad, is in the centre-east of the country.
Two major rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, run through the centre of Iraq, flowing from northwest to southeast. These provide Iraq with agriculturally capable land and contrast with the steppe and desert landscape that covers most of western Asia.
Historically, Iraq was known in Europe by the Greek toponym 'Mesopotamia' (Land between the rivers). Iraq has been home to continuous successive civilisations since the sixth millennium BC. The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is identified as the cradle of civilisation and the birthplace of writing and the wheel. At different periods in its history, Iraq was the centre of the indigenous Akkadian, Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Hellenistic, Parthian, Sassanid, and Abbasid empires. It was also part of the Achaemenid, Roman, Rashidun, Umayyad, Mongol, Safavid, Afsharid, and Ottoman empires, and under British control as a League of Nations mandate.
Iraq's modern borders were demarcated in 1920 by the League of Nations when the Ottoman Empire was divided by the Treaty of Sevres. Iraq was placed under the authority of the United Kingdom as the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. A monarchy was established in 1921 and the Kingdom of Iraq gained independence from Britain in 1932. In 1958, the monarchy was overthrown and the Republic of Iraq was created. Iraq was controlled by the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party from 1968 until 2003. After an invasion led by American and British forces, the Ba'ath Party was removed from power and Iraq came under a military occupation by a multinational coalition. Sovereignty was transferred to the Iraqi Interim Government in June 2004. A new constitution was then approved by referendum and a new Government of Iraq was elected. Foreign troops remained in Iraq after the establishment of a new government due to an insurgency that developed shortly after the invasion, with violence peaking in mid 2007.
In August 2010 the US became the last member of the coalition to cease combat operations in Iraq. 50,000 US troops remain in the country in an advisory role; their full with
Baghdad
Official language(s):
Arabic, Kurdish
Demonym: Iraqi
Government: Federal parliamentary republic
President: Jalal Talabani
Prime Minister: Nouri al-Maliki
Independence:
From the Ottoman Empire:
October 1, 1919
From the United Kingdom:
October 3, 1932
Republic: July 14, 1958
Current constitution:
October 15, 2005
Total Area: 438,317 km2 (50th)
169,234 sq mi
Water (%): 1.1
Population: 2009 estimate,
31,234,000 (39th)
71.5/km2 (125th)
184.6/sq mi
2010 estimate
$113.366 billion
$3,537
2010 estimate
$82.150 billion
Currency: Iraqi dinar (IQD)
Iraq is a country in western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert. Iraq is bordered by Jordan to the west, Syria to the northwest, Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, and Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to the south. Iraq has a narrow section of coastline measuring 58 km (35 miles) on the northern Persian Gulf. The capital city, Baghdad, is in the centre-east of the country.
Two major rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, run through the centre of Iraq, flowing from northwest to southeast. These provide Iraq with agriculturally capable land and contrast with the steppe and desert landscape that covers most of western Asia.
Historically, Iraq was known in Europe by the Greek toponym 'Mesopotamia' (Land between the rivers). Iraq has been home to continuous successive civilisations since the sixth millennium BC. The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is identified as the cradle of civilisation and the birthplace of writing and the wheel. At different periods in its history, Iraq was the centre of the indigenous Akkadian, Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Hellenistic, Parthian, Sassanid, and Abbasid empires. It was also part of the Achaemenid, Roman, Rashidun, Umayyad, Mongol, Safavid, Afsharid, and Ottoman empires, and under British control as a League of Nations mandate.
Iraq's modern borders were demarcated in 1920 by the League of Nations when the Ottoman Empire was divided by the Treaty of Sevres. Iraq was placed under the authority of the United Kingdom as the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. A monarchy was established in 1921 and the Kingdom of Iraq gained independence from Britain in 1932. In 1958, the monarchy was overthrown and the Republic of Iraq was created. Iraq was controlled by the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party from 1968 until 2003. After an invasion led by American and British forces, the Ba'ath Party was removed from power and Iraq came under a military occupation by a multinational coalition. Sovereignty was transferred to the Iraqi Interim Government in June 2004. A new constitution was then approved by referendum and a new Government of Iraq was elected. Foreign troops remained in Iraq after the establishment of a new government due to an insurgency that developed shortly after the invasion, with violence peaking in mid 2007.
In August 2010 the US became the last member of the coalition to cease combat operations in Iraq. 50,000 US troops remain in the country in an advisory role; their full with
The Iraqi government has stated that new exploration showed it has the world's largest proven oil reserves, with more than 350 billion barrels.
drawal mandated by December 31, 2011.
Gulf War
In 1990, Iraq was faced with economic disaster following the end of the Iran-Iraq War. Kuwait, its small southern neighbour, had increased its production of oil, which kept oil revenues relatively down for Iraq. The Iraqi government also claimed that Kuwait was illegally slant drilling its oil wells into Iraqi territory, a practice which it demanded be stopped; Kuwait rejected this claim. In August 1990, Iraq followed this by invading Kuwait. The Iraqi military rapidly occupied the country, and Hussein declared that Kuwait had ceased to exist, becoming Iraq's 19th province. This brought heavy objections from many countries and the United Nations.
The UN agreed to pass economic sanctions against Iraq and demanded its immediate withdrawal from Kuwait. Iraq refused and the UN Security Council in 1991 unanimously voted for military action against Iraq. The United Nations Security Council, under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, adopted Resolution 678, authorising UN member states to use "all necessary means" to "restore international peace and security in the area."
The US, which had enormous vested interests in the oil supplies of the Persian Gulf region, led an international coalition into Kuwait and Iraq.
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran-Iraq War, also known as the Imposed War in Iran, Saddam's Qadisiyyah was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the 20th century. It was initially referred to in English as the "Persian Gulf War" prior to the "Gulf War" of 1990.
Gulf War
In 1990, Iraq was faced with economic disaster following the end of the Iran-Iraq War. Kuwait, its small southern neighbour, had increased its production of oil, which kept oil revenues relatively down for Iraq. The Iraqi government also claimed that Kuwait was illegally slant drilling its oil wells into Iraqi territory, a practice which it demanded be stopped; Kuwait rejected this claim. In August 1990, Iraq followed this by invading Kuwait. The Iraqi military rapidly occupied the country, and Hussein declared that Kuwait had ceased to exist, becoming Iraq's 19th province. This brought heavy objections from many countries and the United Nations.
The UN agreed to pass economic sanctions against Iraq and demanded its immediate withdrawal from Kuwait. Iraq refused and the UN Security Council in 1991 unanimously voted for military action against Iraq. The United Nations Security Council, under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, adopted Resolution 678, authorising UN member states to use "all necessary means" to "restore international peace and security in the area."
The US, which had enormous vested interests in the oil supplies of the Persian Gulf region, led an international coalition into Kuwait and Iraq.
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran-Iraq War, also known as the Imposed War in Iran, Saddam's Qadisiyyah was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the 20th century. It was initially referred to in English as the "Persian Gulf War" prior to the "Gulf War" of 1990.
After an invasion led by American and British forces, the Ba'ath Party was removed from power and Iraq came under a military occupation by a multinational coalition.
The war began when Iraq invaded Iran, launching a simultaneous invasion by air and land into Iranian territory on September 22, 1980, following a long history of border disputes, and fears of Shia insurgency among Iraq's long-suppressed Shia majority influenced by the Iranian Revolution. Iraq was also aiming to replace Iran as the dominant Persian Gulf state. Although Iraq hoped to take advantage of the revolutionary chaos in Iran and attacked without formal warning, they made only limited progress into Iran and within several months were repelled by the Iranians who regained virtually all lost territory by June 1982.
For the next six years, Iran was on the offensive. Despite calls for a ceasefire by the United Nations Security Council, hostilities continued until August 20, 1988. The war finally ended with a United Nations-brokered ceasefire in the form of United Nations Security Council Resolution 598, which was accepted by both sides. It took several weeks for the Iranian armed forces to evacuate Iraqi territory to honour pre-war international borders between the two nations. The last prisoners of war were exchanged in 2003.
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from July 16, 1979, until April 9, 2003. A leading member of the revolutionary Ba'ath Party, which espoused a mix of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism, Saddam played a key role in the 1968 coup that brought the party to long-term power.
As vice-president under the ailing General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, and at a time when many groups were considered capable of overthrowing the government, Saddam created security forces through which he tightly controlled conflict between the government and the armed forces. In the early 1970s, Saddam nationalised oil and other industries. The state-owned banks were put under his control, leaving the system eventually insolvent. Through the 1970s, Saddam cemented his authority over the apparatuses of government as oil money helped Iraq's economy to grow at a rapid pace. Positions of power in the country were filled with Sunnis, a minority that made up only a fifth of the population.
Saddam suppressed several movements, particularly Shi'a and Kurdish movements seeking to overthrow the government or gain independence, respectively. Saddam maintained power during the Iran-Iraq War of 1980 through 1988. In 1990 he invaded and looted Kuwait. An international coalition came to free Kuwait in the Gulf War of 1991, but did not end Saddam's rule. Whereas some venerated him for his aggressive stance against Israel, including firing missiles at Israeli targets, he was widely condemned for the brutality of his dictatorship.
The execution of Saddam Hussein took place on December 30, 2006 (the first day of Eid-ul-Azha). He was sentenced to death by hanging, after being found guilty and convicted of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi Special Tribunal for the murder of 148 Iraqi Shi'ite in the town of Dujail in 1982, in retaliation for an assassination attempt against him.
Saddam Hussein was President of Iraq from July 16, 1979, until April 9, 2003, when he was deposed during the 2003 invasion of Iraq by US-led allied coalition. After his capture in ad-Dawr, near his hometown Tikrit, he was incarcerated at Camp Cropper. On November 5, 2006, he was sentenced to death by hanging.
No-fly zone
A no-fly zone (or no-flight zone) is a territory over an area which aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in a military context, somewhat like a demilitarised zone in the sky, and usually prohibit military aircraft of a belligerent nation from operating in the region.
against Iraq. The United Nations Security Council, under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, adopted Resolution 678, authorising UN member states to use "all necessary means" to "restore international peace and security in the area."
The US, which had enormous vested interests in the oil supplies of the Persian Gulf region, led an international coalition into Kuwait and Iraq.
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran-Iraq War, also known as the Imposed War in Iran, Saddam's Qadisiyyah was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the 20th century. It was initially referred to in English as the "Persian Gulf War" prior to the "Gulf War" of 1990.
Elections in Iraq (First Parliamentary elections)
Elections for the National Assembly of Iraq were held on January 30, 2005, in Iraq. The 275-member National Assembly was a parliament created under the Transitional Law during the Occupation of Iraq. The newly-elected transitional Assembly was given a mandate to write the new and permanent Constitution of Iraq and exercised legislative functions until the new constitution came into effect and resulted in the formation of the Iraqi Transitional Government.
The United Iraqi Alliance, tacitly backed by Shia Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, led with some 48 per cent of the vote. The Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan was in second place with some 26 per cent of the vote. Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's party, the Iraqi List, came third with some 14 per cent. In total, 12 parties received enough votes to win a seat in the assembly.
Low Arab Sunni turnout threatened the legitimacy of the election, which was as low as two per cent in Anbar province. More than 100 armed attacks on polling places took place, killing at least 44 people (including nine suicide bombers) across Iraq, including at least 20 in Baghdad.
Second Parliamentary Election
On March 7 Iraq held its second parliamentary elections since the fall of Saddam's regime. More than 6,000 candidates from some 80 distinct political entities participated in the most open and contested election in Iraq's history. Iraqi voters defied a spike in violence on Election Day with 62 per cent turnout nationally and especially high rates of participation among Iraq's Kurdish and Sunni minorities.
Withdrawal of US troops from Iraq
The withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq has been a contentious issue within the US since the beginning of the Iraq War. As the war has progressed from its initial 2003 invasion phase to a multi-year occupation, the US public opinion has turned in favour of troop withdrawal. As of May 2007, 55 per cent of Americans believed that the Iraq war was a mistake, and 51 per cent of registered voters favoured troop withdrawal. In late April 2007, the US Congress passed a supplementary spending bill for Iraq that sets a deadline for troop withdrawal, but President Bush vetoed this bill soon afterwards.
In the wake of that veto, proponents of withdrawal appeared to be shifting towards establishing benchmarks that the Iraqi government will need to meet a plan that may have been more palatable to former President Bush and his advisers. The US Marine Corps still has eight bases in Iraq.
Oil reserves in Iraq
Oil reserves in Iraq are the largest in the world according to recent geological surveys and seismic data. The Iraqi government has stated that new exploration showed it has the world's largest proven oil reserves, with more than 350 billion barrels.
Officially confirmed reserves rank third largest in the world at approximately 143 billion barrels. As a result of military occupation and civil unrest, the official statistics have not been revised since 2001 and are largely based on 2-D seismic data from three decades ago. International geologists and consultants have estimated that unexplored territory may
For the next six years, Iran was on the offensive. Despite calls for a ceasefire by the United Nations Security Council, hostilities continued until August 20, 1988. The war finally ended with a United Nations-brokered ceasefire in the form of United Nations Security Council Resolution 598, which was accepted by both sides. It took several weeks for the Iranian armed forces to evacuate Iraqi territory to honour pre-war international borders between the two nations. The last prisoners of war were exchanged in 2003.
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from July 16, 1979, until April 9, 2003. A leading member of the revolutionary Ba'ath Party, which espoused a mix of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism, Saddam played a key role in the 1968 coup that brought the party to long-term power.
As vice-president under the ailing General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, and at a time when many groups were considered capable of overthrowing the government, Saddam created security forces through which he tightly controlled conflict between the government and the armed forces. In the early 1970s, Saddam nationalised oil and other industries. The state-owned banks were put under his control, leaving the system eventually insolvent. Through the 1970s, Saddam cemented his authority over the apparatuses of government as oil money helped Iraq's economy to grow at a rapid pace. Positions of power in the country were filled with Sunnis, a minority that made up only a fifth of the population.
Saddam suppressed several movements, particularly Shi'a and Kurdish movements seeking to overthrow the government or gain independence, respectively. Saddam maintained power during the Iran-Iraq War of 1980 through 1988. In 1990 he invaded and looted Kuwait. An international coalition came to free Kuwait in the Gulf War of 1991, but did not end Saddam's rule. Whereas some venerated him for his aggressive stance against Israel, including firing missiles at Israeli targets, he was widely condemned for the brutality of his dictatorship.
The execution of Saddam Hussein took place on December 30, 2006 (the first day of Eid-ul-Azha). He was sentenced to death by hanging, after being found guilty and convicted of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi Special Tribunal for the murder of 148 Iraqi Shi'ite in the town of Dujail in 1982, in retaliation for an assassination attempt against him.
Saddam Hussein was President of Iraq from July 16, 1979, until April 9, 2003, when he was deposed during the 2003 invasion of Iraq by US-led allied coalition. After his capture in ad-Dawr, near his hometown Tikrit, he was incarcerated at Camp Cropper. On November 5, 2006, he was sentenced to death by hanging.
No-fly zone
A no-fly zone (or no-flight zone) is a territory over an area which aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in a military context, somewhat like a demilitarised zone in the sky, and usually prohibit military aircraft of a belligerent nation from operating in the region.
against Iraq. The United Nations Security Council, under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, adopted Resolution 678, authorising UN member states to use "all necessary means" to "restore international peace and security in the area."
The US, which had enormous vested interests in the oil supplies of the Persian Gulf region, led an international coalition into Kuwait and Iraq.
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran-Iraq War, also known as the Imposed War in Iran, Saddam's Qadisiyyah was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the 20th century. It was initially referred to in English as the "Persian Gulf War" prior to the "Gulf War" of 1990.
Elections in Iraq (First Parliamentary elections)
Elections for the National Assembly of Iraq were held on January 30, 2005, in Iraq. The 275-member National Assembly was a parliament created under the Transitional Law during the Occupation of Iraq. The newly-elected transitional Assembly was given a mandate to write the new and permanent Constitution of Iraq and exercised legislative functions until the new constitution came into effect and resulted in the formation of the Iraqi Transitional Government.
The United Iraqi Alliance, tacitly backed by Shia Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, led with some 48 per cent of the vote. The Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan was in second place with some 26 per cent of the vote. Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's party, the Iraqi List, came third with some 14 per cent. In total, 12 parties received enough votes to win a seat in the assembly.
Low Arab Sunni turnout threatened the legitimacy of the election, which was as low as two per cent in Anbar province. More than 100 armed attacks on polling places took place, killing at least 44 people (including nine suicide bombers) across Iraq, including at least 20 in Baghdad.
Second Parliamentary Election
On March 7 Iraq held its second parliamentary elections since the fall of Saddam's regime. More than 6,000 candidates from some 80 distinct political entities participated in the most open and contested election in Iraq's history. Iraqi voters defied a spike in violence on Election Day with 62 per cent turnout nationally and especially high rates of participation among Iraq's Kurdish and Sunni minorities.
Withdrawal of US troops from Iraq
The withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq has been a contentious issue within the US since the beginning of the Iraq War. As the war has progressed from its initial 2003 invasion phase to a multi-year occupation, the US public opinion has turned in favour of troop withdrawal. As of May 2007, 55 per cent of Americans believed that the Iraq war was a mistake, and 51 per cent of registered voters favoured troop withdrawal. In late April 2007, the US Congress passed a supplementary spending bill for Iraq that sets a deadline for troop withdrawal, but President Bush vetoed this bill soon afterwards.
In the wake of that veto, proponents of withdrawal appeared to be shifting towards establishing benchmarks that the Iraqi government will need to meet a plan that may have been more palatable to former President Bush and his advisers. The US Marine Corps still has eight bases in Iraq.
Oil reserves in Iraq
Oil reserves in Iraq are the largest in the world according to recent geological surveys and seismic data. The Iraqi government has stated that new exploration showed it has the world's largest proven oil reserves, with more than 350 billion barrels.
Officially confirmed reserves rank third largest in the world at approximately 143 billion barrels. As a result of military occupation and civil unrest, the official statistics have not been revised since 2001 and are largely based on 2-D seismic data from three decades ago. International geologists and consultants have estimated that unexplored territory may
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