A Political and Economic Dictionary of Western Europe, First Edition
Iraq is a state in the Middle East spanning the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, covering 438,317sq km. Iraq’s governing regime, led by President Saddam Hussain, was deposed three weeks after the beginning of a US-led military campaign against it, on 9 April 2003. Saddam Hussain himself was captured on 13 December 2003 and faces trial on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The US-led coalition invaded Iraq on 20 March 2003 following Hussain’s failure to comply with the requests of United Nations (UN) inspectors searching for weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). UN weapons inspectors requested more time to complete their search, but the war proceeded none the less, without UN approval. Since the fall of Saddam Hussain no WMDs have been found. US politicians justified the war as part of the USA’s post-11 September 2001 ‘war on terrorism’, although no link has been established between Saddam Hussain’s regime and the terrorist network al-Qa’ida; and as an intervention that was necessary to end human rights abuses. The states of Western Europe were divided in their support for the war in Iraq. Governing parties in the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy supported it, while France and Germany were strongly opposed. The US defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, referred to this division in 2003 as one between ‘new’ and ‘old’ Europe.
The modern nation state of Iraq was formed through the merger of ethnically diverse provinces under British rule in 1918–32.
Following independence in 1932, Iraq was governed by a monarch until 1958, when a revolution established a republic. A military coup in 1963 brought an end to the first republic and the Baath (Renaissance) Party assumed power, advocating Arab nationalism and socialism. Saddam Hussain became President for the Baath Party in 1979. The Iraqi economy is dominated by oil. In 1979 it accounted for 95% of foreign-exchange earnings. During the 1970s the Baath Party nationalized Iraqi oil fields and set five-year plans to increase industrial and agricultural production. The economy suffered as a consequence of war with Iran in 1980–88, of the Gulf War in 1991 that followed Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, and of international economic sanctions imposed from 6 August 1990 by a UN Security Council resolution.
Iraq is currently governed by an Interim Government sworn in on 1 June 2004 (and to which sovereignty was transferred on 28 June), which is led by President Sheikh Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawar and Prime Minister Dr Ayad Allawi. At elections held for a Transitional National Assembly (TNA) on 30 January 2005, in which 8.5m. Iraqis (58% of the registered electorate) voted, the Shi‘a United Iraqi Alliance won a clear majority (140 of 275 seats) in the interim legislature. However, the party was required to form a coalition since a two-thirds’ majority is needed to pass legislation in the TNA. The Kurdistan Alliance List won 75 seats, the Iraqi List of Dr Allawi secured 40 seats and other, smaller parties won 20. The new government faces the challenge of restoring civil order, reconstruction, and the creation of a new political system for the ethnically diverse population of some 25m.
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