EUROPE HOUSE SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ: AN HISTORICAL REVIEW 1916 - 2003   - by Rick Morren – compiled from Press and Internet reports

British and US interests in Iraq go way back, but the strategy remains the same: oil reserves are the key.

Tony Blair the British Prime Minister says the constant pressure applied on Iraq might topple the regime there without a fight. When this happens it would seem likely, based on historical precedent, that the large numbers of US and British troops already in the area will move quickly to occupy the strategic oilfields. The same scenario can also be expected if the conflict turns into a regular war. 

Historically British and US interests in Iraq go way back.  

A chronology of the events in Iraq and surrounding countries, leading to where the world finds itself today:

1916 - British/French in Sykes-Picot agreement arbitrarily draw national borders in Middle East; southern Mesopotamia including Baghdad was to be administered by Great Britain. Arabs were needless to say upset by this secret agreement when it was published by the Russian government in 1917. So were the Turks. Oil fields which were once part of the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) were to be annexed by the British 

1917 - British forces invaded Mesopotamia and occupied Baghdad; Iraq became British Mandate

1918- Great Britain uses systematic aerial bombardment for first time in history to put down rebellions in Iraq.

1921 - British Colonial Office draws line across Southern Iraq creating Kuwait to prevent Iraq access to Persian Gulf

1932 - Iraq joins League of Nations and recognized as sovereign state

Late 1940s - after WWII British power begins to wane and America stepped in. George Kennan, U.S. State Department stated in 1948," The US has about 50% of the world's wealth but only 6.3% of its population. In this situation we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity without positive detriment to our national security. To do so we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and daydreaming, and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives. We need not deceive ourselves that we can afford the luxury of altruism and world benefaction. We should cease to talk about such vague and unreal objectives as human rights, the raising of living standards and democratization. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better."

1951 - Mossadigh takes power in Iran and declares that they will control their own oil

1953 - After 2 years of U.S. sponsored sanctions CIA supports plot to overthrow Mossadigh and place the Shah in power. American Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf  Sr. helps Shah develop SAVAK secret police.

1958 - popular revolution led by Abd al-Kassem Quassim overthrows British-installed king of Iraq.

1959:  assassination attempt against Iraqi Prime Minister Abudul Karim Kassim. Saddam was shot in the leg during the botched effort and fled the country for several years, first to Syria, then Egypt.

1960: OPEC formed

1963 - coup aided by CIA overthrows Kassem. Baathist party briefly in power. Hussein runs torture center for party

1968 - Saddam Hussein helps to lead the revolt that finally brought the Baath party to power under Gen. Ahmed Hassan Bakr. Baathist Party comes to power for good in Iraq and Sadam's starts his rise to power In the process, he landed the vice president’s post, from which he built an elaborate network of secret police to root out dissidents. Eleven years later he deposed Bakr and plastered the streets with 20-foot-high portraits of himself.

1972- Iraq announces the nationalization of oil. Pres. Nixon plots with Shah to arm Iraqui Kurds. Iraq placed on list of nations supporting terrorism

1975- Iraq Vice-president Saddam Hussein and Shah reach agreement ceding control of Shatt-al-Arab waterway to Iran. Kurdish aid abruptly stopped. Concerning the Kurds who were left in the lurch, Henry Kissinger said , " Covert operations should not be confused with missionary work".

1979- Shah is overthrown. National Security adviser Brzezinski publicly encouraged Iraq to attack Iran to take back the Shatt-al-Arab waterway - which the U.S had forced Iraq to cede to Iran four years earlier.

1980- "Carter Doctrine" states U.S. will intervene militarily to protect U.S. access to oil. Iraq invades Iran at U.S. urging.

1982- Iraq removed from terrorist nation list by the US.

1984 - U.S restores full diplomatic relations with Iraq. Pres. Reagan authorizes intelligence sharing with Iraq. At same time U.S. begins sharing intelligence and selling weapons to Iran.

1985- Oliver North tells Iran that U.S. will help Iran overthrow Saddam Hussein.

"You Americans, you treat the Third World in the way an Iraqi peasant treats his new bride. Three days of honeymoon, and then it’s off to the fields." Saddam Hussein, at a 1985 meeting with State Department officials.

1986- U.S increases aid to Iraq and British Conservative MP Alan Clark returns to Baghdad, and the US sends a high level CIA team to advise the Iraqi military. Until late 1986, the US was funneling large quantities of arms to Iran through Oliver North and bigger operations involving Israel and Pakistan

1987- Norman Schwartzkopf Jr. Named head of CENT-COM. U.S bombs Iranian oil platforms.

1988- Cease fire signed between Iran and Iraq. Center for Strategic and International Studies begins 2 year study predicting outcome of war between U.S and Iraq. Saddam Hussein announces $40 billion plan to peacefully rebuild Iraq.

1989- War Plan 1002 originally conceived to counter Soviet threat is adjusted to name Iraq as main threat in region. Plan renamed 1002-90.

January 1990 - CENT-COM stages computer games testing 1002-90. U.S. War College report states that "Baghdad should not be expected to deliberately provoke military confrontations with anyone. Its best interests now and in immediate future are served by peace".

February 1990- Schwartzkopf tells congress of need to increase U.S. military presence in Gulf region

May 1990 - At Arab summit Saddam accuses Gulf states of waging economic war against Iraq. The Iraq economy has been devastated by the war. Iraq had borrowed billions to wage war against Iran. Price of oil was down because Gulf states were dumping oil on world market. Kuwait was slant drilling with American equipment into Iraqi oilfields. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia at behest of U.S. demanded immediate repayment of loans to Iraq.

July 1990 -- Saddam accuses Kuwait of conspiring to destroy Iraq economy. Iraq troops mass on Iraq border

August 2, 1990 -Iraq invades Kuwait.

August 3, 1990 -U.N. passes Resolution 660 condemning Iraq

August 6, 1990 - U.N. passes Resolution 661 levying sanctions against Iraq. At this time Iraq imports 70% of it's food.

August 7, 1990 - U.S. tells Saudi Arabia that Iraq troops are massed on their border and convinces reluctant King Faud to accept U.S. troop deployment. Satellite photos show no troops massing on Iraq side of border.

August 8, 1990 -U.S. dispatches 40,000 troops to "protect" Saudi Arabia. Iraq announces it is annexing Kuwait.

August 12, 1990 - Iraq suggests withdrawal of it's troops from Kuwait be linked to Israel withdrawal from occupied territories. U.S. rejects. Later proposal to withdraw troops not linked to Israel rejected by U.S.

September 2, 1990 -Iraq begins rationing food.

October 15, 1990  “We’re dealing with Hitler revisited.”

President George Bush on Saddam Hussein

November 8, 1990 - with no significant change in crisis U.S. doubles number of troops in area to 400,000

November 29, 1990 - U.N. authorizes use of force if Iraq doesn't voluntarily leave Kuwait by January 15, 1991.

December 22, 1990 - Infant mortality has doubled due to sanctions

January 9, 1991-U.S threatens destruction of Iraq if not out of Kuwait by January 15.

January 12, 1991 - Congress authorizes use of force if Iraq not withdrawn by January 15.

January 17, 1991 - U.S. begins air assault. 42 days of 2,000 sorties a day throughout Iraq and Kuwait.

February 13, 1991 - U.S kills 1,500 civilians at Al-Amariyah shelter

February 15, 1991 - Pres. Bush urges Iraqi people to overthrow Saddam.

February 21, 1991 - Russia announces that Iraq has agreed to full and unconditional withdrawal from Kuwait. U.S rejects plan and says that if Iraq not out of Kuwait by noon February 23 a ground attack will proceed.

February 23, 1991 - ground assault begins

February 26, 1991 - Iraq announces it's troops are withdrawing from Kuwait. U.S bombs road that would be used to retreat and kills thousands from air including civilians in "turkey shoot".

February 28, 1991- Iraq and U.S. agree to cease-fire

March 1991 - U.S-encouraged rebellions against Saddam are put down. Schwartzkopf allows Saddam helicopters to fly through U.S. lines to kill Shiites in south and Kurds in North. He refused to allow rebelling members of the Republican Guard in the South get weapons from their storehouses.

March 2, 1991 - 24^th Mechanized Infantry slaughters thousands of Iraqi soldiers in post cease fire battle. No Americans die.

1992 - In an attempt to control market forces, the Hussein regime arrests 550 leading merchants in Baghdad. 42 are executed and their bodies are shackled to telephone poles in front of their shops with signs reading, "Greedy Merchant." Talks between the UN-Iraq are held in Vienna. Kofi Annan proposes the use of some oil facilities, despite UNSG recommendations. Sadam Husein who is considered one of the few lmost dangerous living tyrants in the world remains very popular in the Middle East for his stand against the US, but his support is waning at home.

1993 - Iraqi newspapers report 36,000 cars stolen in Iraq in 1993 alone.  France no longer willing to use the threat of force to ensure freedom of action in Iraq for UNSCOM. Djerjian recommends that Jordan be given $50 million of military aid (held up since 1992) to support Jordan’s positive role in the Israel-Palestine peace process and its stricter implementation of Iraq sanctions. Marked warming of Turkey-Iraq relationship as Turkey joins France and Russia in calling for an end of sanctions as soon as para.22 of UNSCR 687 is met.

1994 - CIA pursuing covert contacts in Iraq in an effort to destabilize the Saddam Hussein regime. Israel and Jordan sign a peace treaty. The US responds to Jordan by granting debt forgiveness and supplying Jordan with F-16 fighter jets.

• Until 1994, US-led Maritime Interception Force conducted inspections of all Iraqi-bound ships from Aqaba.
• Smuggling fuel for re-sale begins again across the Turkey-Iraq border.
• Turkey-Iraq-UNSC negotiations over selling the contents of the shut-down pipeline—not "flushed out" since 1990—founder over disagreements regarding where the humanitarian aid purchased with the profits would go in northern Iraq.
• UK is one of the top 5 legitimate trading partners for Iraq. The other four are Jordan, South Korea, Turkey and Finland.
• $1.2 billion of food contracts and $215 million in medicine contracts are approved by the 661 Committee in 1994. This brings total approvals to $2.4 billion and $3.3 billion in rejected contracts.
• The Clinton policy on sanctions appears to be that sanctions are to remain and diplomatic moves are to limit debate, change the rationale ("goalposts") for sanctions and offer Iraq no incentives to comply with UNSCRs.
• A rapid decline in the humanitarian situation in Iraq is compounded by a reduction in available food rations.
• Khidhir Abdul Abbas Hamza, an Iraqi nuclear scientist defects to the United States.

1995 - Jacques Chirac elected as French President and  France signals its desire to open normal diplomatic relations with Iraq.

• First public records of the 661 Committee released in the form of oral briefings and press releases.
• $925 million worth of humanitarian contracts are still undecided by the 661 Committee; a total volume of $8.8 billion has passed through the Committee as of 1995.
• UNSCOM forms links with Israeli intelligence services, which lead to charges of spying.

1996 - US begins to use Azraq, Jordan as a base from which American fighter jets patrol the southern NFZ. Iraq is still Jordan’s largest trading partner, accounting for 19% of Jordan’s exports and supplying 12% of Jordan’s imports. With the cessation of flights into Iraq, Jordan becomes the primary route to Baghdad.

• Turkey’s loss of revenue from lost oil pipeline flows from Iraq are estimated at $27.3 billion since the imposition of sanctions. The annual loss of revenue is approximately $400 from pipeline loss, and $2 billion from exports to Iraq. Turkey’s request to 661 Committee for an oil-exception to sanctions is continually refused, although the US looks the other way when smuggling occurs across the Turkey-Iraq border. Fuel smuggling involves an estimated 1,000 trucks/day with drivers making a profit od $600-700/trip.
• Maritime Interception Force interdicts 1 Iraqi-based ship/3-4 days.
• Confrontational style of Scott Ritter contributes significantly to Iraqi non-compliance with UNSCOM and UNSCRs.

1997 - Lukoil, a consortium of Russian oil companies, signs a contract to develop Iraq’s West Qurna Field.

• One flight/week is landing in Baghdad, despite sanctions.
• Fuel smuggling across Iraq-Turkey border is estimated to involve 50,000 b/d.
• After a number of false starts, relations between Iran and Iraq begin to improve. POW exchanges from the Iran-Iraq War take place and Iraq announces that the Shi’i holy cities of Najf and Kirbala will be open to Iranian pilgrims for the first time since 1991.

1998 - UNSG proposes that the oil sales for the oil-for-food program be doubled to show that the Iraqi people are not the target of sanctions.  UNSG approves of Phase II oil-for-food distribution plan. Butler reports to UNSC that during the first day of an inspection, Iraq announced that it was withdrawing its cooperation with the inspection team on the basis that the inspection team had too many individuals of American and British nationality (document S/1998/27 of 13 January 1998).

16 December: Operation DESERT FOX starts

• Bilateral military action by the United States and United Kingdom (Operation DESERT FOX) commences against Iraq. This is the most intense bombardment of Iraq since Operation DESERT STORM.
• The target of the air strikes appear to be the Iraqi regime, not the WMD sites.
• UN staff was not evacuated before the action started.

18 December

• UN temporarily relocates most staff to Amman.

20 December

Operation DESERT FOX ends.

• Iraq continues suspension of cooperation with UNSCOM.

22 December

• UN returns most staff members to Baghdad.

29 December

• UNSG reports to UNSC on the need for additional spare parts for Iraqi oil industry.

1999 -  Allegations surface that US and UK used UNSCOM for their own intelligence gathering purposes. France, Russia and China demand the immediate lifting of sanctions.

4 January

• UNOIP is told that Iraq can no longer guarantee the safety of its American and British staff members. The UN replies that the government of Iraq has a responsibility to the safety of all UN staff members.

27 January

• Von Sponeck from UNOIP visits Southern Iraq to report on post-DESERT FOX air-strikes, and is severely criticized by US State Department spokespersons for doing so.

2000 -  UNSG approves of the distribution of Phase VII of the oil-for-food program which includes $3.5 billion for humanitarian needs and $600 million in oil industry spare parts.

November: George W. Bush elected President of the US in a controversial Presidential election, which involved the direct intervention of the Republican dominated US Supreme Court

2001 - Feb. 16

U.S. and British forces launch an air attack on targets on the outskirts of Baghdad in response to increased Iraqi activity to target coalition planes.

September 11- Terrorist attack on New York Twin Trade Towers, killing more than 3500 people. The USA declare Osama bin Laden the prime suspect of the terror.

George Bush takes strong stand against terrorism during State of the Union speech and his popularity soars in the USA.

Oct. 7- U.S. and British forces begin air-strikes against Afghanistan, whose ruling Taliban government was seen as sheltering Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terrorist network, accused of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. After eight weeks of fighting major hostilities end in Afghanistan, but situation still remains very volatile.

--U.S. military forces in Afghanistan: about 9,000 - European and other forces about 50.000
--Cost of military action: about $2 billion per month, most of it coming from the European Union 
--Countries in anti-terrorism military coalition: 70.
--Countries with forces in Afghanistan: 25. Americans killed: 39, including 16 during combat or hostile situations.

Nov. US announces it would develop a rocket defense against possible nuclear attack from Rogue Nations and that it would get out of the Nuclear Proliferation treaty.

2002

• George Bush declares there is an Axis of Evil, which includes: Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.
• Greatly increased violence between Israel and Palestine, with large numbers of dead and atrocities committed on both sides
• US foreign policy focus on Iraq's Sadam as kingpin of Axis of Evil. George W. Bush notes "Sadam wants to kill my daddy"
• US and Britain prepare for war against Iraq
• UN Security Council decides UN Inspectors should be given opportunity to inspect before decision is taken to go to war
• First reports from Inspectors indicate that no "smoking gun has been found
• North Korea gets out of the nuclear proliferation treaty.
• Anti-War movement starts to gather up steam on a world-wide basis
• Polls everywhere indicate that other avenues to remove Saddam are preferred over war
• British and US troop buildup in the Middle East now includes more than 150.000 combat ready troops

December 29- Bush Administration announces plans it will immediately secure Iraqi oilfields if it invades Iraq and is looking into the possibility of ramping up oil production beyond the U.N. oil-for-food program to pay for post-war reconstruction. 

2003

January

January 14- the European Parliament passes a resolution by a vote of 287-209 opposing military action against Iraq.

January 22- US Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's dismisses France and Germany as the "old Europe, at a news conference in Washington, after the leaders of France and Germany agreed to counter U.S. threats of war against Iraq by committing together to give peace a chance. January 31- in their first major report to the UN Security Council, about the findings of the UN inspector teams Hans Blix and Mohamed El Baradei said that so far they had not found any “smoking gun”, but that the cooperation of Iraq with the weapon’s inspectors needed improvement and should include aerial inspections. 

February 5- testifying at the US Congress, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld puts Germany in the same category as Libya and Cuba, which have ruled out any role in a possible war on Iraq or in post-war reconstruction. 

February 5- US  Secretary of State Collin Powell does an elaborate PR presentation to the UN Security Council, giving numerous reasons about its non-compliance to various UN resolutions, and stresses that the time has come to militarily act against Iraq.  In the meantime US and British troops and supplies continue to pour into the Middle East. 

February 14- presentations by weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed El Baradei to the UN security Council showed Iraq is generally cooperating with the weapons inspectors. The presentations failed to give Washington the ammunition it needed to galvanize support for military action.  Hans Blix and Mohamed El Baradei presentations were followed by a dramatic showdown against the U.S. position by the other major powers in the UN Security Council, who all rallied around calls for more weapons inspections in Iraq. Only Spain and Britain spoke up for the U.S. position, while even Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw held out hope for a peaceful solution, if Iraq dramatically accelerates its co-operation. French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin's impassioned speech seeking more time for inspections elicited rare applause from diplomats in the chamber. He said France would not support a UN resolution authorizing war. China and Russia also pressed for more inspections.

February 14- negotiations continue in Washington between Turkey and the US on a major economic agreement between the two countries, if Turkey agrees to participate with Britain and the US in the war against Iraq. While the negotiations were going on in Washington, Turkish TV was showing unidentified armed individuals in 15 jeeps crossing the Southern Turkish border into Iraq. Demonstrations have been erupting in all major Turkish cities against the Turkish involvement in a war with Iraq. Polls in Turkey show that more than 80% of the population is against the war in Iraq, which before the first Gulf war used to be one of its major trading partners.  

February 15- peace demonstrations are taking place in more than 600 major cities all over the world. In London an estimated crowd of close to one million people has assembled in key locations calling for a peaceful solution to the Iraq crises.

March

March 1 -UNMOVIC orders Iraq to destroy all its illegally imported Al Samoud 2 missiles and 380 rocket engines. March 1 -The Turkish parliament denies US military forces access to bases in that country.

March 5 - France, Germany, and Russia release a joint declaration stating they will "not allow" a resolution authorizing military action to pass the UN Security Council.

March 7 - The US, Britain, and Spain introduce a revised UN resolution that gives Iraq a Mar. 17 deadline to rid itself of WMD.

March 16 - The leaders of the US, Britain, Spain, and Portugal meet on the Azores, issuing a one-day deadline for diplomacy. They warn war could start immediately

March 17 - The US and Britain withdraw their draft Security Council resolution, because they were not able to get majority vote at the UN Security Council to attack Iraq. US advises weapons inspectors to evacuate Iraq. During a televised address, President Bush issues an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq within 48 hours during a televised address.

March 19 - US cruise missiles attack specific targets in and around Baghdad. President Bush goes on national TV and announces war has started and that he has a coalition of at least 30 nations behind him. Of all the so called supporting nations only Britain is providing substantial military support for the US invasion of Iraq.

May 1 - President Bush declares war against Iraq has been completed. Bush refrained from saying the war had ended, because that would have made the US liable to adhere to the Geneva Convention, which among a variety of rules also states all prisoners have to be released. In the meantime chaos reigns in Iraq, with daily political demonstrations, lack of sanitation services, power outings, lootings, and the collapse of the civil service system.