War and Peace How Iraq lives after the overthrow of the regime of Saddam Hussein



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More than 15 years ago, a war broke out in Iraq, which became a disaster for the entire region. What happened in the country over the years and how Iraq changed – "Iraqi Freedom"

On March 20, 2003, an international coalition led by the United States launched a military operation dubbed "Iraqi Freedom". The cause of the war was the presence in Iraq of weapons of mbad destruction and the link between Saddam Hussein and the al-Qaida terrorist organization.

A month ago, at a special meeting of the United Nations Security Council, US Secretary of State Colin Powell the testimony of Iraqi chemical engineer Rafid Ahmed Alwani al-Janabi on the weapons of mbad destruction of Saddam Hussein. Powell also demonstrated a test tube with some substance, claiming that it was a biological weapon, namely anthrax, which is available to the Iraqi government. Powell also said that Iraq is working on chemical weapons programs and has two of the three components needed for the production of nuclear weapons.

  Colin Powell at a meeting of the Security Council of the UN. February 5, 2003. Photo: Reuters
Colin Powell at a meeting of the UN Security Council. February 5, 2003. Photo: Reuters

France, Germany, Russia and China have not been convinced by the data provided by the United States and the Security Council no. has never authorized the use of force against Iraq. The United States and the coalition, including the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland, began an invasion of Iraq in violation of the United Nations Charter

. and a test tube with some substance was used as a psychological device.

Weapons of mbad destruction in Iraq have never been found, and Hussein's ties to al-Qaeda have never been proven. In the United States and Britain, it was acknowledged that there was not enough reason to invade Iraq.

  Photo: Reuters "border =" 0 "data-x-height =" 702 "data-x-src =" https://img.tyt.by/n/reuters/ 05/9 / rtrkkey_baghdad.jpg " data-x-width = "1200" data-y-height = "421" data-y-src = "https://img.tyt.by/ 720x720s / n / reuters / 05/9 / rtrkkey_baghdad.jpg" data -y-width = "720" data-zoom = "1" height = "421" hspace = "0" src = "https: //img.tyt.by/720x720s/n/reuters/ 05/9 / rtrkkey_baghdad. jpg "title =" Photo: Reuters "vspace =" 0 "width =" 720 "/>

 
<figcaption> The bombing of Baghdad. March 21, 2013. Photo: Reuters </figcaption></figure>
<p>  But it was too late – in a country that lost its dictator, chaos reigned. The temporary US administration in Iraq attempted to wager on Shiite elites who were oppressed under the regime of Saddam Hussein, hoping to get their help to restore order in Iraq. But that did not help – the civil war started in the country. Against the Americans, not only Sunnis, the Baath party, but also the Shiites have risen. Against the rebels – pro-American Iraqis, mostly Kurds. In the context of the civil war, ethnic cleansing began in Iraq – radical Islamists took Christians and Yezidis. </p>
<figure clbad=  Photo: Reuters "border =" 0 "data-x-height =" 900 "data-x-src =" https: // img.tyt.by/n/reuters/0b/1/rtrjy4d_sabrina_harman.jpg " data-x-width = "1200" data-y-height = "540" data-y-src = "https: //img.tyt .by / 720x720s / n / reuters / 0b / 1 / rtrjy4d_sabrina_harman.jpg" data -y-width = "720" data-zoom = "1" height = "540" hspace = "0" src = "https: // img.tyt.by/720x720s/n/reuters/0b/1/rtrjy4d_sabrina_harman. jpg "title =" Photo: Reuters "vspace =" 0 "width =" 720 "/>

 
<figcaption> Americans have not added popularity to the facts of intimidation and torture on the Iraqis. It's the most innocent photo of their photo that was published in the media in 2004 – the American maid Sabrina Harman poses against the murdered prisoner Manadel al-Jamadi. In Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, US soldiers raped prisoners, mounted them, forced them to catch food in the prison toilets, dogs hounded, beaten and tortured – some to death. 12 US soldiers were found guilty, they were sentenced to several terms of imprisonment and Harman was sentenced to 6 months in prison. The responsibility for senior officials of the Pentagon has not been established. Photo: Reuters </figcaption></figure>
<p>  The situation has stabilized after nearly 9 years. In 2010, under the patronage of the Americans, the first elections took place after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and on December 15, 2011, the United States lowered the flag on Baghdad, symbolically completing the military campaign in Iraq. </p>
<p>  For nearly half a million Iraqis </p>
<h2 data-toc= "Islamic State"

The symbolic withdrawal of the United States from Iraq took place, but problems in the countries because of religious and ethnic contradictions remained, which served fertile ground for Islamic extremists. In 2013, the al Qaeda branch in Iraq announced the creation of an "Islamic state". In winter 2014, terrorists seized the city of Faludja – only 57 kilometers from Baghdad, and in the summer of 2014, the group launched a large-scale offensive in Iraq – two million Mosul were captured in two days Tikrit fell a day later. A few days later, the IG army infiltrated by Islamic radicals and former Saddam soldiers approached Baghdad, but it was repulsed by government troops.

  Young Yezidqi fleeing the Iraqi city of Sinjar. August 2014. Photo: Youssef Boudlal / Reuters
Yezidis are non-Muslim Kurds. They have their own religion – sharfadin, which is a fusion of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In Iraq, in the last 15 years, the Yazidis have not been unlucky twice – the first time after the invasion of the Americans, radical Islamists have driven them out – both Shiites and Sunnis. The second time, when "the Islamic State" decided to destroy the Yezidis. In the photo, there is a Yezidka girl who fled the Iraqi town of Sinjar, on the border of Fishhabur (Iraq-Syrian border), on August 13, 2014. Photo: Youssef Boudlal / Reuters

In 2015, when the Iraqi government, through international military badistance, launched an offensive against the IG, the militants of the group controlled about 40% of Iraqi territory. It was only in December 2017 that the conquered cities were cleared of Baghdad terrorists. The latter was fully liberated by Mosul, after which Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the end of the war with "Islamic State".

But the war continues – since the beginning of the year, 553 people have died. How many people have died due to the expansion of "Islamic State" in Iraq, it remains to be calculated – mbad graves are still found in areas cleared of militants.

There are more people who can read and write

social policy. The focus has been on the development of health care and education, housing construction. By the end of the 1980s, 87 per cent of Iraqis were supplied with drinking water, 93 per cent had access to medical care, 100 per cent of Iraqi children attended primary school, and about 60 per cent attended secondary school. The literacy rate of the population increased from 15% in 1958 to 90% in 1990.

In the last 15 years, almost all these indicators have decreased. According to the latest data, the availability of clean water in Iraq is 82.1%, 92.3% of children attend primary school, and the average – about 50%, and the number of 39, students also declined. The literacy of the population also fell to 79.75%.

  Photo: Reuters "border =" 0 "data-x-height =" 799 "data-x-src =" https://img.tyt.by/n/reuters/06/0/school_iraq.jpg " data-x-width = "1200" data-y-height = "479" data-y-src = "https://img.tyt.by/720x720s/n/ reuters / 06/0 / school_iraq.jpg" data -y-width = "720" data-zoom = "1" height = "479" hspace = "0" src = "https://img.tyt.by/720x720s / n / reuters / 06/0 / school_iraq. jpg "title =" Photo: Reuters "vspace =" 0 "width =" 720 "/>

 
<figcaption> Girls playing with a ball in the school yard in Mosul. Photo: Reuters </figcaption></figure>
<p>  But the situation with health care has improved. Access to medical care, according to the Iraqi government, is 100% of the population. </p>
<p>  The population of Iraq continues to grow. In 1990, Iraq had 17.46 million, in 2003 – 25.62 million, in 2017 – already 38.2 million people. It should be kept in mind that because of the conflict, millions of people have left Iraq to restore, among other things, the ranks of refugees heading west. It was not until early 2018 that the number of returnees exceeded the number of displaced persons: 3.2 million against 2.6 million </p>
<h2 data-toc= The crisis continues

The crisis of the The Iraqi economy began long before the invasion of the US-led coalition. International sanctions have been imposed due to the occupation of Kuwait against Iraq, the embargo on the sale of oil and the ban on importing and selling oil. export goods. The country's welfare level has dropped dramatically, food stamps have been introduced (which, incidentally, are still in force in Iraq). A few years later, the "oil-for-food" program began to work, whereby Iraq was able to sell oil and, in return, receive food distributed to the needy.

Indicator / year 1990 2004 2015 2017
GDP of the country, billion dollars 179.88 36.62 179.64 197.7 [19659038] GDP per capita, dollars 10297, 4 1391.2 4974.03 5165.7

Iraq has the second largest proven oil reserve in the world. After the overthrow of the regime of Saddam Hussein, the US Provisional Administration allowed to enter the nationalized market of Iraqi oil to foreign companies.

No, this is not a terrorist attack or a fire. This fire and smoke escape rockets from the refinery on the outskirts of the city of Kirkuk. Such "special effects" can often be seen in Iraqi refineries. November 17, 2017. Photo: Reuters

Contrary to popular belief, in Iraq, oil is not only imported by American companies, but also French, Italian, Russian and Chinese. It should be noted that two Chinese oil companies use their employees – about 10,000 Chinese work in the oil fields of southern Iraq.

Iraq produces today 4.3 million barrels per day, of which about 4 million are exported. According to the Iraqi government, oil provides 85% of revenues to the country's budget, according to the UN – 99%. But budget expenditures (82.31 billion dollars) exceed its revenues (76.84 billion). During the war years, almost all of Iraq's industry was destroyed and agriculture declined. At present, the country has to import a lot of foreign – from equipment and machinery to furniture and food. A simple example – formerly Iraq was the largest exporter of dates, now the largest importer.

According to Iraqi Plan Minister Kasay Abdel Fattah, rebuilding Iraq after many years of war and economic unrest will cost $ 88.2 billion. At the same time, the country's external debt stands at $ 73.43 billion as of January 1, 2018.

Nevertheless, Iraq's economic indicators are increasing. The country is hoping for an influx of investments, but investors are reluctant to go to the country with one of the highest levels of corruption and terrorist threat in the world and the situation is complicated by political instability.

"The Game of Thrones"

in the parliament. According to the new constitution, Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds should be represented in the Council of Representatives (hereinafter Parliament).

Whenever legislative elections become difficult in Iraq and in 2010, they continue. The fact is that the government and prime minister are chosen by the largest parliamentary coalition, and with its creation there are still problems – after the 2010 elections, a new parliament composed of many parties and groups formed the government during almost a year. After the 2014 elections, he reached armed conflict.

In May this year, Iraq held regular parliamentary elections. The three Shiite parties that got the majority of votes do not hear each other – they are too different, as in the fable "Swan, Cancer and Pike".

The "Al-Sayran" bloc wins the number of seats in parliament. ") It is led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who became the leader of the Shiite uprising against the US interim administration. Iraq: Ayatollah firmly opposes the intervention of the United States and Iran in Iraqi affairs

  Muqtada al-Sadr Photo: Reuters
Muqtada al -Sadr Photo: Reuters

Fattah ("Conquest"), a former transport minister and commander of the Shiite militia group Badr, Hadi al-Amiri, is considered an ally of Tehran. US soldiers (who still have about 8,000 in the country – TUT.BY comment) have left Iraq, while believing that Shiite Iraq and Iran should stay together. [19659003] "Nasr" ("Victory") bloc, which is headed by the current Iraqi Prime Minister Heydar Al-Abadi. Pro-Western Ge – Al-Abadi spent several years in Britain fleeing the persecution of the regime of Saddam Hussein and returned to his homeland after his overthrow.

Three blocks, three vectors of development, but none of these parties a coalition is necessary. And then the "Game of Thrones" begins in the East – a month after the elections, "Al-Sayran" and "Fattah" announced the creation of a coalition. However, two weeks later, Muqtada al-Sadr made an alliance with Heydar al-Abadi, giving him a chance to remain Prime Minister of the country.

  Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Photo: Reuters "border =" 0 "data-x-height =" 835 "data-x-src =" https://img.tyt.by/n/reuters/0a/b/rtx1dyx5_haider_al-abadi.jpg "data -x-width = "1200" data-y-height = "501" data-y-src = "https://img.tyt.by/720x720s/n/reuters/0a/b/rtx1dyx5_haider_al-abadi.jpg" data-y-width = "720" data-zoom = "1" height = "501" hspace = "0" src = "https://img.tyt.by/720x720s/n/reuters/0a/b/rtx1dyx5_haider_al -abadi.jpg "title =" Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Photo: Reuters "vspace =" 0 "width =" 720 "/>

 
<figcaption> Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Photo: Reuters </figcaption></figure>
<p>  The arrangements are not final, the coalition may collapse, news will appear – and as negotiations continue, alliances will be created and collapsed, the new government will not be elected. And the old Iraqis are treated with suspicion and believe that the country is still under external control. Yes, there is no temporary US government, but many ministers have a functioning government, they have dual citizenship – United States, France, Britain, and others – or own a multi-million enterprise dollars in other countries </p>
<p>. everything depends, for example, on what will become of Iraq after 15 years of war. </p>
<blockquote>
<p style= Baghdad report read July 13 on TUT.BY

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