Iraq: Past and Present

Iraq is located in the southwestern part of Asia, in the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Syria and Jordan to the west, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the south, and the Persian Gulf to the southeast, with a coastline of 58 kilometers. Although most of Iraq is desert, the region between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers is fertile and rich in resources, making it suitable for agriculture.

The fertile land of Mesopotamia, situated between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, was the cradle of some of the world’s oldest civilizations: Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Neo-Babylonian. It saw the rise of famous monarchs like Sargon, Ur-Nammu, Hammurabi, and Nebuchadnezzar. These civilizations are marked by iconic achievements such as the Sumerian King List, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Code of Ur-Nammu, the Code of Hammurabi, the Hanging Gardens, the Library of Ashurbanipal, and the Assyrian Code.

In 539 BC, the Neo-Babylonian Kingdom was conquered by the Persian Empire. For a considerable period, Iraq was part of the Persian Empire. It was subsequently ruled by the Seleucids (known as “Tiaozhi” in Chinese historical records), the Parthians, and the Sasanian Persian dynasty. In the 7th century, Iraq was annexed by the Arab Empire, with Baghdad as its capital, making it the center of the Arab world. Afterward, Iraq was successively invaded by various foreign peoples, including the Turks, Seljuks, and Mongols.

In the 16th century, Iraq came under the rule of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. 

In 1920, Iraq became a British “mandate territory.”

In August 1921, it declared independence and established the Faisal dynasty. Iraq gained full independence in 1932.

In 1958, the Iraqi Free Officers’ movement staged a military coup, overthrowing the Faisal dynasty and establishing the Republic of Iraq.

In July 1979, Saddam Hussein became president.

In 1980, a border dispute with Iran led to the Iran-Iraq War, which lasted for eight years.

In 1990, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait triggered the Gulf War, resulting in UN sanctions.

On March 20, 2003, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries unilaterally launched the Iraq War. On April 9, US forces captured Baghdad, and the Saddam regime was overthrown. Saddam Hussein was later arrested by US forces and sentenced to death by an Iraqi court. Iraq quickly fell under the control of the US and its allied forces. On May 1, US President Bush declared an end to major combat operations. On December 20, 2011, the US completed its full withdrawal from Iraq.

In 2014, the Sunni extremist terrorist group ISIS took advantage of the chaotic situation in the Middle East to launch a major offensive into Iraq, reigniting the war. ISIS captured large areas of western and northern Iraq. With support from the US and Iran, the Iraqi government gradually reclaimed lost territory over the next three years, achieving significant victories in the fight against terrorism.

While the smoke of war has slowly cleared, Iraq remains a volatile region in the chaotic Middle East. Beneath a seemingly calm surface, undercurrents of instability persist. Post-war Iraq has a single-product economy heavily reliant on the oil industry. Due to war damage, many oil pipelines have been destroyed, leaving a landscape of devastation. Post-war reconstruction has been slow, government efficiency is low, and the work is fraught with difficulties, leading to extremely high unemployment rates. According to data from the International Organization for Migration, nearly 1.4 million people in Iraq are still displaced. They struggle to survive amid frequent attacks and conflicts in environments of rubble and ruin.