Knowledge Tree
Relations (1)
related 5.09 — strongly supporting 31 facts
The United States and Iraq have a long history of complex geopolitical interactions, including the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 [1], [2] and a strategic partnership during the Iran-Iraq war [3]. Their relationship is further defined by ongoing military tensions, such as U.S. strikes against militias in Iraq [4], [5] and threats from groups like Kataib Hezbollah against U.S. facilities in the country [6], [7].
Facts (31)
Sources
The Persian Gulf TV War by Douglas Kellner (http://www.gseis.ucla ... pages.gseis.ucla.edu 22 facts
claimThe United States provided Iraq with military equipment, intelligence, agricultural credits, and 'dual use' technology capable of being used for building destructive weapons systems.
claimThe United States had been planning for a war with Iraq for some time prior to the Gulf War.
claimOn July 31, 1990, John Kelly, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Middle Eastern affairs, stated that the United States had no formal commitment to the defense of Kuwait.
claimThe author claims that the United States continued to appease Iraq despite clear signals and intelligence from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and military intelligence that an invasion of Kuwait was imminent.
accountSaddam Hussein communicated to U.S. chargé d'affaires Joseph Wilson that Iraq was interested in establishing normal relations with the United States and denied reports of Iraqi military deployments along the Saudi border, characterizing them as fabrications intended to justify aggression against Iraq.
accountThe London-based Mideast Mirror reported that King Hussein of Jordan brought a peace proposal from Iraq to President George H.W. Bush, in which Saddam Hussein expressed willingness to negotiate a withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait, provided that U.N. sanctions were lifted and the U.S. military buildup in Saudi Arabia ended, with the exception of the restoration of the al-Sabah clan in Kuwait.
accountThe National Security Council considered and rejected an Iraqi offer to withdraw from Kuwait on August 10, 1990, because the proposal was considered to be moving against United States policy.
claimDuring the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), the United States established a strategic relationship with Iraq, viewing the country as a secular bulwark against the spread of radical Islamic fundamentalist revolution.
perspectiveVialls (1991) suggested that the Gulf War may have been a ploy to exhaust Saudi, Kuwaiti, and Iraqi oil supplies to increase oil prices, thereby making the development of off-shore oil resources near the Falkland Islands profitable for the U.S. and Britain.
claimCockburn and Cohen speculated that the United States did not send a stronger warning to Iraq regarding the invasion of Kuwait because of the existing strategic relationship and trading partnership between the United States and Iraq.
quotePatrick Tyler reported in the Washington Post: "Saddam called in the ranking U.S. diplomat in Baghdad, and told him categorically that Kuwait now belongs to Iraq and there was no going back, according to Administration officials. 'It's a done deal,' one U.S. official said, characterizing Saddam's message. Another official said Saddam appended a specific warning that if Saudi Arabia shuts down the Iraqi crude oil pipelines that cross the Saudi desert to the Red Sea, Iraq will attack the kingdom. The warning further stated that if American forces intervene in the region, Iraq will 'embarrass' the United States, the official said."
accountOn August 9, 1990, the United States received a back-channel offer from Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait in return for the settlement of some border disputes.
claimThe George H.W. Bush administration used mainstream media to manufacture an Iraqi threat to Saudi Arabia, thereby legitimizing the deployment of U.S. troops in the region.
claimU.S. Ambassador to Iraq April Glaspie told Saddam Hussein that the United States had 'no opinion' on the border dispute and other disputes between Iraq and Kuwait.
perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that the United States' claim that its troop deployment in the Persian Gulf was merely a defensive force was a cover for a planned offensive military strike intended to destroy Iraq.
accountThe 'conspiracy account' suggests that the United States encouraged Kuwait to lower oil prices and refuse to settle disputes with Iraq to provoke Iraq into a military action that would justify U.S. intervention and the destruction of Iraq.
accountThe Report of the Congressional Committees Investigating the Iran/Contra Affair documents that Oliver North told Iranian officials that the United States would help promote the overthrow of the Iraqi government led by Saddam Hussein.
claimThe United States military was prepared for war in the Persian Gulf in 1990 because they had learned two years earlier that Iraq had conducted computer simulations and war games for the invasion of Kuwait.
claimU.S. Ambassador to Iraq April Glaspie hinted in a New York Times interview that the United States was surprised that Iraq seized the entirety of Kuwait, suggesting the U.S. expected Iraq to only take the off-shore islands and the disputed oil field.
accountThe conspiracy account posits that the United States signaled to Iraq that it would not object to an invasion of Kuwait, intending to trap Iraq and mobilize a coalition against it.
claimThe conspiracy theory provides a rationale for Kuwait's refusal to negotiate with Iraq and Iraq's decision to invade, suggesting that Kuwait would not have provoked Iraq without a prior U.S. pledge of support.
claimJohn Kelly stated that while events since February 1990 had raised new questions about Iraqi intentions, imposing sanctions would decrease the U.S. government's ability to act as a restraining influence on Iraq.
Iran's Regional Proxies: Reshaping the Middle East and ... isdp.eu 3 facts
claimPro-Iran militia groups in Iraq have increased their popularity by projecting themselves as the only credible force capable of challenging the United States and Israel, similar to the popularity Hezbollah gained after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
accountKataib Hezbollah in Iraq agreed to cease attacks against the United States, potentially following intervention by Iran, which suggests the initial attacks may have been conducted without explicit Iranian approval.
claimAnti-U.S. sentiments in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria have intensified following U.S. strikes in response to the killing of U.S. soldiers in Jordan, which has bolstered the popularity of groups like the Houthis and Hezbollah.
We Bombed the Wrong Target Iran's Proxy Network Strategy irregularwarfare.org 3 facts
claimKataib Hezbollah attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq would pressure the government of Baghdad to demand U.S. withdrawal, which would constitute a political victory for Iran.
accountBetween 2019 and 2025, Iranian proxies conducted sustained campaigns of harassment attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, resulting in American casualties.
referenceThe Atlantic Council reported that Kataib Hezbollah has indicated it will strike U.S. facilities in Iraq, the Houthi movement is expected to resume Red Sea attacks, and the Lebanese government has warned Hezbollah against dragging Lebanon into conflict.
Five fundamental questions for US foreign policy as the Iran war ... mei.edu 1 fact
perspectiveThe author warns that Operation Epic Fury risks repeating the same strategic mistakes the United States made in Iraq and Afghanistan by lacking a clear, realistic political end state for Iran.
Consequences of the Russia-Ukraine War and the Changing Face ... rand.org 1 fact
referenceMeredith Reid Sarkees and Frank Wayman documented a list of historical conflicts and their major participants in their 2010 book 'Resort to War: 1816–2007', including the Crimean War (1853–1856, France/Great Britain/Ottoman Empire/Russia), the Lopez War (1864–1870, Argentina/Brazil/Paraguay/Uruguay), the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878, Russia/Ottoman Empire), the Boer War (1899–1902, Great Britain/Boers), the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905, Japan/Russia), the Russo-Polish War (1919–1921, Poland/Soviet Union), the Italo-Ethiopian War (1935–1936, Ethiopia/Italy), the Korean War (1950–1953, United States/North Korea/China/South Korea), the Vietnam War (1965–1975, United States/South Vietnam/North Vietnam), the Sino-Vietnamese War (1979–1987, Vietnam/China), the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989, Soviet Union/Afghanistan), and the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988, Iran/Iraq).
The Geopolitics of the Russian-Ukrainian War: Implications for Africa ... eu-opensci.org 1 fact
claimThe United States conducted military invasions in Grenada (1983), Vietnam (1965–1968), Cuba (Bay of Pigs), Panama (1989–1990), and Iraq (2003).