From Saddam To ISIS: Iraq’s Struggles For Stability | Never-Ending Wars

Iraqꦫ has been marred by decades of turmoil and violence, transitioning from monarchies and authoritarian regimes to efforts at democracy. Its political history includes a monarchy under British influence, a republic dominated by Ba'athist rule and Saddam Hussein's authoritarianism, and post-2003 attempts to establish democracy after the US-led invasion, which faced significant setbacks, including the rise of ISIS. 

🍸As Iraq looks to rebuild, it faces significant challenges. Over a million people remain displaced, and three million need aid. The government also struggles to reintegrate liberated Sunni communities into the political system and to merge powerful Shiite militias, formed during the fight against ISIS, into the national security forces.

Iraq was established in 1921 by Britain on territory seized from Ottoman Turkey🃏 during World War I. Britain governed Iraq under a League of Nations mandate and set up a Hashemite monarchy under its protection. On October 3, 1932, Iraq gained independence as a kingdom.

Britain reoccupied Iraq during World War II🍸 in 1941. This was in response to a coup led by Rashid Ali al-Gaylani, who sought to align Iraq with the Axis powers. The British quickly defeated Iraqi forces, reasserted control, and reinstated the pro-British monarchy under King Faisal II.

💮The British faced resistance in imposing King Faisal as Iraq's ruler, as Iraqis—despite their diversity as Kurds, Turkmens, Shias, Sunnis, Christians, and Jews—were strongly independent and nationalistic. Many resented Western influence, particularly the British, and saw the monarchy as a symbol of imperial control.

🧔On July 14, 1958, Brigadier General Abdul Karim Qasim led a coup that overthrew the British-backed Hashemite monarchy, ending the reign of King Faisal II and declaring Iraq a republic. Qasim’s government adopted a neutral stance in global politics but leaned toward socialist policies, distancing Iraq from Western alliances like the Baghdad Pact.

ඣHowever, Qasim's rule faced growing opposition due to his refusal to join the United Arab Republic, internal instability, and dissatisfaction among various groups. In February 1963, he was overthrown and executed in a coup led by his former ally, Abdul Salam Arif, who capitalised on mounting discontent and military unrest

🐽Abdul Salam Arif’s rule was marked by political instability, and power struggles. He died in a helicopter crash in 1966 and was succeeded by his brother, General Abdul Rahman Arif. Many political leaders took charge after him but all faced the same power dynamics. Saddam Hussein, a key figure in the party, steadily consolidated power behind the scenes and officially became president in 1979, marking the start of his authoritarian rule.

🔯Saddam Hussein ruled as a ruthless dictator, he used secret police to crush opposition, cultivated a personality cult, and aimed to position Iraq as the leader of the Arab world and dominate the Persian Gulf region. 

💮On September 22, 1980, Saddam Hussein led Iraq in an invasion of Iran, targeting the oil-rich border area of Khuzestan and making initial gains, including the capture of Khorramshahr. However, strong Iranian resistance, bolstered by revolutionary militias, stalled Iraq’s progress, leading to an Iranian counteroffensive in 1981 and turning the conflict into an eight-year, brutal war with no clear winner.

On August 2, 1990, Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait, accusing it of exceeding OPEC ౠoil quotas and stealing from a shared oil field. The invasion, met with global condemnation, prompted a UN embargo and a demand for Iraq's withdrawal. When Iraq refused, a US-led coalition launched Operation Desert Storm in January 1991, forcing Iraqi troops to retreat after a 43-day campaign. Civilian deaths resulting from the conflict are estimated at between 100,000 and 200,000.

Saddam Hussein's rule grew increasingly oppressive under UN🌌 sanctions with the country suffering under UN sanctions, including trade bans, restrictions on weapons, and frozen assets. He refused to cooperate with efforts to disarm Iraq, leading to a US-led invasion in March 2003 after claims that he was in possession of dangerous weapons. Baghdad fell quickly on April 9, and Saddam went into hiding. He was caught by US forces on December 13, 2003.

🍸After Saddam Hussein's fall, the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) took control of Iraq, aiming to rebuild the country and maintain security. However, their efforts were disrupted by a growing insurgency involving former Ba'athists and groups like al-Qaeda in Iraq, targeting coalition forces, civilians, and infrastructure.

🌱In June 2004, power was transferred to an interim Iraqi government, and elections in January 2005 led to the formation of a Transitional National Assembly. Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani became president, and a draft constitution was approved later that year, though Sunni Arabs opposed it.

Saddam Hussein was executed on December 30, 2006, by an Iraqi court. Shortly after, U.S. President George W. Bush𓃲 launched a controversial plan, known as the "surge," to deploy over 20,000 additional U.S. troops to curb escalating violence. However, American support for the Iraq War had reached an all-time low, and Iraqis were exhausted by the ongoing conflict.

🌠By 2007, violence in Iraq began to decrease, allowing U.S. troops to start withdrawing. In 2008, Iraq and the U.S. agreed on a timetable for troop withdrawal, with combat forces leaving by August 2010 and all troops out by December 2011. The last U.S. forces departed in December 2011, marking the official end of the U.S. mission in Iraq.

🏅Politically, Iraq faced turmoil following the 2010 elections, which resulted in a power struggle between Prime Minister Maliki and his rival Allawi. After months of deadlock, a power-sharing agreement was reached in November 2010, but it quickly fell apart due to factional infighting. Maliki retained control over security forces, and protests erupted in early 2011 over issues like unemployment, corruption, and poor public services, with government forces responding harshly to demonstrators.

In 2013-2014, the situation worsened. Sunni extremist groups, including al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), which later evolved into ISIS💫, took advantage of the political vacuum by 2014, launched a rapid offensive across northern and western Iraq. This prompted the Iraqi government to seek international assistance, including airstrikes from the U.S. and a coalition of countries, to combat ISIS.

ꦆThe war against ISIS became the central focus. It resulted in heavy casualties, widespread destruction, and the displacement of millions of Iraqis. By 2017, Iraqi forces, with the help of international support, largely defeated ISIS, although the group still posed a threat in some areas. Maliki was replaced by Haider al-Abadi as Prime Minister in 2014, but Iraq continued to struggle with political instability, corruption, and sectarianism, even after the fall of ISIS.

ꦉBut the situation in Iraq remained fragile, and in 2019, mass protests erupted due to widespread anger over widespread corruption and unemployment. People, especially young Iraqis, took to the streets demanding better jobs, healthcare, and an end to the corrupt political system controlled by parties with ties to Iran. The protests grew larger and turned into a movement against the government, which responded violently, killing hundreds of protesters. In response, Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi resigned, but many of the protesters’ demands for real change and reforms were not fully met, leaving many Iraqis frustrated and disillusioned. The mounting pressure forced the Prime Minister to eventually resign.

After Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi resigned🍸 in December 2019, Iraq faced months of political deadlock until Mustafa al-Kadhimi became prime minister in May 2020. He aimed to tackle corruption, improve security, and prepare for early elections, which were held in October 2021. However, the elections led to further political gridlock, reflecting Iraq's ongoing struggles with instability and governance.

🍷Currently, over one million people in Iraq remain internally displaced and 3 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.