A geo-political analysis of US policy toward Iraq

Abstract

This paper has shed the light on the early formation of the American-Iraqi relations especially after the end of the 2WW in 1945, and how the role of Great Britain in the Middle East has retreated then and gave way to the USA and USSR to compete on having allies with the oil-rich countries including Iraq. The corner-point of these relations came after 1979, firstly because Iraq started playing an important role in containIng the effects of the Iranian Revolution 1979 in the area, and secondly because of the Iraqi Anti-Israeli policy. The paper shows also how these relations went through ups and downs and fluctuated from important military deals during the Iraqi-Iranian war during the 1980s, to a war in 1991, severe economic sanctions 1991-2003, another military confrontation in 2003, and ending with a strategic treaty and a war on terrorism that ended in 2017.