Political Crossfire Forums

[Beyond The Call of Duty]

The Iran-Iraq War, also known as the Imposed War (جنگ تحمیلی, Jang-e-tahmīlī) in Iran, and Saddām's Qādisiyyah (قادسيّة صدّام, Qādisiyyat Saddām) in Iraq, was a war between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran lasting from September 1980 to August 1988. It was commonly referred to as the (Persian) Gulf War until the Iraq-Kuwait conflict (1990–91), which became known as the Second (Persian) Gulf War and later simply the (Persian) Gulf War.

It has been called "the longest conventional war of the 20th century", and cost 1 million casualties and US$1.19 trillion.

The war began when Iraq invaded Iran on 22 September 1980 following a long history of border disputes, demands for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime, and secret encouragement by the US administration (Jimmy Carter, conveyed through Saudi Arabia) which was embroiled in a dispute with the new regime in Iran.

The conflict saw early successes by the Iraqis, but before long they were repelled and the conflict stabilized into a long war of attrition. The United Nations Security Council called upon both parties to end the conflict on multiple occasions, but a ceasefire was not agreed to until 20 August 1988, and the last prisoners of war were not exchanged until 2003. The war irrevocably altered politics in the area, playing into wider global politics and leading to the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

The war is also noted for extensive use of chemical weapons by Iraqi forces against Iranian troops, Iranian civilians and Iraqi Kurds. (en.Wikipeda.com)

The war began on Sept. 22, 1980 when the Iraqi Army launched a full-scale invasion of Iran. Saddam was hoping for a Bletzkreig type victory, but despite Iraq victories, the Iranian rallied and using the larger population, were able, by mid-1982, to push the Iraqis back. Iran was now on the offencive, but Iraq with the advantage in weaponry, was able to prevent a decisive Iranian breakthrough. The war suddenly ending when Saddam ordered his men to fall back to Iraq in early-1988. The war offically ended on August 20, 1988. Perhaps as many as a million people died, many more were wounded, and millions were made refugees. The resources wasted on the war exceeded what the entire Third World spent on public health in a decade.

Saddam had the advantage, what was he afraid of so much that he would suddenly, overnight, call all of his troops back to Iraq? Was he afraid of US or UN Peacekeeping involvment? Or did he see a mistake that he made that we do not know of? Or was it that he got in too deep, and the Iraq didn't have the resouces to countinue and win? What do you think?

[Wizard From Oz]

Quote: The war was disastrous for both countries, stalling economic development and disrupting oil exports. It cost Iran an estimated 1 million casualties [58], and $350 billion [59]. Iraq was left with serious debts to its former Arab backers, including US$14 billion loaned by Kuwait, a debt which contributed to Saddām's 1990 decision to invade.

There is your answer in a nutshell, care of the Wikipedia