Iran Iraq War

1
Iran Iraq War

• Causes

2
What do you know?

• Who started the Iran-Iraq war?
• What were the causes of the Iran-Iraq War?
• How long did it last?
• What were the Foreign influence in the war?
• How many died?

3
Historical Rivalry

• Iraq's foreign minister, Sa'adoun Hammadi, (1981)
  "The problem is neither new nor simple. It goes
  back over 460 years of history.
• traditional rivalry - both powers attempting to
  impose their hegemony on the Gulf region

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Definition

• Hegemony is the political, economic, ideological
  or cultural power exerted by a dominant group
  over other groups, regardless of the explicit
  consent of the latter.

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Iran Hegemony

• The Shah saw himself as the sole guardian of Gulf
  security. (1971)I believe that the Persian Gulf
  must always be kept open - under Iranian
  protection - for the benefit of not only my
  country but the other Gulf countries and the
  worldafter the British withdrawal from the Gulf,
  the safety and security of the area had to be
  guaranteed, who but Iran could fulfil this
  function?
• Repeated attempts to make regional military
  alliances with monarchy/US allied states in the
  Gulf

6
Iran Hegemony

• Iranian forces took over control of the three
  islands at the mouth of the Gulf (Abu Mousa and
  the Greater and Lesser Tunbs) in 1971
• Iraq Iran's massive military modernization
  program in the 1970s expansionism at the
  expense of the Arab neighbors

7
Iran Hegemony Post Revolution

• Claims to sovereignty over Bahrain were renewed
• (Encouraged) entire population of the Gulf states
  in general, to stage "Iranian-style" Islamic
  revolutions

8
Iraq - Hegemony

• Iraq's Ba'athist ideology Pan-Arabism resulted
  in Iraqs desire for Arab leadership
• Seeks to unify those Arabs within the boundaries
  of one Arab nation-state "from the Gulf to the
  Ocean
• Present political boundaries as temporary and
  artificial and foreign inspired and imposed.
• Egypts peace treaty with Israel in 1979
  leadership vacuum in Arab world.
• Iraq saw an opportunity to become undisputed
  leader of the Arab world

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Ethic issues Khuzestan

• Khuzestan large Arab population enclave in
  Iran.
• Iraq supports secessionist movements
• Arabistan which is part of Iraq's soil and was
  annexed to Iran during foreign rule
• Renaming Iran cities with Arabic names and
  inclusion of province in Iraqi maps (Nasiriyyah)
• Iraqi agents and radio activitly calling for
  revolt
• Most oil rich province in Iran

10
Ethic issues Khuzestan

• 70,000 Iraqis of (questionable) Iranian origin
  were forceable expelled in 1971

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Ethnic issues - Kurds

• Pre-World War 1 Desire for independent state
• After World War 1, Kurds found themselves divided
  between five countries (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey
  and the Soviet Union)
• Kurdish nationalist goal sovereignty and
  political integrity of the regional states would
  be undermined
• Iraq is the most vulnerable and volatile since
  the Kurds constitute a full 20 of the
  population, a much higher percentage than in any
  of the other states

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Ethnic issues - Kurds

• Result - guerilla warfare and rebellion have
  broken out since the 1920s in Iraq
• Iraqi Kurdistan - main source of oil revenue
• to give up the region was considered tantamount
  to committing economic suicide
• The Shah's Iran actively supported the Kurdish
  rebellion
• financially,
• politically appealed to international
  community,
• Militarily base of operation, military
  training, and supplied with arms, ammunitions and
  logistics.

13
Ethnic issues Renewal of patterns 1980

• 1980 - Iran was supporting Shi'i elements in Iraq
  and encouraging them to stage a take-over of
  politics and Iraq was supporting ethnic unrest
  in Khozestan and Baluchistan, in addition to
  Kurdistan

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Discussion

• Discuss how a causation link could be made
  between the ethnic issues and the start of war
  between Iraq and Iran

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Border Disputes

• Since 17th seventeenth century - subject of
  political confrontation and negotiations
• characteristic of the Iran-Iraq relationship is
  a tendency to unilaterally abrogate treaties
  which no longer seem to serve the interests of
  the stronger party.
• Iran's politics since the 1600s have been marked
  by an obsession with seeking at least partial, if
  not full, control over the Gulf
• Iran repeatedly traded northern territory for
  more concessions along the Shatt

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Dispute over the Shat-Al-Arab

• Iraq's longest border is with Iran.
• Narrow waterway formed by the confluence of the
  Tigris and Euphrates rivers
• 120 miles long

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Dispute over the Shat-Al-Arab

• Only outlet for Iraq/ important Iranian port of
  Khorramshahr
• Part of the Khuzistan province which is the major
  oil producing area for Iran (Arabic speaking)

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History of the Dispute

• 1847 Treaty of Erzerum gave sovereignty of the
  water way to the Ottomans.
• 1932 Britain gives all of the water to the new
  state Iraq. Disputed by Iran
• 1937 Agreement Unimpeded Iranian access to the
  water way
• 1969 Iran unilaterally annuls the 1937
  agreement.
• Begins support of Kurdish separatist movements
• 1975 Algiers Agreement
• http//www.francona.com/commentaries/shatt.html

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1975 Algiers Agreement

• Mid-point of the waterway will serve as the
  dividing line between the two states
• Iran and US will stop supporting the Kurdish
  uprising
• Iran was to compensate territorially with 400
  square kilometers in the central Ahwaz zone
• Commissions were established to redraw the
  boundary lines
• The work not complete when the Iranian
  Revolution started
• Iranian leaders expressed their intentions to
  export their revolution to neighboring countries
• Renewed fighting in Kurdish areas and revolution
  support in AlDa'wa Party Hussein viewed as
  violation of treaty
• Agreement publically torn up by Hussein 5 days
  before invasion

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Dispute over the Shat-Al-Arab

• Dispute lead to series of minor military
  exchanges along border that were increasing in
  intensity.

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Discussion Linking historical events to
causation

• How could a territorial dispute cause a conflict
  when there was a diplomatic agreement four years
  earlier?

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Religious tensions Sunni-Shii

• Historical disputes over the legitimacy and
  authenticity of theology in following the "true"
  religion
• 1420s traditional rivalry intensified and
  formalized politically
• Safawi (Safavide) dynasty established in Persia
  rebelling against O.E
• Established Shi'ism as the state religion
• The Iranian Revolution revived an inter-Islamic
  rivalry that had been dormant for centuries
  between Sunni and Shi'i elements

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Iranian Revolution

• Concept of vilayat-e faqih Khomeini as Imam
• Iraq, Bahrain and Gulf states threat from
  Iranian- inspired secessionist movements among
  their Shi'i populations or political Islamic
  communities
• Exportation of the revolution
• Monarchy system un-Islamic Western
• Nationalism (including Arab nationalism) is part
  of an imperialist conspiracy which aims at
  destroying the Islamic Umma (nation)

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Religious tensions

• The Ba'ath Party secularist but not atheistic,
• Arabs not all Muslims Arab nation is a mix of
  different religious orientations.
• Religion in its proper perspective, side-by- side
  with other considerations
• Hussein Khomeini is a mad mullah seeking
  personal power and to return Iran to the 'dark
  ages'."

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Iranian Revolution - Iraq

• Iranian population 80 Shi'i and Iraqi Shi'is
  more than 50
• Iraqi Baath Party policy of marginalizing and
  delegitimizing the Shia majority
• Ayatollah Khomeini had developed a network in
  Iraq during his time in exile in Iraq
• Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Baqr al Sadr
  inspirational leader - was known to be a
  personal friend and a protege of Ayatollah
  Khomeini. J
• July 1979 riots broke out in An Najaf and in
  Karbala
• Ad Dawah al Islamiyah (the Islamic Call)
• Assassination attempts (Iraqi foreign minister
  Tariq Aziz only non-Muslim Minister) followed
  by number of attempted assassinations of
  government officials
• Executions of Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Baqr al
  Sadr

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Iranian Revolution Gulf States

• Fear over the spread of Khomeini revolutions
• Riots in Bahrain,
• Bombings in Kuwait
• Violent seize of Grand Mosque in Mecca November
  20 - December 4, 1979

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Discussion

• Khomeini We are fighting to protect Islam and
  he Saddam Hussein is fighting to destroy Islam.
  At the moment, Islam is completely confronted by
  blasphemy, and you should protect and support
  Islam

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Opportunism

• Irans military destabilized by revolution
• Nearly all officers with ranks above colonel were
  eliminated
• Desertion rateshigh among the regular military
  personnel
• Replaced with Revolutionary Guard
• Iraq large military of 190,000 men, with 2,200
  tanks and 450 aircrafts Soviet supplied

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Opportunism

• Iranian economy was in a shambles
• Shortages and oil production virtually halted
• inflation and unemployment ran high
• International diplomatic cover
• Radical student elements were holding Americans
  hostage in their own embassy
• International unease over radical state
• US elections, Afghanistan, Poland issues
• Unclear leadership
• Assembly of Experts (split between
  moderates/Parliamentarians (Freedom Movement) and
  the Council of the Islamic Republic, 12 member
  Council of Guardians and the Hidden Iman
• Kurds and leftists openly rebelling

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Opportunism

• Anticipated support of ethnic minorities
• war with limited military objectives goal of
  destablizing and toppling Iranian government
  while still keeping ease of supply lines

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Historical conclusion

• Iraq's leaders chose an excellent moment to
  attack Iran.

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Consolidation of Power

• Both leaders recently in power
• Khomeini Feb 1979
• Hussein purging of the Baath Party July 1979

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Consolidation of Power

• Iran
• challenges from moderates and the radical Islamic
  socialist
• In process of writing and modifying the
  constitution
• Bani-Sader elected as first President (committed
  to concept of a secular government
• Tensions with the United States over Embassy
  hostage crisis and attempted rescue

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Impact of foreign governments

• US
• Anti US rhetoric and hostage crisis in Iran
• Loss of major ally in Iran double ally policy
  in the Middle East

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So who started the war?

• Iran The beginning of the war as September 22,
  1980, the day the Iraqi forces crossed the
  Iranian borders by land, sea and air
• Iraq September 4, 1980, when the Iranians
  pounded several civilian, economic and military
  targets in the Shatt al-Arab area
• Iran had placed its military forces on high
  military alert (April following assiassination
  attempt and A Sadrs execution)
• preemptive action in self-defense

36
Questions

• Using your understanding of Iran and Iraq
  hegemony , Explain the following historical
  conclusion During the 1970s Ba'ath and Khomeini
  had a marriage of convenience

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Adapted from

• THE IRAN-IRAQ WARCAUSES AND ORIGINS OF THE WAR
  by  Ahmed H. El-Afandi
• http//course1.winona.edu/aelafandi/polsci270/ira
  n-iraq-war.htm