IRAQ BEFORE THE WAR
Iraq is officially known as the Federal Republic of Iraq. Iraq before the war had a rich heritage of oil and land. The country has two major flowing rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, which provides Iraq with agriculturally capable land and is a contrast to the desert landscape, which composes the majority of the Middle East. Iraq is a developing parliamentary democracy, composed of 18 governorates known as 'muhafadhat'. The capital city, Baghdad, is in the center-east of the nation. Iraq has a rich history dating back to ancient Mesopotamia. If we look in the pages of history, we will find that this region situated between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers was well known for origination of writing and for flourished civilization.
Iraq before the war enjoyed many successes during the early Abbasid rule. They cared for their people and were interested in everything concerning their health and their prosperity. They loved science and learning and they patronized and encouraged talented and promising individuals. In 762 AD, Abbasid Khalifa al-Mansur founded the Baghdad City and named it as Madinat al-Salam which literally means city of peace. Slowly Baghdad developed as the capital city of Iraq and became the center of an astonishing new phase in man's march into civilization. The standards of science, art, literature, medicine and every other discipline reached high. The Muslims and the Arab not only translated and compiled the ancient treasures but also added their own ideas, their work and their experiences for which they received a great deal of appreciation. Baghdad had one of the best known libraries called the house of wisdom in which was present countless numbers of translated and original manuscripts. It also had 60 first class hospitals. After this every thing changed, there was great leap. The League of Nations granted Iraq to the United Kingdom as a mandate at the end of World War I. Many Iraqis welcomed the British in the beginning with open hands but it grew very corrupt and economically stifling by the end of fifth century of Ottoman rule. British authorities even appointed selected Sunni Arab elites to government and ministry offices. During the mandate, British colonial administrators ruled the country, and they suppressed Arab and Kurdish rebellions against the occupation, using British armed forces. Hashemite King, Faisal was installed as a client ruler. By the urging of King Faisal, Britain granted independence to Iraq in 1932. However, in July 1958, Iraqi Army revolted to overthrow the Hashemite Dynasty, famously known as the 14 July Revolution. Following the overthrow of the monarchy in 1958 and a coup in 1968, Iraq became one of the centers of Arab nationalism under the control of the ruling Baath or Renaissance party. Oil made the country rich, and when Saddam Hussein became president in 1979, petroleum made up 95% of its foreign exchange earnings. Iraq before the war was the womb and the cradle of man's civilization and advanced science, medicine and art developed controlled by a strict code of morality and law. This glorious past of Iraq was forgotten in man's memory, only the ruins offer the best lesson of modesty that one shall ever receive from history. |