IRAq

GEOGRAPHY

Capital Baghdad
and largest city 33°20′N44°23′E

 Arabic
Official languages
 Kurdish
Religion Islam

Demonym(s) Iraqi

Government Federalparliamentaryrepublic
• President Barham Salih
• Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi
• Speakers of the Mohamed al-Halbousi
Council of
Representatives
• Chief Justice Medhat al-Mahmoud
Legislature Council of Representatives

Independence from the United Kingdom

• Kingdom 3 October 1932
• Republic declared 14 July 1958
• Current constitution 15 October 2005
Area
• Total 437,072 km2(168,754 sq mi)
(58th)
• Water (%) 1.1

Population
• 2016 estimate 37,202,572[1](36th)
• Density 82.7/km2(214.2/sq mi)
(125th)

GDP (PPP) 2018 estimate

• Total $695 billion[2](34th)
• Per capita $17,429[2] (71st)
 GDP (nominal) 2018 estimate
• Total $223 billion[2](47th)
• Per capita $5,601[2] (88th)

Gini (2012) 29.5[3]

low

HDI (2017) 0.685[4]

medium · 120th

Currency Iraqi dinar (IQD)

Time zone UTC+3 (AST)

Driving side right

Calling code +964

ISO 3166 code IQ

Internet TLD .iq

The geography of Iraq is diverse and falls into five main regions: the desert
(west of the Euphrates), Upper Mesopotamia(between the upper Tigris and
Euphrates rivers), the northern highlands of Iraq, Lower Mesopotamia, and
the alluvial plainextending from around Tikrit to the Persian Gulf.
The mountains in the northeast are an extension of the alpine system that
runs eastward from the Balkans through southern Turkey, northern Iraq, Iran,
and Afghanistan, eventually reaching the Himalayas. The desert is in the
southwest and central provinces along the borders with Saudi
Arabia and Jordan and geographically belongs with the Arabian Peninsula.
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Iraq

Baghdad Convention Center, the current meeting place of the Council of Representatives of Iraq.

The federal government of Iraq is defined under the current Constitution as

a democratic, federal parliamentary republic. The federal government is composed of
the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as numerous independent
commissions. Aside from the federal government, there are regions (made of one or more
governorates), governorates, and districts within Iraq with jurisdiction over various matters as
defined by law.
The National Alliance is the main Shia parliamentary bloc, and was established as a result of
a merger of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's State of Law Coalition and the Iraqi National
Alliance.[128] The Iraqi National Movement is led by Iyad Allawi, a secular Shia widely
supported by Sunnis. The party has a more consistent anti-sectarian perspective than most of
its rivals.[128] The Kurdistan List is dominated by two parties, the Kurdistan Democratic
Party led by Masood Barzani and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan headed by Jalal Talabani.
Both parties are secular and enjoy close ties with the West.[128]
In 2018, according to the Failed States Index, Iraq was the world's eleventh most politically
unstable country.[129][130] The concentration of power in the hands of Prime Minister Nouri al-
Maliki and growing pressure on the opposition led to growing concern about the future of
political rights in Iraq.[131] Nevertheless, progress was made and the country had risen to 11th
place by 2013.[132] In August 2014, al-Maliki's reign came to an end. He announced on 14
August 2014 that he would stand aside so that Haider Al-Abadi, who had been nominated just
days earlier by newly installed President Fuad Masum, could take over. Until that point, al-
Maliki had clung to power even asking the federal court to veto the president's nomination
describing it as a violation of the constitution.[133]
Transparency International ranks Iraq's government as the eighth-most-corrupt government in
the world. Government payroll have increased from 1 million employees under Saddam
Hussein to around 7 million employees in 2016. In combination with decreased oil prices, the
government budget deficit is near 25% of GDP as of 2016.[134]
Pro-independence rally in Iraqi Kurdistan in September 2017
Since the establishment of the no–fly zones following the Gulf War of 1990–1991, the Kurds
established their own autonomous region.
Law
Main article: Law of Iraq
In October 2005, the new Constitution of Iraq was approved in a referendum with a 78%
overall majority, although the percentage of support varying widely between the country's
territories.[135] The new constitution was backed by the Shia and Kurdish communities, but
was rejected by Arab Sunnis. Under the terms of the constitution, the country conducted fresh
nationwide parliamentary elections on 15 December 2005. All three major ethnic groups in
Iraq voted along ethnic lines, as did Assyrian and Turcoman minorities.
Law no. 188 of the year 1959 (Personal Status Law)[136] made polygamy extremely difficult,
granted child custody to the mother in case of divorce, prohibited repudiation and marriage
under the age of 16.[137] Article 1 of Civil Code also identifies Islamic law as a formal source
of law.[138] Iraq had no Sharia courts but civil courts used Sharia for issues of personal status
including marriage and divorce. In 1995 Iraq introduced Sharia punishment for certain types
of criminal offences.[139] The code is based on French civil law as well as Sunni and Jafari
(Shi'ite) interpretations of Sharia.[140]
In 2004, the CPA chief executive L. Paul Bremer said he would veto any constitutional draft
stating that sharia is the principal basis of law.[141] The declaration enraged many local Shia
clerics,[142] and by 2005 the United States had relented, allowing a role for sharia in the
constitution to help end a stalemate on the draft constitution.[143]
The Iraqi Penal Code is the statutory law of Iraq.
Military
Main article: Iraqi Armed Forces

An Iraqi Army BMP-1 on the move.

The current military situation, 24 October 2017:

Controlled by Iraqi government
Controlled by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
Controlled by Iraqi Kurds

Iraqi security forces are composed of forces serving under the Ministry of Interior (which
controls the Police and Popular Mobilization Forces) and the Ministry of Defense, as well as
the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Bureau, reporting directly to the Prime Minister of Iraq, which
oversees the Iraqi Special Operations Forces. Ministry of Defense forces include the Iraqi
Army, the Iraqi Air Force and the Iraqi Navy. The Peshmerga are a separate armed force
loyal to the Kurdistan Regional Government. The regional government and the central
government disagree as to whether they are under Baghdad's authority and to what extent.[144]
The Iraqi Army is an objective counter-insurgency force that as of November 2009 includes
14 divisions, each division consisting of 4 brigades.[145] It is described as the most important
element of the counter-insurgency fight.[146] Light infantry brigades are equipped with small
arms, machine guns, RPGs, body armour and light armoured vehicles. Mechanized infantry
brigades are equipped with T-54/55 main battle tanks and BMP-1 infantry fighting
vehicles.[146] As of mid-2008, logistical problems included a maintenance crisis and ongoing
supply problems.[147]
The Iraqi Air Force is designed to support ground forces with surveillance, reconnaissance
and troop lift. Two reconnaissance squadrons use light aircraft, three helicopter squadrons are
used to move troops and one air transportation squadron uses C-130 transport aircraft to
move troops, equipment, and supplies. It currently has 3,000 personnel. It is planned to
increase to 18,000 personnel, with 550 aircraft by 2018.[146]
The Iraqi Navy is a small force with 1,500 sailors and officers, including 800 Marines,
designed to protect shoreline and inland waterways from insurgent infiltration. The navy is
also responsible for the security of offshore oil platforms. The navy will have coastal patrol
squadrons, assault boat squadrons and a marine battalion.[146] The force will consist of 2,000
to 2,500 sailors by year 2010.[148]
Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of Iraq

US President Donald Trump with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in 2017.

This section needs expansion. You

can help by adding to it. (June 2012)

On 17 November 2008, the US and Iraq agreed to a Status of Forces Agreement,[149] as part
of the broader Strategic Framework Agreement.[150] This agreement states "the Government
of Iraq requests" US forces to temporarily remain in Iraq to "maintain security and stability"
and that Iraq has jurisdiction over military contractors, and US personnel when not on US
bases or on–duty.
On 12 February 2009, Iraq officially became the 186th State Party to the Chemical Weapons
Convention. Under the provisions of this treaty, Iraq is considered a party with
declared stockpiles of chemical weapons. Because of their late accession, Iraq is the only
State Party exempt from the existing timeline for destruction of their chemical weapons.
Specific criteria is in development to address the unique nature of Iraqi accession.[151]
Iran–Iraq relations have flourished since 2005 by the exchange of high level visits: Iraqi PM
Nouri al-Maliki made frequent visits to Iran, along with Jalal Talabani visiting numerous
times, to help boost bilateral co-operation in all fields.[citation needed] A conflict occurred in
December 2009, when Iraq accused Iran of seizing an oil well on the border.[152]
Relationships with Turkey are tense, largely because of the Kurdistan Regional Government,
as clashes between Turkey and the PKKcontinue.[153] In October 2011, the Turkish
parliament renewed a law that gives Turkish forces the ability to pursue rebels over the
border in Iraq."[154]

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

Iraq was a British mandate under the League of Nations from 1920 until 13 October
1932, when it became a sovereign and an independent state. Following a military
coup of July 1958 that overthrew the monarchy, Iraq was declared a republic and
has since been governed by various constitutions. According to the 1970
Constitution and its 1973 amendments, the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC)
was the supreme organ of the state. A simple majority elected its members from the
Regional Command of the Socialist Arab Ba'ath Party. The RCC oversaw foreign as
well as domestic policies, declared war, concluded peace, and ratified treaties. It
elected the president and the vice president by a two-thirds majority. The president
of the country was concurrently the chairman of the RCC. The president was
responsible to the RCC, but the Constitution did not spell out his term of office. The
president was the commander in chief of the armed forces, nominated members of
the council of ministers, and appointed Iraq's diplomatic representatives abroad. The
vice president and minister were responsible to the president.
The Constitution contained provisions for a National Assembly with responsibility to
consider bills suggested by the RCC or the assembly members. No National
Assembly existed in Iraq between the 1958 revolution and 1980.
On 8 February 1963, a military coup carried out by the Ba'ath Party and Nationalist
Army officers overthrew the government of Abdul Karim Qasim. Abdul Salem Arif,
who had been sentenced to death by Qasim in January 1959, became the prime
minister. Following this coup, Saddam Hussein returned to Baghdad from Egypt,
where he had been living in exile, and became active in the Ba'ath Party. When
political disagreements arose between Ba'athists and Arif, Arif declared the Ba'ath
Party illegal, and Hussein and other Ba'athists went underground. Hussein was
arrested in 1964 and imprisoned, but escaped in 1966. He fled into hiding again and
was named deputy secretary of regional leadership for the Ba'ath Party in 1966.
When Arif was killed in a helicopter crash in April 1966, his brother Abdul Rahman
Arif became the president. A group of Ba'athist officers under Hassan al-Bakr
organized a military coup on 17 July 1968 and deposed Abdul Rahman Arif. Al-Bakr
then became the president and the chairman of RCC. Saddam Hussein, who took an
active role in organizing the coup, was elected acting deputy chairman of the RCC, a
post he held from November 1969 until July 1979. Finally, on 16 July, President al-
Bakr announced his resignation from both the Ba'ath Party and the government
because of health reasons. He relinquished the presidency to Hussein, who became
chairman of the RCC, prime minister, and secretary of the Ba'ath Party.
A year later, in June 1980, the first National Assembly was elected, but it was
comprised of members close to Hussein and had little power. Through the 1980s,
National Assembly elections were held fairly regularly (1980, 1984, and 1989).
Saddam Hussein's ambition was to become a regional leader. In September 1980,
he decided to invade Iran, partly in an attempt to broaden his regional sphere of
influence and partly because he feared the growing power of Islamic fundamentalists
in that country. He used the war to generate internal as well as external support for
his regime and to weaken opposition forces in Iraq.
Opposition to Hussein came from disparate Kurdish, Communist, and Shiite
organizations within Iraq. Although these forces were internally divided and often
antagonistic toward one another, they would repeatedly attempt to forge efforts to
unseat the government of Saddam Hussein. In turn, Hussein's government tried to
coerce, intimidate, and appease the opposition. Kurdish and Shiite opposition
intensified during the course of the Iran-Iraq War. In November 1980, the Iraqi
Communist Party (ICP), the Unified Socialist Party of Kurdistan (USPK), and the
Democratic Party of Kurdistan (DPK) formed the Democratic Iraqi Front. Around the
same time in Syria, a National Pan-Arab Democratic Front, composed of different
groups, including the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Ba'ath, as well as ICP
dissidents, was formed. In November 1982, the Shiite opposition established the
Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution of Iraq for the purpose of overthrowing
Saddam Hussein's government. In May 1988, the DPK and the PUK announced that
a coalition of six organizations had been formed to continue the struggle for Kurdish
self-determination.
In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait after a lengthy dispute regarding territory, debt
repayment, and petroleum production quotas. In reaction, the United Nations (UN)
imposed sanctions on Iraq and set a deadline of 15 January 1991 for Hussein to
withdraw from Kuwait. Hussein refused to withdraw his troops, triggering what would
become known as the Persian Gulf War. A multinational force led by the United
States began "Operation Desert Storm," comprised of a series of air strikes on
Baghdad followed by a ground offensive to liberate Kuwait. Defeated in a few short
weeks, Hussein withdrew his forces from Kuwait and accepted UN Security Council
Resolution 687, which indicated the terms for a ceasefire, war reparations, and
conditions for the lifting of sanctions against Iraq.
Over the next few years devastation resulting from Allied bombing, coupled with the
effects of the UN sanctions, led to a deterioration of economic conditions:
hyperinflation, the devaluation of the Iraqi currency, the rise of unemployment, and
the decline of agricultural production. Most industrial development projects requiring
foreign participation were suspended. The Iraqi economy continued its decline
throughout the 1990s and living conditions for all Iraqis deteriorated as a result. UN
sanctions, imposed in 1990, prohibited Iraq from selling oil on the global market and
froze Iraqi assets overseas.
In May 1991, recognizing the need to rebuild Iraq's damaged infrastructure and
restore its industrial production, the government approved new regulations to
encourage greater Arab investment and provided incentives for farmers to enhance
agricultural output. Hussein adopted various policies to retain or enhance his political
power. Through these measures he expected to attract the support and loyalties of a
broader spectrum of the population, as well as to weaken political opposition to his
regime.
No legislative elections had been held since 1989 and Hussein's Ba'ath party had a
stranglehold on all political activity; in March 1996, when the legislative election for
the fourth National Assembly was held, all 689 candidates either Ba'ath Party
members or nonpartisan supporters. (The same was true of all candidates in the 27
March 2000 election for the fifth National Assembly.)
Throughout his years in power, actual and potential opponents of Hussein were
systematically purged from the government and military and replaced by loyalists.
Learning from the experience of military coups in the 1960s, Hussein paid close
attention to the loyalties of senior military officers and the political control of the
military forces by the Ba'ath Party. His relatives and members of his clan
from Takrit filled most sensitive positions in the military, and Hussein used both the
"carrot and stick"—surveillance and intimidation accompanied by lavish material
incentives—to keep them under his control. Despite such inducements and control,
coup attempts by senior army officers were reported in 1989 and 1995. Moreover, a
coalition of opposition groups created the Iraqi National Congress in October 1992 to
overthrow Hussein. Some of these opposition forces were encouraged or supported
by Iran and Syria, but they remained weak and divided.
In December 1996, the UN agreed to an "oil for food" arrangement with Iraq. The
program allowed Iraq to export $2 billion in oil to buy food and medical supplies. Iraq
began receiving 400,000 tons of wheat in the spring of 1997. In 1999 the UN's "oil for
food" program was expanded to allow for the sale of $5.25 billion in oil by Iraq over a
six-month period to buy good and medicine. As of 2000, most observers agreed that
the decade-long UN sanctions, while impoverishing Iraq and threatening its
population with a major humanitarian crisis, had failed in their goal of weakening
Hussein's hold on power.
Despite the scarcity of food, educational supplies, and other basic necessities
caused by nine years of international trade sanctions against his country, Hussein
celebrated his sixty-third birthday in 1999 with the unveiling of a large mural
depicting himself as Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of ancient Babylon. Supporters
paraded as part of the birthday celebration, carrying banners that proclaimed, "With
your birth Iraq was reborn." By April 2003, Hussein's regime had ended, with his
whereabouts unknown.

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