Figure 1.-- Following the Persian Gulf War in which the American led coalition expelled Sadam from Kuwait, groups who opposed Saddam rose up against him. This occurred in boh the Kurdish north and Shi'ia south (March and April 1991). Saddam's response was brutal. Here we see a scene in the Kurdish north. The caption read, "A young Iraqi Kutdish girl her hbd and a bowl out for food April 7 ?????? as she sits with other family members huddled under a blanket in a sprawling mountain rfugee camp in Inlkvernen?, Turkey. Iraqi Kurds continue to pour into the camp situated just below the snow line in rugged terraine."

Following the Persian Gulf War in which the American led coalition expelled Sadam from Kuwait, groups who opposed Saddam rose up against him. This occurred in boh the Kurdish north and Shi'ia south (March and April 1991). This occured aftr the ease fire ending the Persian Gulf War fighing. The insurgency which folloed was uncordinard Shi'ia Sha'aban Intifada and the Kurdish National Uprising were two separate actions ithout any communication or joint action. Both groups perceved Iraqi President Saddam Hussein who for years hadbeen oppression them had ben weakened bybhe War, perhaps fatally. They did not expect the United States to tolerate Saddam's continued rule. This all occurred after the Iran–Iraq War (1980-88) which has severelyvweakened the Iraqi ecinomy and caused massive losses. and the invasion of Kuwait, both of which occurred within a single decade and devastated the economy. The insurgents in only 2 weeks seized control of most of Iraq's cities and provinces. While he Kurds and Shi'ia were the dominant elements of the insurgency, they were joined by many opponnts of the regime, politicl opponnts, military mutineers, Islamists, and leftist-radical groups. ome of these groups opposed each other--making coordination difficult. Also the anicipated American support never mterualized. It was not that the United States had assured intervention, it is just hat the insurgennt groups assumed it. Saddam's Sunni Arab-dominated Ba'ath regime managed, held control of the all impoortant cpital -- Baghdad. And friom that secure base began suppressing the rebels in a brutal campaign carried out by military loyalists led by the Republican Guard. Saddan's forces killed tens of thousands of people. Some two million people were displaced. After spressing the insurgents, Saddam intensified prior efforts to to repress non-Sunni Arab groups. He intensified a major campaign to relocate the Marsh Arabs by draining the southeastern Mesopotamian Marshes in the Tigris–Euphrates river system. The Kurds were another major target. The Persian Gulf War Coalition established Iraqi no-fly zones over northern and southern Iraq. The Kurdish opposition established the Kurdish Autonomous Republic in the north, now referred to as Iraqi Kurdistan.

Created: 7:54 PM 10/24/2018
Last updated: 7:54 PM 10/24/2018