Foreword
The modern, oil-rich state of Iraq has a short history. European powers created it after World War I, installing Arab leadership and drawing borders that included the Kurds and other ethnic minorities who had no common sense of identity. Today, Iraq is ruled by one of the world’s most repressive dictators, Saddam Hussein. U.S. policy toward Iraq has undergone significant changes over the years. Two decades ago, the United States was building ties with Saddam, viewing him as a moderate Arab leader whose government counterbalanced the anti-American regime that had replaced the Shah in neighboring Iran. The U.S. relationship with…
