A Brief History of Iraq

This concise, authoritative overview of Iraq's history shows how the pattern of outside intervention in Iraq was established first by the Ottoman Turks and the Persian Safavids and later by England, Russia, and Germany. After World War I came a brief and uneasy period of independence that sparked nationalism, leaving Saddam Hussain in to power with American aid and CIA involvement. The Iraq-Iran War and the invasion of Kuwait was followed by the GulfWar, the sanctions period, the Bush administration's decision to invade, the occupation of the country and now, Iraq's uncertain future.