| Summary/Abstract |
THREE KEY EVENTS have changed both Iraq and the Middle East: the 1979 revolution in Iran, the Iran-Iraq war from 1980 to 1988, and the 1991 crisis in Kuwait. The latter led to a change in the domestic policies of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and introduced new variables to the dynamics of the government's relations with ethnic and religious groups (mainly Shiites and Kurds). It was at this time that the UN began implementing sanctions on Iraq, including a blockade. The results of the sanctions left part of the elite with limited access to the distribution of resources; coupled with the government's practice of marginalizing a portion of the population, this led to migration and strengthening of exiled opposition forces. The U.S. brought not only economic but military pressure to bear on Baghdad. The U.S.'s tactical military incursions destroyed Iraq's infrastructure and disrupted the stable functioning of state structures.
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