Operation Iraqi Freedom Essay -- International Politics

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM Introduction On March 20, 2003, the combined military forces of the United States and Britain crossed the southern border of Iraq and Kuwait with the intent of capitulating the government of Saddam Hussein. Over the course of 21 days, the joint task force moved quickly and decisively to seize major objective cities along the road to Baghdad using aviation, armor, artillery, and infantry. Following the overwhelming success of the primary combat operations of the invasion, stability and support systems proved insufficient as sectarian violence and other criminal activity among the local population of Iraq increased. History In ancient times, Iraq was known by the Greek term Mesopotamia, or the land between two rivers. These two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, formed what was known as the â€Å"Fertile Crescent.† The vast stretch of low level land retained rain and flood water, making the soil exceptional for farming, thus it is said to be the cradle of civilization. It was home to the Sumerian Empire, beginning around 4000BC, long before Egypt, Greece, or Rome were known to have sophisticated societies. Agriculture, mathematics, literature, and the earliest forms of government were all established in this region. (1) Conflict has also been a significant part of Iraqi history since the Akkadian wars of 2340 BC. The rise of the Babylonian dynasty in 1700 BC gave way to the Assyrian dynasty in 1340 BC. The Assyrians were eventually overthrown in the seventh century BC by the Persian Empire of Alexander the Great. (2) The Arabs conquered the region in the early expansion of Islam in the eighth century AD, followed by the Mongol invasion in 1258. The last of the great dynasties to rule th... ...raq. References 1. Arabic-Media.com (Arabic Media) Site 1997-2011, http://arabic-media.com/iraq_history.htm 2. CRS Report for Congress, 17 February, 1998, http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/98-129.pdf 3. UN Security Council Resolution 687, 8 April 1991, http://www.casi.org.uk/info/undocs/gopher/s91/4 4. UN Security Council Resolution 1441, S/RES/1441, 8 November 2002, PP 3, http://www.un.org/Depts/unmovic/documents/1441.pdf 5. Gordon, Micheal, R., Cobra II; The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq, Pantheon Books, New York, 2006 6. Keegan, John, The Iraq War, Alfred A. Knopf, 2004 7. Purdum, Todd, S., and the staff of the New York Times, A Time of Our Choosing; America’s War in Iraq, Times Books, 2003 8. Trainor, Bernard, E., Cobra II; The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq, Pantheon Books, New York, 2006