The Peace on The Horizon - 75 Years after The World War 2 in the Middle East (111)

 

(Japanese Version)

(Arabic Version)

 

(contents)

 

Chapter 4: War and Peace in The Middle East (25)

 

111 Iran-Iraq War: Isolated Iran vs Iraq supported by Arab & US (3/3)

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia had been annoyed with Shiite residents in their countries. But they were too weak to fight with powerful Iran. Hussein urged rulers of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to burden war costs and Iraq would fight on behalf of them in return. Both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia appreciated Iraq. Gulf rich countries were satisfied if the money could settle their annoyance. They proceeded to bear the war cost. Hussein also did not overlook the fact that anti-Iran feelings were accumulating in the United States after the overthrow of Shah's regime and the occupation of the US embassy in Tehran. Of course, it was unrealistic that the United States would support the dictatorship of Iraq. But it was almost certain that the United States would become the ally of Iraq if Iraq opened the fire to Iran. When the war began, even the USSR supported the Iraq in addition to the United States.

 

The Iran-Iraq War took place in September 1980 with a surprise attack by Iraq. At the first stage of battle, Iraqi army invaded Iranian territory with superior modern armament. But the resistance of Iran was intense. The Iranian volunteer soldiers who had just won the Islamic Revolution had high fighting spirit. They fought bravely without fear of death. It was Iraqi soldiers who feared. Iranian soldiers appeared one after another in the battlefield like locust. Iran had the big population of 80 million. There was no shortage to replenish the volunteer soldiers. Iraqi soldiers lost fighting spirit. The war fell into a stalemate in May 1981. Iran-Iraq War which was Persian versus Arab or Shiite versus Sunni had become a war of attrition.

 

(To be continued ----)

 

 

Areha Kazuya

(From an ordinary citizen in the cloud)