ABSTRACT
The land known in modern times as the nation of Iraq has a very long and rich history. Unfortunately, it is also in Iraq that some of the most grievous and extensive sufferings in human history have taken place, endured from an early age and continuing to date. This chapter briefly examines the political turmoil that gave rise to Saddam Hussein and his Baath regime, the genocide against the Kurdish people, the two Gulf Wars of 1991 and 2003, the sanction period of 12 years in between these two wars, and the sufferings endured by all Iraqis as a result of these atrocities.
