The Gulf War

Iraq once was a part of the Ottoman Empire. Saddam Hussein became "President" in 1979 and maintained power through ruthless purges. The country was also beset by internal strife. In the north the Kurds yearned for independence and in the south, the Shiites looked to Iran. The state and the army grew over time. Today, the military alone takes up 35 percent of every dollar earned.
Saddam's expansion of the state's military apparatus was frightening to his neighbours. His investment in nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and corresponding delivery systems even prompted a 1981 attack by I…