Baghdad burning

  • 1970

    1970
    Years of coups and counter-coups in iraq, and rise of the Baath party, up to the growth of OPEC
  • 1980

    1980
    They have been savaged by Saddam over the years, most famously in chemical gas attacks in the 1980s.
  • 1990

    1990
    Saddam invaded Kuwait, and the United States responded with a brief but deadly war.
  • Early 1990s

    Early 1990s
    the industry declined and scarcity of food became a serious worry for perhaps half of the country’s population.
  • 1991

    1991
    Gulf War left Saddam Hussein in power and punished the Iraquis for that fact by also leaving in place the UN sanctions that had been imposed after the invasion
  • 1991 War

    1991 War
    The 1991 War crippled the electric power system, reducing generating capacity from around 5 gigawatts to 1.8 gigawatts, according to a report in Middle East Economic Survey
  • Postwar

    Postwar
    Postwar Iraq has seen the formation of gangs inspired by Islamic fundamentalism, that have made a habit of kidnapping women who in their eyes flaunted Islamic law in clothing and behavior
  • 2004

    2004
    Crude oil exports for May 2004 averaged 1.6 million barrels a day.
  • 2004

    2004
    According to August 2004 reports, some 1,000 Iraqi schools need to be rebuilt as a result of damage and looting, almost 20% of the country's 18,000 school buildings need comprehensive or partial repair
  • 2004

    2004
    Even where schools, some parents are afraid to allow their children to attend, not wanting to expose them to the dangers of stray bullets, or rampant kidnappings