☰ Contents · World history

Iraq and Syria

Lessons 23 · 1 lessons · Sh. Ergashev, B. Xodjayev, J. Abdullayev. World History (1991–2017): textbook for Grade 11 of secondary schools and for students of secondary specialised and vocational institutions. 1st edition. “Turon-Iqbol”, Tashkent, 2018
23

Syria and Iraq, 1991–2017

Textbook: pp. 104–108
GoalExplain the main events in Iraq and Syria after 1991, with their causes and consequences.
New words
the Gulf War of 1991, after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait · Fors ko‘rfazi urushi“Islamic State” (ISIS), a violent extremist group that seized territory in Iraq and Syria from 2014 · «Islom davlati» (ISHID)a civil war, an armed conflict between groups inside one state · fuqarolar urushitransitional authorities, a temporary government after a regime falls · o‘tish davri hokimiyati
Explanation

In 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait; in 1991 a US-led coalition, acting on UN Security Council authorization, liberated Kuwait. In 2003 the US and its allies entered Iraq; weapons of mass destruction were cited as the reason but were later not found, and the decision was criticized in many countries. Saddam Hussein was executed in 2006 under a court verdict; a new constitution was adopted in 2005. In 2014 ISIS seized large areas of Iraq and Syria; through the action of the Iraqi army, local forces and an international coalition it lost territorial control in 2017–2019. In Syria the protests that began in 2011 grew into a civil war: millions left the country and many civilians died. Russia began fighting on the government’s side in 2015, while other states backed various opposition forces. On 8 December 2024 the government of Bashar al-Assad fell and transitional authorities began to run the country; the future structure and security questions remain unsettled.

Worked examples
Iraq’s political structure: under the 2005 constitution it is a federal parliamentary republic that takes into account the interests of Shia, Sunni, Kurdish and other communities; the Kurdistan Region has wide autonomy.
Humanitarian consequences of the Syrian crisis: according to the UN, millions of Syrians became refugees abroad and millions more were displaced inside the country; many are in Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan.
Class activity

Place the history of Iraq and Syria in 1991–2024 into a two-column timeline; mark the involvement of outside forces in each row.

Practice
1
Why did the Gulf War begin in 1991?
2
What reason was given for the 2003 entry into Iraq and what turned out?
3
What is ISIS and when did it lose territorial control?
4
What happened in Syria on 8 December 2024?