Facts About 2001 US-Afghanistan War

What Caused The 2001-2021 Afghanistan War

The 2001-2021 Afghanistan War was primarily caused by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the Taliban government's refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden.

During the 1990s, Al-Qaeda (an Islamist militant group) established a major presence in Afghanistan under the Taliban government. Its leader, Osama bin Laden, was living there.

After the 911 attacks, the U.S. demanded that the Taliban regime (which ruled most Afghanistan since 1996) surrender bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders, shut down al-Qaeda training camps, and prevent Afghanistan from being used as a terrorist base.

The Taliban did not simply agree to those demands. There were negotiations and offers involving possible handover, but the U.S. considered the Taliban's response inadequate.

The Taliban, an ultra-conservative Islamist movement that controlled ~90% of Afghanistan by 2001, declined U.S. demands to extradite bin Laden and close terrorist training camps. They offered only to try him under Afghan (Islamic) law—something the U.S. rejected.

The U.S. and its allies declared Afghanistan a "state sponsor of terrorism" and a direct national security threat.

Afghanistan

Since the 1979 Soviet invasion, Afghanistan had no functioning central government; continuous civil war created a power vacuum that extremism filled.

There was governance — just not a "President" in the territory the Taliban controlled. Mullah Omar ruled as supreme leader ("Emir"), with a prime minister handling daily work. 

A separate, internationally recognized president existed but controlled almost no land. 

The U.S. invasion happened because the actual rulers of the country — Omar & the Taliban — refused to hand over bin Laden. 

Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden became close allies after bin Laden moved to Afghanistan in 1996. Omar gave him sanctuary; bin Laden gave the Taliban money, prestige, and Arab fighters to help win the civil war.

When the U.S. demanded Omar expel Al-Qaeda, Omar chose loyalty over self-interest — he protected his guest, and that decision destroyed his government.

	Taliban	Al-Qaeda
Founded	1994, Afghanistan	1988, Pakistan
Founder	Mullah Mohammad Omar	Osama bin Laden
Type of Group	Afghan political-religious movement — wanted to RULE Afghanistan	Global terrorist network — wanted to FIGHT the whole West/USA worldwide
Main Goal	Bring peace & Islamic law to Afghanistan only	Destroy America & Western influence everywhere in the world
Members	Almost all Afghans (Pashtun tribes)	International — Arabs, Egyptians, Saudis, + many nationalities
Territory	Wanted to control land & government inside Afghanistan	Had NO country — lived as guests, ran training camps, planned attacks globally
Did they attack USA?	NO — Taliban never attacked America directly	YES — planned & carried out 9/11 attacks
Relationship	Host & Guest — Taliban ruled Afghanistan & gave Al-Qaeda sanctuary	Guest — lived under Taliban protection, but was a separate group

Who Ruled Afghanistan Before the U.S. Invasion (1996–2001)

The Taliban's Islamic Emirate (Controlled ~90% of Country). The official name is Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (declared September 1996 after capturing Kabul). The Supreme Leader & Head of State: Mullah Mohammed Omar — titled "Amir al-Mu'minin" (Commander of the Faithful). He held all final authority, not a president or prime minister. He rarely visited Kabul; ruled from Kandahar.

There was a Prime Minister: Mullah Mohammed Rabbani served as head of the Council of Ministers (like PM) — but he ran day-to-day affairs; real power stayed with Mullah Omar.

Rabbani died in April 2001, months before the invasion.

System: Theocracy — ruled by religious law (Sharia), no elections, no parliament, no constitution in the modern sense. Decisions made by clerical councils (Shura) and ultimately by Omar.

The Rival Government (Controlled ~10%)

Islamic State of Afghanistan / Northern Alliance: Headed by President Burhanuddin Rabbani — his government was internationally recognized by the UN and most countries, but held only a small corner (northeast Afghanistan).

So two claimants existed: the de facto Taliban rulers (90% land, unrecognized internationally) and the de jure Rabbani government (recognized, little territory).

The U.S. Invaded Afghanistan

On October 7, 2001, the United States and its allies began military operations against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. This is the longest war in American history.

Total U.S. military deaths around 2,459–2,461. And here's the Top 10 Non-U.S. Contributors (Troops & Sacrifice):

Country	Peak Troops	Fatalities
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~9,500	456
🇩🇪 Germany	~5,000	59
🇫🇷 France	~4,000	88
🇮🇹 Italy	~4,200	53
🇨🇦 Canada	~3,000	158
🇦🇺 Australia	~1,550	41
🇹🇷 Turkey	~1,900	14
🇵🇱 Poland	~2,600	44
🇪🇸 Spain	~1,500	35
🇷🇴 Romania	~1,800	27

The immediate objectives were to destroy al-Qaeda's safe haven and remove the Taliban regime that was sheltering it.

The Taliban government collapsed in roughly 2 months, and lost Kabul in just 25 days from the start of the war.

Taliban had no air force, no anti-aircraft defense — their tanks, trucks, and troop concentrations were destroyed from the sky before they could even fight. Their soldiers couldn't move, couldn't gather, couldn't defend — they were helpless against modern air power.

From powerful government → scattered fugitives: one of the fastest state collapses in modern history. 

It looked like total defeat — but actually, they just vanished into the mountains, waited 20 years, and returned to take power again in 2021.

They didn't surrender. They scattered, vanished, transformed into an insurgency, and fought back. The U.S. had difficulties of completely destroying them. The U.S. won the battle in 2 months — but lost the war in 20 years.

Top leaders fled to Pakistan — especially the city of Quetta — where they secretly formed the "Quetta Shura" (leadership council) and continued directing the movement from across the border.

Ordinary fighters melted away — went back to their villages, put down their guns, waited. No surrender, no peace deal. Just silence.

By 2003–2004, they quietly returned — not as an army with tanks, but as guerrillas: small teams, ambushes, roadside bombs, suicide attacks.

They also changed their identity: From "Government of Afghanistan" → "Resistance Movement fighting foreign occupation" — this was brilliant propaganda that won them support.

Group	Deaths
🇺🇸 U.S. Military	~2,460
🇬🇧 & other Coalition troops	~1,144
🏴 Afghan Army & Police	~66,000–69,000
🧑 Afghan Civilians	~47,000–70,000+
🏗️ U.S. Contractors / Civilians	~3,923

During the 20 Years

The Northern Alliance did not rule the whole country alone for 20 years. Instead they took Kabul and ran the country briefly (Nov–Dec 2001) as the internationally recognized government. 

The UN + U.S. created a brand new government — the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan — which included Northern Alliance leaders but was led by Hamid Karzai, a Pashtun tribal leader, not the Northern Alliance president Rabbani.

From 2004 to 2021: Afghanistan was ruled by two elected presidents — Karzai then Ghani — while Northern Alliance leaders served as ministers and vice presidents, but never as president.

Taliban Back to Power

In Feb 29 2020, U.S.-Taliban Deal signed in Doha: U.S. agrees to withdraw all troops by May 2021; Taliban promise not to attack U.S. — but continue fighting Afghan forces.

On May to July 2021, rural districts fall one by one. Taliban control half the country — mostly without fighting.

In Aug 6 2021, first provincial capital Zaranj falls — the dominoes begin to topple. In Aug 6-15 2021, 7 days of collapse: One major city falls every 24–48 hours — Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz, Jalalabad...

In Aug 15, 2021, Kabul falls. President Ashraf Ghani flees. Taliban enter the capital virtually unopposed. The war is over.

The Taliban retook the entire country in ~3½ months — and the final collapse took just 7 days.

	2001	2021
Who advanced	Northern Alliance + U.S. → Taliban fell	Taliban → Afghan Army/Gov fell
Time to fall	~2 months	~3½ months (final week: all cities)
Capital falls	Kabul, Nov 13 — 37 days	Kabul, Aug 15 — 7 days after first city
Surrender or fight?	Taliban scattered, no surrender	Army surrendered en masse, no fight
Why they lost	No air support, no allies left	No air support, no allies left

The 300,000 Afghan soldiers were never actually independent. They relied 100% on U.S. air support, logistics, fuel, food, payroll, maintenance, intelligence. When U.S. left → no airstrikes, no helicopter support, no spare parts, no pay.

Audits later revealed 40–60% of names on the army roster were fake — invented by corrupt commanders to steal salaries. The REAL army was less than half the claimed size.

The Taliban didn't always fight — they negotiated, paid, or promised safety. They told soldiers: "Lay down your weapons, go home, you will not be harmed."

Phase	Foreign Power	Came For	Left	Result
1979–1989	Soviet Union	Their own security	Defeated	Chaos & civil war
2001–2021	United States	9/11 revenge	Withdrew	Taliban returned

Overall, the U.S. did not achieve its long-term political and military objectives, so it is generally regarded as a strategic defeat.

The Taliban won the war in the political/military sense. The U.S. achieved some of its original counterterrorism objectives, but failed to achieve its larger nation-building and Taliban-defeat objectives.

How Osama Was Found

Osama bin Laden was found and killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011, after almost 10 years of searching. 

The key breakthrough was not finding him directly — it was finding his trusted courier. Bin Laden knew phones & radios get tracked — so he used trusted human messengers only. That was his rule… and that was exactly what gave him away.

The Lead from Prisoners (2002–2003): Under interrogation, detainees at Guantánamo Bay told the U.S. about a trusted courier known only by his nickname: "Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti"

Slowly, piece by piece — through intercepted calls, detainee reports, and intelligence work — they matched the nickname to a real person: Ibrahim Saeed Ahmed.

The U.S. found the courier's nickname → found his real identity → followed him → found the suspicious fortress compound → watched it for months → sent SEALs → believed that he was inside.

And yes, the U.S. did not have 100% certainty before the raid that the man in the Abbottabad compound was bin Laden. But the U.S. intelligence had a high degree of confidence that bin Laden was there, based on surveillance, the courier, the compound, and behavioral/intelligence analysis.

The Death of Osama bin Laden

The U.S. did not ask Pakistan for permission before launching the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. It deliberately kept the operation secret from the Pakistani government and military.

The White House explicitly said that no other country, including Pakistan, was told about the intelligence on bin Laden's compound before the raid. Pakistani leaders were contacted only after the operation had been completed.

On May 2, 2011 Pakistan time, U.S. Navy SEALs flew into Abbottabad using helicopters. They entered the compound and fought with people inside. Bin Laden was found on the third floor. 

According to the U.S. account, he was killed during the raid. The entire operation lasted approximately 40 minutes. His identity was confirmed using DNA testing and facial/physical identification.

The Americans then took his body and collected a huge amount of material from the compound, including computers, hard drives, documents and other evidence that could reveal information about al-Qaeda.

The U.S. subsequently announced: Osama bin Laden was dead. His body was taken to the USS Carl Vinson in the North Arabian Sea and buried at sea within roughly 24 hours, according to the U.S. government.

No Photos

The dead body was never exposed. The wives and children were never photographed publicly. Pakistan took control of the eyewitnesses and sent them away before the U.S. could properly question them.

The only thing that prevents this from being a perfect cover-up story: Al-Qaeda itself confirmed bin Laden was dead. His own people did not dispute it. That is the one piece of evidence the U.S. could not have faked.

Facts About 9/11 Attacks

 What Were the 9/11 Attacks?

The September 11 attacks (widely written as 9/11) were four coordinated terrorist suicide attacks carried out by the militant group al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Nineteen hijackers seized control of four commercial passenger jets, using them as weapons.

Both Twin Towers collapsed within hours due to structural failure from the fires ignited by jet fuel.

Flight	Time	Target / Location	Outcome
American Airlines Flight 11	8:46 AM	North Tower, World Trade Center, NYC	Crashed into the tower
United Airlines Flight 175	9:03 AM	South Tower, World Trade Center, NYC	Crashed into the tower
American Airlines Flight 77	9:38 AM	The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia	Crashed into the west side
United Airlines Flight 93	~10:03 AM	Likely U.S. Capitol or White House	Passengers fought back; crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania

Casualties

Nearly 3,000 people were killed, making 9/11 the deadliest terrorist attack in world history - World Trade Center: 2,753, Pentagon: 184, and Flight 93: 40.

Victims came from more than 90 countries. Hundreds of emergency workers — including 343 firefighters and 60 police officers — died while trying to rescue people.

Who Was Responsible?

The attacks were planned and organized by al-Qaeda, an Islamist extremist network led by Osama bin Laden, who was identified as the mastermind.

19 men, mostly from Saudi Arabia (with others from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon), carried out the hijackings under bin Laden’s direction.

The U.S. officially identified al-Qaeda as responsible within days; bin Laden was killed in 2011.

Why The Attack

Al-Qaeda attacked because they opposed U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, U.S. support for Israel, U.S. policies in Iraq and the Middle East, and U.S.-backed regional governments — all wrapped in an extremist religious ideology that declared it permissible to kill American civilians. These were their stated justifications, widely rejected as morally and religiously illegitimate.

U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia

After the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, U.S. forces were stationed in Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden considered the presence of non-Muslim American troops in what he regarded as sacred Islamic territory unacceptable.

U.S. support for Israel

Bin Laden strongly opposed U.S. support for Israel and viewed American policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as hostile to Muslims.

U.S. involvement in the Middle East

Al-Qaeda opposed American political and military influence in countries such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

U.S. sanctions against Iraq

Bin Laden also used American sanctions against Iraq during the 1990s as part of his argument that the United States was harming Muslims.

Why attack the World Trade Center?

The World Trade Center represented American economic power. The Pentagon represented American military power.

The fourth aircraft was apparently intended for another important U.S. government target, although its exact intended target remains uncertain. Passengers fought the hijackers, causing the plane to crash in Pennsylvania.

So the attacks were designed to strike highly symbolic American institutions.

After The Incident, Consequences & Impact

The attacks had major worldwide consequences, including the U.S.-led War on Terror, the invasion of Afghanistan, and significant changes to airport and national security.

The first major military response was the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, because the Taliban government was allowing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his organization to operate from Afghanistan.

The Taliban was overthrown relatively quickly, but the resulting war lasted for nearly 20 years, until U.S. forces withdrew in 2021.

Broad U.S. economy: healed in ~3–4 months. New York City + aviation/tourism: took years. And the long-term costs (war, security, debt) lasted for decades — those were never "healed" in an economic sense.

The interesting thing is that the economy was already in a recession before 9/11. The dot-com bubble had burst in 2000, and the recession had officially begun in March 2001. So 9/11 deepened an existing economic downturn rather than creating a completely new recession.

New York City experienced substantial job and business losses, although the city's economy eventually recovered. Insurance faced enormous claims and losses.

Government spending increased dramatically because of military operations, homeland security, reconstruction, and other responses.

The destruction of the World Trade Center was enormous, but the WTC represented only a small fraction of the overall U.S. economy. The United States had an enormous and diversified economy, so destroying one major commercial complex could not by itself bring down the national economy.

15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens

All of the hijackers were members of al-Qaeda, and 15 of them were Saudi citizens. 

The official 9/11 Commission investigated whether the Saudi government financed or supported the operation. It found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded al-Qaeda for the attacks - but some Saudi government-affiliated individuals did provide help to hijackers.

Some Saudi nationals with apparent connections to Saudi government institutions interacted with or assisted two hijackers after they arrived in California.

For example, Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national who had connections to the Saudi government, helped hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar paid their rent, helped them get apartments and bank accounts. Years later, the FBI confirmed he was on the payroll of Saudi intelligence at the time. Phone records show dozens of calls from al-Bayoumi to Saudi consulate, embassy, and government offices while helping the hijackers.

And then there were the famous "28 pages"

In 2016, the U.S. released the previously classified 28-page section of a congressional investigation. It contained investigative leads concerning possible connections between Saudi government-linked individuals and people associated with the hijackers.

But this is important:

The 28 pages did not prove that the Saudi government ordered 9/11.

They documented suspicions, intelligence leads and connections that required investigation, rather than establishing that the Saudi government planned the attacks.

Category	Status
Saudi government as a whole planned/directed it	❌ NOT proven — no conclusive evidence
Senior Saudi officials officially involved	❌ NOT proven
Individuals with Saudi government ties helped hijackers	✅ Documented & confirmed
Saudi charities & private donors funding al-Qaeda	✅ Confirmed — private Saudi money was al-Qaeda's main funding source

The Saudi government as a whole was not proven to be involved in or to have ordered the 9/11 attacks. However, individuals connected to the Saudi government did provide logistical help to some hijackers. Whether those individuals were acting on official orders or on their own has never been definitively proven either way — and that is why the debate continues.

Who was Omar al-Bayoumi

Omar al-Bayoumi is a Saudi national who lived in San Diego, California. He claimed to be a graduate student/business student.

FBI later confirmed that he was on the payroll of Saudi intelligence (General Intelligence Presidency) and received regular funding from the Saudi Embassy in Washington.

What did he do?

In early 2000, two future 9/11 hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, arrived in California. Al-Bayoumi encountered them in a restaurant in the Los Angeles area.

He then encouraged them to move to San Diego, helped them find an apartment, co-signed their lease, helped them open a bank account, provided financial and practical assistance, and arranged for other people in the local Saudi/Muslim community to help them.

After meeting them, his allowance from Saudi sources increased significantly — a pattern that raised immediate suspicion.

Investigators found that he was receiving substantial financial support from a Saudi company connected to the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority. He also had extensive contacts with Saudi government institutions and people connected to the Saudi consulate.

Declassified FBI material later indicated that the FBI assessed al-Bayoumi as having worked as a Saudi intelligence asset/contact. However, exactly what his assignment was and whether his Saudi intelligence connections had anything to do with 9/11 remain disputed.

Most importantly, being connected to Saudi intelligence does not itself prove that he knew about or supported the 9/11 plot.

The original 9/11 Commission concluded that it had no credible evidence that al-Bayoumi believed in violent extremism or knowingly aided extremist groups.

Who was Fahad al-Thumairy

Fahad al-Thumairy was a Saudi religious official and diplomat in Los Angeles who became another important figure in investigations into possible Saudi connections to the 9/11 hijackers.

He had two roles at the same time, he was an accredited diplomat at the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles (1996 until 2003) and also a Director of the King Fahd Mosque in Culver City, California. Officially an employee of the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs — a government department.

When Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, arrived in Los Angeles on January 15, 2000. According to later FBI material, the first place they visited was the King Fahd Mosque, where Thumairy was the imam.

Investigators became interested in Thumairy because they found evidence that he was connected to people who subsequently assisted the two hijackers. He knew al-Bayoumi well — they worked together at the mosque.

In particular, investigators suspected that Thumairy may have arranged for an associate to help Hazmi and Mihdhar with things such as transportation and lodging.

What Happened to Him

When interviewed by investigators, he was evasive, inconsistent, and refused to answer key questions.

Shortly after 9/11, the U.S. government revoked his diplomatic visa and expelled him from the country — meaning U.S. authorities considered him a security risk.

He returned to Saudi Arabia and was later promoted — became a senior official in the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. He was never charged, never extradited, never fully questioned.

No investigation has ever been able to prove whether they were acting on orders from Riyadh — or were sympathizers who abused their positions on their own. That is why the debate continues to this day.

Osama Bin Laden

There are two main questions, who were the people who helped the hijackers inside the United States, and who organized and commanded the 9/11 attack itself?

The evidence for the second question pointed toward al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden very quickly, even while the first question remained full of unresolved Saudi connections.

Since bin Laden was already a known enemy of the United States before 9/11 - Bin Laden had declared war on the U.S. in 1996 and again in 1998, publicly stating it was his religious duty to kill Americans - the FBI placed bin Laden on its Ten Most Wanted list in 1999.

By 1998, al-Qaeda had carried out the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing more than 200 people. Then, in October 2000, al-Qaeda operatives attacked the USS Cole, killing 17 American sailors. So when four aircraft were hijacked in an operation that looked like a highly coordinated al-Qaeda-style attack, investigators weren't starting from zero.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM)

The 9/11 Commission's investigation concluded that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) was the principal architect of the operation.

KSM had approached bin Laden with the idea of using aircraft as weapons. By late 1998 or early 1999, bin Laden and his senior leadership had accepted the plan. Bin Laden then provided operatives for the operation and al-Qaeda began training people for it.

In November 2001, U.S. forces found a videotape in Afghanistan where bin Laden bragged about the attacks, discussing details only the mastermind could know. Later, he openly claimed responsibility.

Saudi Government

Bin Laden was definitely the mastermind. He planned it, paid for it, approved it, and admitted it. That part is proven.

But, that does not mean Saudi-affiliated people didn't assist him. The hijackers did receive help from people with Saudi government ties. 

That help is documented. Whether that help was ordered from above or sympathizers acting alone was never fully investigated — because the U.S. government classified the evidence to protect the alliance.

Facts About Iraq War

 How Iraq War Started

The Iraq War (2003) began when the United States and its allies invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003, overthrowing Saddam Hussein's government.

The Iraq War started because the U.S. and UK believed Iraq had hidden weapons of mass destruction and supported terrorism — claims that were later disproven — and chose to invade without final UN approval.

How many country went to war with Iraq

United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, Denmark, Spain, others versus Iraq alone.

Many other countries publicly supported the war (about 49 nations in the "Coalition of the Willing"), they offered political support, use of airspace, bases, or small troops later during the occupation.

The invasion did not have explicit authorization from the UN Security Council. The US and UK argued that existing UN resolutions, particularly those concerning Iraq's weapons programs, provided the legal basis for military action, while many other countries and international lawyers disputed that interpretation.

How Long Did It Take?

Saddam's government was completely defeated in about 1½ months, but the war was not actually over. 

After the regime fell, the Iraqi people and insurgents began fighting the occupying forces. This dragged on for so many years. Total length: 8 years, 8 months.

What Happened After The War Ended

After the war ended, Iraq was ruled directly by the U.S. for about 14 months, then slowly gained back power while foreign armies stayed. 

By the time troops left in 2011, Iraq became almost fully independent — it governs itself — but the U.S. still kept strong influence. 

Iraq was not turned into a U.S. colony, but it also did not become completely free from foreign influence.

What's The Purpose of Attacking Iraq

We all know that no weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) existed in Iraq in 2003. The U.S. and UK made claims that were later proven completely wrong. 

Investigations found that 8 senior Bush administration officials made at least 935 false statements leading up to the war — repeatedly claiming Iraq had WMDs and links to al-Qaeda, when intelligence agencies already knew those claims were unproven or false.

The WMD claim was the excuse, not the reason. The real purpose was to seize control of Iraq's massive oil reserves, install a government loyal to Washington, and show the world America's military power after 9/11. 

Iraq holds the world's 3rd or 4th largest proven oil reserves — roughly 112 billion barrels.

Control of Iraqi oil meant the U.S. could secure cheap oil for itself and its allies, control global oil prices, keep the petrodollar system (oil traded only in U.S. dollars) — which gives America enormous financial power.

The U.S. government knew or suspected there were no active WMD programs — but used that fear to convince the American people and the world to support a war they had already decided to fight.

After The War, Did The U.S. "absorb" or take ownership of Iraq's oil fields

The oil legally remained Iraq's property. However, the U.S. gained enormous financial control over Iraq's oil money — and Western companies got preferred access — but in the end, China actually won the biggest contracts, which was NOT what the U.S. planned.

On May 2003, UN Resolution 1483 ordered ALL Iraqi oil revenues deposited into the Development Fund for Iraq, held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. This meant Iraq could not fully access its own money without U.S. oversight. 5% was automatically deducted as reparations to Kuwait. This arrangement gave Washington enormous financial leverage over Iraq — but the money was officially still Iraq's.

In 2009–2010, Iraq auctioned oil field contracts openly. BP (UK) and ExxonMobil (US) won major deals — BUT, Rumaila field (largest): BP (38%) + China's CNPC (37%) → Chinese company almost equal share. West Qurna field: ExxonMobil teamed up with China's PetroChina. Many other fields went to Russian, Malaysian, and especially Chinese companies.

In 2009, CNPC jointly won the bid for the super-giant Rumaila oil field—but they won it alongside Britain's BP, not alone. In the following years, Chinese companies (CNPC, Sinopec, CNOOC) successfully bid on other major fields like Halfaya and West Qurna-1.

By the 2010s, Chinese companies became the largest foreign operators in Iraq, not American ones.

American companies were also deeply involved. For example, ExxonMobil (US) originally led the West Qurna-1 project. It was only in 2023—nearly 20 years after the war—that ExxonMobil decided to leave, and China’s CNPC took over as the lead operator.

So, the conclusion is that the U.S. failed to absorb Iraq's oil. It got financial control and opened the door for Western companies — but because of Iraqi law, resistance, and open bidding, American firms did not dominate. In a great irony, China ended up with the largest foothold in Iraq's oil fields — something the U.S. certainly never intended.

Facts About Saddam Hussein

Facts About Saddam Hussein

Father: Hussein Abd al-Majid — he died (or disappeared) before Saddam was born in 1937. The exact circumstances of his death are unclear.
Mother: Subha Tulfah al-Mussallat — she raised Saddam after his father's disappearance/death.

Saddam was born on April 28, 1937, in Al-Awja, near Tikrit, Iraq.

An important part of his childhood is that his father was absent, so Saddam spent part of his early childhood with his maternal uncle, Khairallah Talfah, who became a major influence on him. Khairallah was a strong Arab nationalist and later became an important figure in Saddam's political life.

Interestingly, Saddam's future wife Sajida Talfah was Khairallah Talfah's daughter—so Saddam married his cousin, just as Hitler's parents were also cousins, although the family relationships were different in detail.

Rise to Power - The Ba'ath Party

Saddam Hussein's rise to power was gradual. He did not simply become president overnight. He spent about two decades building influence inside the Ba'ath Party, using alliances, political maneuvering, and eventually force.

Saddam joined the Iraqi Ba'ath Party as a young man. The party promoted Arab nationalism, socialism, and a unified Arab state.

In the 1950s, Iraq was a monarchy ruled by King Faisal II, with Britain having considerable influence.

Saddam became involved in political violence. In 1959, he participated in an assassination attempt against Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim. The attempt failed, and Saddam fled Iraq, eventually reaching Syria and then Egypt.

The Ba'ath Party Seized Power

The Ba'athists helped overthrow Qasim in a 1963 coup. But the Ba'athists didn't remain in power for long. Internal conflicts caused them to lose power later that year. Saddam, however, had learned an important lesson: control of the security apparatus was essential to controlling Iraq.

In July 1968, the Ba'ath Party successfully seized power again. This time Saddam was one of the most important people behind the new regime, although he wasn't officially president. The president was Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, Saddam's older cousin and fellow Tikriti. Saddam became vice president and gradually accumulated enormous power.

Saddam built a powerful security state

During the 1970s, Saddam systematically placed loyalists in important positions.

He gained influence over intelligence services, internal security, the military, the Ba'ath Party, and government institutions. He also benefited from the oil boom of the 1970s, which gave the Iraqi government enormous revenues to spend on development and patronage.

By this point, although al-Bakr was technically president, Saddam was increasingly the real power behind the government.

Saddam becomes president — 1979

In July 1979, Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr suddenly resigned. Saddam became President of Iraq.

Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr's resignation in July 1979 is generally understood to have been the result of Saddam Hussein forcing him out, rather than al-Bakr freely deciding to retire.

But one of the most notorious events occurred shortly afterward: At a meeting of senior Ba'ath Party officials, Saddam announced that there had been a conspiracy against him. Several officials were identified as traitors and taken away. Some were subsequently executed.

What Saddam did relatively well

Saddam Hussein had some genuine achievements, but they came alongside extremely severe repression and catastrophic wars.

Education: Iraq expanded literacy and access to education substantially, particularly during the oil-rich 1970s.

Healthcare: The government built hospitals and expanded access to healthcare. Iraq developed one of the stronger healthcare systems in the Arab world during that period.

Infrastructure: Oil revenues funded roads, electricity, water systems, schools, universities and other infrastructure.

Women's education and employment: The Ba'athist government encouraged women's participation in education and the workforce.

Economic development: During the 1970s, Iraq experienced significant economic growth after oil revenues increased and the oil industry was nationalized.

The Enormous Downside

Saddam was an authoritarian dictator. Political opposition was suppressed through imprisonment, torture, executions and disappearances. His government also carried out mass atrocities against Kurdish and Shi'a populations.

The most notorious example was the Anfal campaign (1987–1988) against Iraqi Kurds, which included chemical attacks. The Halabja chemical attack in 1988 killed thousands of civilians.

And Saddam's decisions contributed to two disastrous wars:

Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988) → enormous casualties and destruction.

Invasion of Kuwait (1990) → led to the Gulf War, devastating sanctions, and further suffering for Iraq.

Then came the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, which removed Saddam and eventually led to his execution in 2006.

Saddam Hussein was married twice: 

Sajida Talfah — his first and most prominent wife. They married in 1963 and had five children: sons Uday and Qusay, and daughters Raghad, Rana, and Hala.

Samira Shahbandar — his second wife, whom he married in the 1980s. They had a son, Ali.

The First Wife

Saddam's first and principal wife was Sajida Talfah (also spelled Sajida Khayrallah Talfah), daughter of his maternal uncle Khayrallah Talfah. This made her Saddam's first cousin.

The marriage was arranged when Saddam was about 5 years old and Sajida about 7 — a traditional custom in their region and era. They married in 1963 (engaged earlier in Cairo during his exile).

Cousin marriage was common and culturally accepted within Iraqi tribal society at the time, especially among elite families from the Tikrit region, to preserve wealth, power, and tribal alliances.

Saddam later took a second wife (Samira Shahbandar), but Sajida remained his publicly recognized first lady.

Their Sons

Uday Hussein and Qusay Hussein both were top targets on the U.S. military's "most wanted" list (Ace of Hearts & Ace of Clubs).

The deaths of Uday and Qusay were particularly dramatic. U.S. forces surrounded the house in Mosul on July 22, 2003, and a prolonged firefight followed. Uday, Qusay, and Qusay's son Mustapha were killed.

They were never imprisoned; they died resisting arrest.

Their Daughters

None of the daughters were captured or imprisoned by U.S. forces or the new Iraqi government. They all fled Iraq with their families and received asylum in neighboring countries.

In 1995, both Raghad and Rana fled Iraq with their husbands, Hussein Kamel and Saddam Kamel, and their children, and went to Jordan. Their husbands had defected from Saddam's regime and provided information about Iraq's military and weapons programs.

Saddam eventually persuaded the families to return to Iraq, promising forgiveness. But in February 1996, the two brothers-in-law were killed by members of Saddam's own family/clan after being branded traitors.

Relative	Relation	Fate
Sajida Talfah	First wife / cousin	Fled to Qatar, on Iraq's most-wanted list (accused of funding insurgency). Never captured or jailed. Alive.
Samira Shahbandar	Second wife	Fled to Syria, then reportedly Turkey. Status uncertain; reportedly in poor straits.
Ali Saddam Hussein	Youngest son (by Samira)	Born ~1980. Virtually unknown — whereabouts a mystery.
Hussein Kamel	Son-in-law (Raghad's husband)	Defected 1995, returned under amnesty → assassinated by Saddam's men 1996, before the war.
Saddam Kamel	Son-in-law (Rana's husband)	Same as above — assassinated 1996.
Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti	Half-brother, intelligence chief	Captured, tried, hanged 2007.
Watban Ibrahim	Half-brother, interior minister	Captured, sentenced to death, died in prison 2015.
Sabawi Ibrahim	Half-brother, security chief	Captured, sentenced to death, died in prison 2013.
Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri	Deputy leader	Fled, led insurgency, died 2020.

Facts About Gulf War

What Was the Gulf War?

The Gulf War (1990–1991), also known as the Persian Gulf War or Operation Desert Storm, was a major international conflict triggered by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. It was fought between Iraq and a coalition of 35 countries led by the United States.

On August 2, 1990, Iraq’s dictator Saddam Hussein ordered his army to invade and occupy Kuwait, its small, oil-rich neighbor. The invasion was swift — Iraq seized Kuwait in just two days and formally annexed it as Iraq’s "19th Province."

How Long The Gulf War Ended

Actual combat was about 6 weeks (January 17–February 28, 1991) and ground war was only about 4 days (February 24–28).

However, the Iraq–Kuwait crisis lasted about 7 months from Iraq's invasion in August 1990 until the February 1991 ceasefire.

Why Iraq Invaded Kuwait

Iraq invaded Kuwait because of unpaid debts, oil disputes, and a desire to seize Kuwait’s wealth and territory. The UN and a U.S.-led coalition launched a military campaign to push Iraq out and restore Kuwait’s independence.

Oil production & prices: Iraq accused Kuwait of overproducing oil, which drove down global oil prices. This cost Iraq billions of dollars in lost revenue at a time when it was deeply in debt.

Unpaid war debts: During the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), Iraq borrowed heavily from Kuwait — roughly $14 billion. After the war, Iraq demanded that Kuwait cancel this debt, claiming Kuwait had lent money to support a war that protected the whole region. Kuwait refused.

Border & territory dispute: Iraq also claimed Kuwait was stealing Iraqi oil from the Rumaila oil field (which spanned their shared border) by drilling slant wells into Iraqi territory. Iraq had long disputed the exact border, viewing Kuwait as historically part of Iraq.

Oil

Iraq actually had slightly MORE oil than Kuwait at the time. Combined, they would have held roughly 20% of the entire world's known oil reserves — making Iraq the undisputed #1 oil power on Earth. That was the prize.

Iraq had huge reserves but no money. Oil underground cannot pay debts or buy weapons. Seizing Kuwait meant: erase $14B debt + take $97B barrels + grab Kuwait's cash reserves = instant financial recovery.

Rank	Country	Billion Barrels	Share of World	Main Type
1 🇻🇪	Venezuela	~304	~17.2%	Extra-heavy oil (Orinoco Belt)
2 🇸🇦	Saudi Arabia	~267	~15.1%	Conventional crude (light, low-cost)
3 🇮🇷	Iran	~209	~11.8%	Conventional crude
4 🇨🇦	Canada	~163	~9.2%	Oil sands (heavy crude)
5 🇮🇶	Iraq	~145	~8.2%	Conventional crude

Sources: OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, Worldometer, Energy Institute — figures are proven reserves (economically recoverable with current technology).

Venezuela's oil is mostly extra-heavy crude — thick, expensive to extract and refine ($15–25/barrel). Political instability and sanctions also limit production.

Canada's reserves come from oil sands — strip-mined or steamed out — also costly and slower to produce.

Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq hold conventional crude — flows freely from the ground, cheap to extract ($3–10/barrel), high quality, and ready to ship immediately.

So Iraq at #5 with ~145 billion barrels — and Kuwait at #7 with ~102 billion — together they would have ~247 billion barrels, putting them ahead of Saudi Arabia. That was exactly Saddam's dream: merge Iraq + Kuwait = become the #2 oil power on Earth, and control nearly 1/4 of the world's conventional oil.

Rank	Country	Proven Reserves	Daily Production	⏳ Years Remaining
1 🇻🇪	Venezuela	304 billion bbl	~934,000 bbl/day	~800+ years
2 🇸🇦	Saudi Arabia	267 billion bbl	~9.6 million bbl/day	~76–77 years
3 🇮🇷	Iran	209 billion bbl	~3.1–3.4 million bbl/day	~168–184 years
4 🇨🇦	Canada	163 billion bbl	~5.8 million bbl/day	~79–90 years
5 🇮🇶	Iraq	145 billion bbl	~4.4 million bbl/day	~89–92 years

Plus — Kuwait (ranked #6–7): ~103 years — very long-lasting too!

Facts About Iran-Iraq War

What Caused Iran Iraq War

The Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988) was caused by a mix of border disputes, religious/ideological rivalry, power-seeking, and regional fear — all exploding together.

The main causes were:

The Iranian Revolution (1979): After Ruhollah Khomeini came to power, Iran promoted its Islamic revolutionary ideology. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein feared this would inspire Iraq's majority Shiite population to rebel against his Sunni-led Ba'athist government.

Border disputes: Iran and Iraq had long disagreed over control of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, an important shipping route to the Persian Gulf. Saddam wanted to reverse concessions Iraq had made in the 1975 Algiers Agreement and gain greater control of the area.

Opportunity after Iran's revolution: Iran's military had been weakened by the revolution, purges, and internal unrest. Saddam believed Iran was vulnerable and expected a quick victory if he invaded.

Regional power ambitions: Iraq sought to become the dominant power in the Persian Gulf and hoped to weaken Iran permanently, including gaining influence over the oil-rich Iranian province of Khuzestan.

Who Supported Whom (1980–1988)

Supported Iraq (Saddam Hussein)

• Soviet Union: Main arms supplier — tanks, jets, missiles
• United States: Intelligence, helicopter parts, diplomatic cover, encouraged allies to help
• France: Advanced jets, missiles, military training
• Saudi Arabia & Kuwait: Billions in loans, fuel, financial backing
• Egypt, Jordan, Gulf States: Weapons, logistics, political support
• Many others: Almost the entire Arab world + Western bloc backed Iraq

Supported Iran

• No major power openly backed Iran — it was nearly isolated
• Limited help: Syria, Libya, North Korea, China — sold some weapons & parts
• Covert/irregular: Israel secretly sold spare parts & weapons (later exposed in Iran-Contra Affair).

How the war began

On 22 September 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, expecting to win within weeks. Instead, Iranian resistance halted the invasion, and the conflict turned into an eight-year war of trench warfare, missile attacks, and chemical weapons.

Outcome

The war ended in 1988 with a UN-brokered ceasefire. Neither side gained significant territory, but the conflict caused roughly 500,000 to 1 million deaths, devastated both economies, and left lasting political and military consequences across the Middle East.

Casualty Comparison (Estimates):

Side	Military Deaths	Civilian Deaths	Total Dead	Wounded
Iran	~350,000	~100,000	~450,000	~700,000
Iraq	~180,000	~40,000	~220,000	~400,000
Combined	~530,000	~140,000	~670,000+	~1,100,000

Iran suffered roughly twice as many deaths as Iraq. The war killed nearly 700,000 people total — more than WWI’s Western Front in some counts — yet neither side gained territory. It was a war with no real winner.

Chemical Weapon

Chemical weapons are prohibited under international law, both in how they are used and, under modern treaty law, in possessing and developing them.

The key legal framework is the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force in 1997. It prohibits countries from developing chemical weapons, producing them, acquiring or stockpiling them, transferring them, and using them in warfare.

But importantly, the prohibition existed before 1997. The 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibited the use of chemical and biological weapons in war, although it did not originally prohibit countries from producing or stockpiling them.

What about the Iran–Iraq War?

Iraq's extensive use of chemical weapons during the 1980s was therefore against international law, even though Iraq was not yet a party to the CWC.

For example, Iraq used chemical weapons against Iranian troops and Kurdish civilians, including the 1988 Halabja attack, in which thousands of people were killed.

From when was using chemical weapons considered illegal in international law?

There isn't one single year, because the legal prohibition developed in stages.

The key dates

• 1899 — Hague Declaration: Prohibited certain projectiles intended to spread asphyxiating gases. This was an early restriction, but it was narrow.
  
  
• 1925 — Geneva Protocol: Prohibited the use of chemical and biological weapons in war. This is the major date for the international-law prohibition on using chemical weapons.
  
  
• 1975 — Biological Weapons Convention: Strengthened the international prohibition concerning biological weapons.
  
  
• 1997 — Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC): Went much further, prohibiting not only use, but also development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, and transfer of chemical weapons.

The best answer is 1925, with the Geneva Protocol.

Therefore, when Iraq used chemical weapons against Iran in the 1980s, the use was already prohibited under international law. Iraq had not joined the 1925 Protocol at the time, however, so the precise legal analysis is more complicated than simply saying "Iraq violated a treaty it had signed." The prohibition also became increasingly recognized as a broader rule of international law.

From Iran-Iraq War to the Gulf War

The Iran–Iraq War ended on August 20, 1988, when the UN-brokered ceasefire took effect.

The Gulf War began on January 17, 1991, when the U.S.-led coalition began its major air campaign against Iraq. So the interval was about 2 years and 5 months.

Kuwait had financially supported Iraq during its war with Iran, and only about two years after that war ended, Iraq invaded Kuwait.

During the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), Kuwait was one of Iraq's major financial supporters. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia provided Iraq with tens of billions of dollars in loans and financial assistance to help it fight Iran.

After the war, however, Iraq was heavily indebted and Saddam expected Kuwait and other Gulf states to help Iraq recover. Instead, relations deteriorated rapidly.

Facts about Vietcong

The Vietcong were the supporters of the communist National Liberation Front in South Vietnam, these people tried to make South and North Vietnam one country (during the Vietnam war). They fought against the armed forces of the United States and the government of South Vietnam between 1959 – 1975.

This term was originally applied by Diem’s regime to Communist troops left in hideouts in South Vietnam (about 10,000) after the Geneva Conference of 1954.

The term also appeared in newspapers in Saigon beginning in 1956.

The Viet cong, in full Vietnam Congsan (Vietnamese Communists in English), were trained and supported by the government of communist North Vietnam.

The official Vietnamese history gives the group’s name as the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam or the Liberation Army of South Vietnam. Many writers shorten this to NLF (National Liberation Front).

After being trained, many of these members of Vietcong were sent to the South of Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh trail in the early 1960s. For arms, special equipment and ammunition, the Vietcong depended on the Ho Chi Minh trail – a jungle route through Laos and Cambodia.

The Vietcong were grouped into three categories: regular forces operating under the command of the communist leadership in the South, full time guerillas organized into companies serving under provincial leadership, and then a part time self-defense militia, composed of units orgnized into platoons and squads used primarily for village defense.

They wore no uniforms, they dressed in the same type of clothing with the local peasants, and blended into the landscape when thier mission was complete. One of their greatest strength was that they could not be found. And they walked among the ordinary people and were very hard to spot.

In order to counter that, the US troops tried to clear the villages by simply burning them down. Napalm and poisonous defoliant were also used to clear the forests that provided cover. By using these methods, over 1 million civilians were killed.

The Vietcong avoided destruction by digging and moving into tunnels. And attempts by US forces to clear those tunnels were extremely dangerous and usually led to death or injury.

Communist forces were armed with Soviet and Chinese weaponry. Many of Vietcong guerrilla units were often equipped with Western infantry weapons either captured from ARVN units or requisitioned through illicit purchase or from French stocks during the first Indochina war.

The Chinese versions of the Russian AK-47 submachine guns were used by most main force Vietcong troops by mid-1960s. They also used a range of effective Chinese and Soviet medium and light machine guns, and infrequently, heavy machine guns.

Many of their well-known war tactics include setting booby traps and landmines, ambushing US patrols, guerrilla war, and planting bombs in towns.

The Vietcong’s best-known action was the Tet Offensive – it riveted the attention of the world’s media for weeks. They attacked cities, towns and villages in the South.

The organization was disbanded in 1976, after South and North Vietnam united under communist rule.