Iraq Before The War With Iran
Iraq was under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein before the war started. Did the war give an average citizen of Iraq more freedom and access to services is a big question. Today, Iraq is a very small and struggling democracy. Even though there is a lot more freedom and the right to vote, it does not give the average citizen the right or jobs, food and services. The statistics on Iraq was studied before and after 2003 and it shows a mixed result. |
In the 1970s, Iraq had a higher standard of living and was a growing economy. People enjoyed better healthcare facilities and also had access to good education. There was also importance given to adult literacy. People from all over the world went to Iraq for higher college education. Other problems like diseases and infant mortality rate was low. The key driving factor for Iraq’s growing economy was the growing fuel prices.
Saddam Hussein declared war on Iran and ever since that Iraq faced a steady decline in economy. The invasion of Kuwait and the ongoing Gulf War, and the international assistance to the war devastated the country even further. People stopped coming to Iraq for studies and there was a severe degradation in the quality of life for people. Saddam’s decision to invade Iran was one of the main mistakes in his political career. The United Nations conducted a study on Iraq and its decline for the period of 1995 to 1998. They found that nearly two-thirds of the standard of living for people fell sharply.
When United States invaded Iraq in 2003, it was already in a devastated state. After Saddam was exiled and overthrown, there were a lot of burglaries and looting. At the same time, there were minor reconstruction processes going on in Iraq. However a combination of both only further degraded the country. In the recent past, Iraq’s economy is showing signs of improvement and restoration.
From 1970 to 1980 Iraq enjoyed a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $3,812 and more due to the steady rise in oil prices. The war between Iran and Iraq degraded the GDP to a very low $250. In 1994, it hit the lowest levels at $195. By 2002, there was a steady improvement and the per capita income was $770.
Life expectancy started falling in Iraq after the war. When people could live up to 85, during the war time it became only 58 years.
Similarly a steady degradation as noticed in every aspect, such as lack of education, infant mortality rate, children's deaths, suicides and overall economy.
More Articles :
Musings On Iraq: Life In Iraq Before and After The Invasion
http://musingsoniraq.blogspot.com/2009/08/
life-in-iraq-before-and-after-invasion.html
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The war that began in Iraq was meant to invade Iran by land and air. Iraq troops landed in Iran in 1980 on 22nd September. However, there is a history behind the Iraq Iran War and understanding that will allow a person to understand why the war took place between these two neighboring countries. 