Iraq Timeline Part VIII: "The Second Gulf War"

2000 AD
George Bush Jr. takes the oath of office and becomes the 43rd president of the United States. Taking little initiative in pushing the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, Bush earns a reputation for being more or less disinterested in foreign policy. From the outset, however, he remains committed to the policy of Iraqi containment. Bush''s administration is divided by "hawks" (Donald Rumsfield and Paul Wolfowitz) and "doves" (such as Colin Powell). Long before 9-11, Rumsfield and Wolfowitz argue for military engagement with Iraq. According to Sandra Mackey: "Their motivations [are based] on two major considerations: the demands placed on the U.S. military budget by the ongoing containment of Baghdad [$100 million a year] and the interests of Israel." Colin Powell and Richard Haass-"doves"-argue for introducing "smart sanctions," which they hope will limit the devastating economic and humanitarian effects of the current embargo against Iraq.

2001 AD
On September 11th, Al Qaeda terrorists who trained in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, crash planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. According to scholar Sandra Mackey, "Vice President Dick Cheney, appearing on Meet the Press, [responds] to a question about whether the U.S. government believed Saddam Hussein was part of the events of September the 11th with a clear and simple ''no.''" Nevertheless, 9-11 drastically changes the American political landscape, bringing out renewed interest in the Middle East and giving "hawks" in the government more flexibility in planning for war. Saddam Hussein is eventually seen as a potential provider of nuclear arms after a report surfaces that al-Qaeda wants to acquire a nuclear arsenal.

2002 AD
The Bush administration takes their case for war against Iraq to the United Nations. Around the world, activists show up in record numbers to protest the intentions of the U.S. campaign. Protestors and governmental representatives of many nations emphasize the human cost of war and the fallacy of military pre-emption, while the U.S. administration and their small group of supporters (Britain and Spain) emphasize the brutality of Saddam''s regime and the potential threat of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. The U.N. accepts continued pushes for weapons inspections in Iraq but ultimately rejects the U.S. proposals for an immediate call to war.

2003 AD
British and American troops invade Iraq, winning a quick and decisive victory over a period of 38 days. Most Iraqis, especially the southern Shi''ites and the northern Kurds, celebrate the demise of the overwhelmingly oppressive Ba''ath party, but suspicions also begin to surface about the intentions of the American campaign, especially in regards to Iraqi oil. A period of lawlessness ensues in which looting and crime is rampant in the streets and some of Iraq''s museums are plundered, losing priceless artifacts from Iraq''s long history. The lack of fresh water and electricity also become significant problems in Iraq.