Listen to the complete series (46:33 mp3)
(series aired in Feb 2003)

Jeb SharpThe history of Iraq over the past century has been violent and troubling. Its colonial legacy set it on a course that led to the rise of the Arab Baath Socialist Party and the rule of Saddam Hussein. Its relationship with the United States and other outside powers has been dictated by political and historical forces with enormous impact: colonialism, Arab nationalism, the politics of oil, the dynamics of the cold war, and the race to acquire weapons of mass destruction. In our three-part series from February 2003, The World's Jeb Sharp reported on the historical currents that shaped Iraq before the US-led invasion in March 2003.

Part I: Iraq's British Legacy
Feb 11, 2003

Lawrence of Arabia

When the British and French divided their spoils after World War I, Britain got three former provinces of the Ottoman Empire which became Iraq. The British decided not to run their new territory directly but instead to install a "friendly" Arab leader as King. They chose Prince Faisal, friend of the colorful British colonel TE Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia. King Faisal managed to lead the country to independence in 1932 but Iraq did not really shake off British domination until 1958 when a violent coup overthrew the monarchy. Part one of the series describes the Anglo-Iraqi relationship and its legacy.



Part II: The Rise of Saddam Hussein
Feb 12, 2003

Young SaddamSaddam Hussein became president of Iraq in 1979. His rule was ruthless in the extreme, his politics totalitarian, and his relations with neighboring countries notorious. Part two chronicles Saddam Hussein's rise to power and the brutal tactics and clan politics he employed to stay there until his fall in April 2003.



Part III: US-Iraq Relations
Feb 13, 2003

Prior to the 2003 invasion US policy toward Iraq had been determined by three main strategic goals: ensuring the free flow of oil from the Persian Gulf, preventing any regional power from dominating the gulf, and defending Israel. In the first half of the 20th century the British dominated the gulf and protected Western interests there. But after World War II, the United States was more active because of the cold war. It courted friendly regimes and undermined pro-Soviet ones. Relations with Iraq were cool after the 1958 revolution but warmed up considerably after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. The final part of Jeb Sharp's series traces how Washington alternately shunned and cultivated Baghdad and how US policy toward Iraq ultimately backfired.