Word: iraqi
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...predawn Iranian attack routed the Iraqi forces with an ease that surprised even the Iranian commanders. By noon, two Iraqi divisions and two border guard brigades had been surrounded and almost entirely taken prisoner; the rest of the Iraqi force of about 12,000 men was fleeing. Said an Iranian captain afterward: "Some were so frightened that they threw themselves into the shaft and struck out for the Iraqi shore. I saw a few drown. They could not swim, and their comrades, desperate to save themselves, let them go down...
...adversaries an estimated 100,000 lives and $150 billion. But even though Iraq's forces have retreated almost to the prewar border (see map), the guns along the Shatt al Arab are not about to fall silent. Iran's Ayatullah Khomeini, in pursuit of his vendetta against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, has threatened to invade Iraq in an effort to topple...
...change in the Iraqi leadership would be welcomed not only by Saddam's domestic rivals but by another enemy, Syrian President Hafez Assad, and by Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi, both of whom enjoy Soviet backing and have helped Iran in the war. But Saddam Hussein's fall would cause great concern in the capitals of moderate Arab states, notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, which have been supporting Iraq. In consequence, the U.S. is also concerned. In a speech devoted entirely to Middle East policy, Secretary of State Alexander Haig told the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations last...
...Tehran, tens of thousands took to the rooftops chanting "Allahu akbar" (God is great). Automobile drivers honked their horns, and mosques sounded the azan, the Muslim call to prayer. As the extent of the Iraqi defeat became known, Iranian leaders declared that they would stop at nothing, including the invasion of Iraq, in order to achieve two objectives: the downfall of Saddam Hussein and the collection of huge war reparations. Tehran has been telling Arab governments that Iran has a right to square accounts with an aggressor that has inflicted more than $100 billion in damage, killed and maimed tens...
...current Iranian offensive began on April 30, when Tehran's forces established a bridgehead west of the Karun River in Khuzistan province. Although the Iranians have successfully regained a large share of their lost territory since the beginning of the year (see map), they encountered strong Iraqi resistance last week. One reason is that the Iraqis this time have relied heavily on their air force, carrying out persistent strikes against the Iranians. Some diplomats believe that the unexpected strength shown by the Iraqi air force results from the presence of an estimated 60 Egyptian pilots now said...