American wars in Iraq were a defining feature of global politics for almost thirty years. The Gulf War of 1991, the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the campaign against the Islamic State beginning in 2014 each had their own logic. Each occurrence was a distinct conflict; however they must not only be considered in isolation. The United States spent the 1990s trying but failing to implement the Gulf War's cease fire agreement. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, American leaders decided to settle the open-ended aftermath of the Gulf War by launching the Iraq War of 2003. The Iraq War unleashed resistance, civil war, insurgency and eventually the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Thus, following the Gulf War, each war was fought to finish the previous conflict. The Iraq Wars, therefore, are perhaps best understood as a chain of events.
Academics, journalists, statesmen, and soldiers have produced many library shelves of books on the Iraq Wars. Yet, no short, easily digestible volume exists to synthesize this vast literature of both English and Arabic sources. The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction covers this series of important conflicts as a whole, in a highly succinct and uniquely readable way.
List of illustrations 1. Preludes: America, Iraq, and the Iran-Iraq War 2. The Gulf Crisis, 1990-91 3. Sanctions, inspections, and conflict, 1991-2000 4. The invasion of Iraq, 2003 5. Resistance, civil war, insurgency, and counterinsurgency 6. ISIS and Americas return to Iraq Conclusion References
Samuel Helfont is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Policy in the Naval War College Program at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He holds a PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University and completed a three-year post-doctoral lectureship at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his books on Iraq, he has written for leading academic journals and for the popular press. He has also served as an intelligence officer in the US Navy and Navy Reserve, is an Iraq War veteran, and completed deployments both afloat and ashore in the Middle East.
