Additional Military Organizations

This chapter deals with additional military or quasi-military forces outside the army that operated alongside the army in wartime. They included the Border Guard Forces, that fought in the war against Iran; the Popular Army, the militia of the Ba’ath party that supported the regular army during that war and the one in Kuwait (in 1991); the Kurdish forces, which fought alongside the Iraqi Army in Kurdistan, both against the Iranians and the Kurdish opposition organizations; and the Civil Defence Directorate, whose purpose was to aid the country’s citizens in defending themselves against wartime damage and natural disasters. It describes their background, organization and structure, their development, training, activities and participation it the different wars during the Ba’ath regime.

The Air Arm

This chapter deals with Iraq air arm, that includes the Air Force, the Army Aviation and the Air Defence forces. The air arm underwent during the Saddam era an impressive empowerment process—both qualitatively and quantitatively—and accumulated broad operational experience, especially during the war against Iran. Nevertheless, in the Gulf War of 1991 and the arms embargo imposed on Iraq in its wake toppled it from its pinnacle of power to total disintegration. The air arm’s destiny symbolized more than anything else the decline of the Iraqi Army from glorious victory at the end of the war against Iran to total collapse after the two wars against coalition forces.

The Last War

This chapter deals with the last war between Iraq and the Coalition forces in 2003—Operation “Iraqi Freedom”, called by the Iraqis the "Decisive War. It describes the course of the war until the conquest of Baghdad (20 March–13 April, 2003), starting with the aerial attack called “Shock and Awe”. It continues to describe the Coalition’s air attacks all over Iraq and their effect, the ground campaign in southern Iraq (20-24 March) and the different battles waged by the Coalition forces. It describes the conduct of the war by the Iraqis at this stage, the crucial battle in the Najaf-Karbala area (25 March-3 April), their belief in the coming threat from the direction of Jordan, as well as the crucial meeting of the Iraqi senior commanders with Qusay and the fatal decision taken by him.

The Iraqi Army’s Confrontation with the Kurds and Iran

This chapter deals with the Iraqi Army’s confrontation with their traditional enemies, the Kurdish opposition and Iran in the 90th, parallel to their struggle against the Coalition forces. The Iraqis’ struggle against the Kurdish opposition was a continuation of the Intifada that broke out in March 1991, and Its brutal suppression by the regime that brought to the Coalition and UN intervention. It describes the successful Kurdish attacks on the Iraqi army in northern Iraq (March 1995) and the Iraqi military retaliation in attacking the city of Erbil (August 1995). It describes also the Iranian attacks into Iraqi territory as response to Iraqi help to Iranian opposition forces to carry out attacks against Iran.

The Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait (August 1990)

This chapter deals with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (August 1990). This was the beginning of a new conflict in which the Iraqi Armed Forces were involved that included three stages: the occupation of Kuwait, the preparations towards the anticipated conflict with the coalition countries; and the war itself, “The Mother of all Battles” War (Operation Desert Storm), January - February, 1991 and ended with the absolute defeat of the Iraqi Army and its expulsion from Kuwait. It describes the first stage of the conflict, the Iraqi plans to conquer Kuwait in the 60th, the Kuwaiti crisis and the Iraqi decision to take Kuwait, the planning and preparing for the operation, and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait by the Republican Guard forces.

Doctrinal Aspects of the Functioning of the Iraqi Army’s Arms and Corps during the War

This chapter analyzes the different Iraqi elements that participated in the war and the way they performed in the war in different aspects in general. This includes general doctrinal aspects in the activation of the Iraqi forces, especially to deal with the large Iranian offensive, as well as the Iraqi offensive operations in 1988. It describes the activation of the main elements of the Iraqi ground forces, air force and air defense, army aviation and the navy. It deals also with special topics like the use of the Popular Army, Intelligence and psychological warfare, the logistic system, surface-to-surface missile operation and the use of chemical weapons during the war.

Introduction to the Victory Battles (January–April 1988)

This chapter deals with the first three month of 1988, one of the most complex periods of the prolonged war. Both sides concentrated on the northern front in mountainous Kurdistan, with the increasing involvement of opposition factions from both sides. Iraq activated “Mujahedin Khalk” forces on Iranian soil, while Iran involved Kurdish opposition and “Badr-9” opposition forces, which brought the Iraqi Army to mount punitive activities against the Kurdish opposition. To these were added the chemical attack on Halabja, which was a high point in the use of unconventional weapons in that war by the Iraqis. The Iraqi Air Force continued attacking targets in Iran, culminating in the most intensive phase of the “war of the cities,” during which the Iraqis implemented their new long-range “Al-Hussein” missiles for the first time. Above all, Iraq covertly continued its preparations for the liberation battles that would cause it to emerge victorious from the war.

The Iranians Increase Their Activities in the Kurdish Province (April–December 1987)

This chapter deals with the situation on the battlefield after the Iranian defeats in the great offensives during the second phase of the “Decisive Year”, and their new initiatives, especially in the Kurdish province in north Iraq, and in other sectors. It deals also with Iraqi initiatives on the front lines in 1987 and the increased Iraqi air activity during this year, and the air attacks especially against oil and economic infrastructure. It describes the continuation of launching missiles by the Iranians towards Iraqi cities, and the development of an Iraqi respond to that. It deals also with the establishment of the Iranian opposition, the Mujahidin Khalk and the beginning of the international involvement in the war, and it sums up the seventh year of the war.

The Second Huweize Marshes ­Battle (March 1985)

This chapter deals with another Iranian offensive launched in the Huweize Marshes area un March 1985, that was called by the Iraqis “Crown of Battles”. It describes the battle and the Iraqi regrouping and counter attack and its consequences. It deals also with the lessons the Iraqi learned by the Iraqi leadership from the last two battles in the Huwize Marshes and the decision taking by them and their implementation in the war, including their new strategy. It also deals with the escalation of the war in the aerial and naval arenas in the first half of 1985, especially their continuous air attacks on Kharg island, and the appearance of SCUD missiles used by the Iranians against Iraqi cities.

The Iranian Forces’ Counterattacks

This chapter deals with the second phase of the war between Iraq and Iran—the first Iranian counter attacks to drive the Iraqi forces from their territory, and the opening of the “war of attrition”. These included two Iranian initiatives in the Khafajiya sector in central Khuzestan (January and July 1981), an initiative in the Serbil Zehab and Kolina area in the central sector of the front, and the fighting in the northern sector of the front. It deals also with the failures of the Iraqi air force to prevent the Iranian air attack on the Iraqi air base in H-3, in west Iraq, and the Israeli air attack on the Iraqi nuclear reactor south of Baghdad (April-June 1981)..