United Kingdom vs. Iraq
1991 - 2003
Core issue: Territorial aggression of Iraq later evolved into disagreement with the policy
regime of Iraq which was suspected to have WMD, posing a threat for international community
Type of conflict ending: Violent thawing
The frozen conflict between the United Kingdom and Iraq can be traced to Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Iraq and Kuwait previously had territorial disputes dating back to the 1940s and 1950s. Further, Saddam Hussein was heavily indebted to Arab lenders in the Gulf States after the Iran-Iraq war which was waged from 1980 to 1988, and Iraq accused Kuwait of slant-drilling in the Rumaila oil-field on the border between the two countries. The United Kingdom joined the US-led coalition in the First Gul War in 1991 in an attempt to protect the balance of power in the region. The allied operation concluded with the withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait. After the end of the war in 1991, the frozen conflict between the United Kingdom and Iraq ensued, with occasional outbursts of violence.
The UK was opposed to Iraq's occupation of Kuwait fearing a disproportionate amount of oil wealth falling into the hands of a dictator who was perceived as to constitute a destabilizing actor in the Middle East. The UK joined the US-led military coalition in the First Gulf War which pushed Saddam's forces out of Kuwait and further imposed an armistice in the spring of 1991. Iraq was required to allow weapon inspectors into the country to assure the international community that it no longer possessed WMD. Saddam Hussein repeatedly refused inspectors' entry into critical areas that were suspected of weapons production, contributing to the continued hostile relations between the two countries. He also continued aggressive military posturing towards Kuwait, with military buildups along the border. The UK, alongside the US and France, enforced a no-fly zone over Northern Iraq, and later Southern Iraq, in response to Saddam Hussein's repression of rebellions by the Kurds and the Shi'ites. The UK participated in targeted missile strikes against Iraqi air defense targets as part of the enforcement of the no-fly zone in 1998, and twice in 2001.
In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the United States linked Saddam Hussein's regime to terrorist networks. The UK joined the US invasion of Iraq in March of 2003. One factor in the UK decision to join the coalition was a desire to maintain a "special relationship" between both countries. The UK sought to continue as a key US ally and diplomatic bridge between Europe and North America in the transatlantic alliance. Iraq's regime was quickly defeated, and its security apparatus was dismantled. Although there was a continuation of war in the form of a violent insurgent movement in Iraq in the years after the initial invasion, the Iraq War of 2003 and the destruction of Saddam Hussein's government ended the state of confrontation between the Iraqi government and the United Kingdom. The conflict resolution can thus be characterized as violent thawing.
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