This is a small almanac on the major Middle Eastern countries that affected the war or the lead up to it. Please be patient while the flags are loading; although they are small files there are many of them.
President: Saddam Hussein
Political Structure: Republic*
Population: 18,074,000
Capital: Baghdad
Gross National Product: $35 billion
Notes: Over a five year period, between 1984 and 1988, Iraq spent approximately $28.7 billion dollars on weapons. However, due to the U.S. embargo, upkeep on troops' weapons was nearly impossible.
President: Hashemi Rafsanjani
Political Structure: Islamic Republic
Population: 53,867,000
Capital: Tehran
Gross National Product: $75 billion
Notes: In the Iran-Iraq war, Iran's armies suffered many casualties in their wave-attacks: boys as young as 12 would first draw Iraqi fire and detonate land mines--with their own bodies. Then, a second wave, the Basij, (a lightly trained militia) would throw themselves at the barbed wire. If they were still alive, they would cut the wire so that the Pasdaren (Iranian troops) could storm the fort by the thousands.
Emir: Shaikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir as-Sabah
Political Structure: Constitutional Monarchy
Population: 2,090,000
Capital: Kuwait City
Gross National Product: $23.1 billion
Notes: Before oil was discovered after the second World War, Kuwait was relatively poor. Almost all of the money was located within the royal family, who had close ties with the British government.
President: Yitzhak Shamir
Population: 4,371,000
Political Structure: Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Jerusalem
Gross National Product: $25.9 billion
Notes: Israel was created by Britain to be a safe haven for those of the Jewish faith. With each attack from the Arabs, it seemed, Israel grew larger and larger. However, with British and U.S. aid, Israel learned to hold its ground.
President: Hosni Mubarek
Population: 54,778,000
Political Structure: Republic
Capital: Cairo
Gross National Product: $34.5 billion
Notes: The vast majority of Egyptians are of Ancient Egyptian heritage (roughly 90%), but have also adopted the Islamic faith.
King: Fahd ibn Abdel Aziz
Population: 12,678,000
Political Structure: Constitutional Monarchy
Capital: Riyadh
Gross National Product: $7.2 billion
Notes: Created in 1932 out of four Bedouin tribes, Saudi Arabia experienced almost immediate wealth after oil was discovered by western civilization. During the war, many female American military personnel were seen driving motor vehicles unveiled by Saudi Arabians. This violated the strict law of the Koran, and forced change in military procedure.
King: Hussein
Population: 2,965,000
Political Structure: Republic
Capital: Damascus
Gross National Product: $5.83 billion
Notes: Although run by the same Baath party as Iraq, Syria�s relations are somewhat sour. A large part stems from the severe competition between the two Republics. However, because of its loyalty to the Soviet Union, Syria lacks the United States favor.
President: Torgut Ozal
Population: 55,365,000
Capital: Ankara
Political Structure, Republic
Gross National Product, $68.4 billion
Notes: Although a member of the Northa Atlantic Treaty Organization Turkey never
quite falls on one side of the fence or the other when it comes to being European or Arab,
Somewhat shunned by its Arab neighbor for backing European causes, it was also denied
into the European committee back in 1980.
President: Shaik Zaid ibn Sultan an-Nahayan
Population: 1,698,000
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Political Structure: Federation of Emirates under a President
Gross National Product: $20 billion
Notes: Similar to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates are a small Sheikdom that found wealth in oil. However, with amazing foresight they have ensured their wealth through foreign investments that will last much longer than their oil beds.
*Although officially a republic, it is in actuality a dictatorship
All material � 1999 Luke Murray.