Iraq has historically been one of the most influential countries in the Middle East due to its strategic location and strong military. It engaged in several destructive wars with neighboring countries over the last 50 years in an attempt to protect itself and assert regional power, including an 8-year war with Iran in the 1980s. The Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein also invaded Kuwait in 1990, changing political dynamics. Iraq relied heavily on propaganda and claims of weapons of mass destruction to deter enemies and maintain its standing among other Middle Eastern nations. However, the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and subsequent civil war greatly reduced Iraq's political influence both regionally and globally.

1. AHMED AREESHI FIRST DRAFT
“ War is peace” this phrase from a book which was written by George Orwell, and it
shows how can wars create peace. Obviously, countries may live in peace after having a
massive conflict with another nation. Iraq is that arabian country which is located in the north of
the Arab peninsula as well as neighbouring Syria, Turky, and Iran surrounding it from West,
North,and East respectively. In fact, this Middle Eastern country went through unpleasant,
tremendous, and aggressive problems within the last five decades. During the past fifty years,
Iraq had several conflicts with its neighbours which made the Iraqi authority to use deferent
tactics just to protect their people from an expected invasion. Of course, Iraq has a great
influence on the politic of Middle East reign especially on politic, power and in deterrence.
Firs, Iraq is one of the strongest players in the Middle East due to its location. Iraq has
different parties which has influenced all countries that neighbouring Iraq. in fact, Saddam
Husain, who belong to Ba’athist party, ruled Iraq for more than two decades with strong control
over Iraqi foreign policy. for example, Iraq engaged with destructive and aggressive war against
Iran for eight years of fighting which had influenced on the political relationship between gulf
states, and Iran because Arab supported Iraq during that war( Hunt, C, p. 90). Obviously, in
1980s, Iraq was the must influential arabian country in that region due to the tremendous power
the Ba’athist party has. moreover, ( second supporting idea which is about the invade of Kuwait
and how that change or affect on the political issue of the region and the rest of the world as
well).
Second, Iraq has much power compared to its neighbours, and the reason for that is
the number of the Iraqi army which formed the perception and decisions of the former Iraqi
government. indeed, Iraq and Iran had fought for eight years during 1980s over the Shatt Al-
Arab water way, and both sides relied of their hard power. According to Fattah, “ Armies, air
forces, and navies, the bombing of the important oil-refining towns of the Shatt al-Arab […]

2. AHMED AREESHI FIRST DRAFT
poison gas attack,” ( H. Fattah. 2009. pp 223, 224.) What we can infer from that quote is that
Iraq and Iran took their decision to protect their proprieties by using all available weapons they
had. On the other hand, there were able to meet and negotiate that best solution for that conflict
by using soft power. The truth is that, Iraqi Government announced information that supported
them when American army invade Iraq in 2003, and all of that information was announced by
the minister of information whose name is Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahhaf. ( D. Demers. P 169.)
propaganda was an effective tactic ….
Finally, deterrence was used by Iraqi government during the war against Iran as well as
against Iraqi people in side Iraq. the regime in Iraq was really smart because the had threaten
their neighbouring countries by announcing misleading information that they have mass
destruction weapons which gave them more advantages to be on the head of Middle East
countries. According to Butler, “ Saddam is back in the business of developing nuclear weapons.
(Iraqi defectors say he already has them.) Furthermore, the Iraqi army started again building
factors which would help them to develop their chemical and biological bombs ( R, Butler, p.
vii .)
In conclusion, Iraq lost its position on the political stage of diplomacy, especially in the Middle
East as they lost their effective influence on the international stage for different factors which
are related to American invasion , and due to civil war that started after the Iraqi governments
lost the control over different parties.