Iraq's President Saddam Hussein invaded its neighbor, Kuwait in 1990, leading to the Persian Gulf War. Iraq has been under international sanctions since the invasion. The United Nation refused to lift them until they are positive that Iraq has eliminated its weapons of destruction, which was one of the concessions Saddam Hussein had to make when he lost the war.

In 1991 after they were invaded, President Bush won a Congressional approval for his position with the most destructive air assault in history against military targets in Iraq and Kuwait. Allies enter Kuwait City on February 26, 1991. Iraq's army set over 500 of Kuwait's oil wells on fire because that is what Kuwait got money for. The U.S. and Britain threatened to bomb Iraq for their refusal to let U.N. weapon inspectors free access to all of their buildings. When Saddam Hussein attacked his own country, the U.S. and its allies patrolled a no-fly zone over Northern Iraq to protect Kurds from attack, and in the south to protect the Shiite Muslims.

To learn more about Iraq visit these sites:
http://www.desert-storm.com/
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/iz.html
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/iqtoc.html