The Impact of US intervention in Iraq on the Middle East

After Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled, there no longer was a Sunni majority political power. During the first democratic elections, the Shiite minority took the opportunity to vote in candidate who would represent their interest as they knew that Sunnis would be boycotting the election. As a result, the tensions between the Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq were exacerbated. This was the first time that Shiites had risen to this level of power in the Middle East, which upset the Sunni majority and led to a destructive civil war with a high civilian death toll.

Out of the end of the Hussein regime also emerged several extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda. The groups was suppressed by the regime, but soon gained recruits and influence. Their violent tactics pushed away Sunnis, who the group claimed to comprise of. Al-Qaeda planned and executed attacks against opposing Sunnis, Shiites, as well as government officials.

With the fall of the previous government, also came the closest to statehood that the Kurdish people have ever had. The new Iraqi constitution declared an area in Iraq that had rich resources as well as its own forces. The Kurds have long been ostracized and pushed out of countries in the Middle East and been denied statehood. They occupy areas in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran, however this was the first time they had been granted a region of their own.