40 YEARS SINCE IRAN-IRAQ WAR, REGION STILL IN TURMOIL: Forty years ago today, Iraqi president Saddam Hussein invaded Iran, starting an eight-year war. The exact number of those killed is not known, but at least 650,000 people died, two-thirds of them Iranian. It was a titanic clash of regional powers and opposing ideologies, and set into motion a chain of events whose repercussions are being felt to this day. Strategically, Iraq didn’t meet its goals and conflict weakened both countries significantly. However, it enabled the revolutionary regime in Iran to strengthen its position domestically in the face of a foreign enemy. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]
AFP