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parliament to begin preparing for a plebecite on gaining independ-
ence from Iraq.
To many people in the West, the brutal dictatorship of Saddam
Hussein, from 1979 until his overthrow in April 2003, and the
years of internecine violence that followed his overthrow are the
major reference points for Iraq. Yet the region has a history that is
long and glorious. Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers in modern-day Iraq, is known as the “cradle of
civilization” because the earliest known human civilization was
established here more than 5,500 years ago. During the high point
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Iraqis have begun to develop some of the elements of a successful democratic society, such as elec-
tions that are free and fair and an opportunity for citizens to question government leaders and be
involved in politics. However, the ongoing violence threatens to tear the country apart.