The Gulf War wasn’t just a war—it was a performance. It was the empire flexing its muscles, showing the world what happens when anyone dares to challenge U.S. dominance. Cloaked in talk of liberation and morality, the 1991 war was really about power: controlling oil, reshaping the Middle East, and crushing any hint of regional autonomy.
Three decades later, the Middle East remains a playground for empire. From Iraq to Syria, from Palestine to Yemen, the U.S. and its allies—chief among them Israel—have created a region defined by war, occupation, and unending suffering. This isn’t chaos. This is the plan.
The First Gulf War: Bombs and Blockades
In 1991, the U.S. went to war under the pretense of rescuing Kuwait from Saddam Hussein. What followed was one of the most devastating bombing campaigns in modern history. Iraq’s infrastructure—power plants, water treatment facilities, bridges—was systematically obliterated, leaving the country in ruins.
The war didn’t end with the last bomb. The U.S.-led sanctions that followed were an act of economic warfare, starving the Iraqi people while leaving Saddam in power. UNICEF estimated that by the late 1990s, over half a million Iraqi children had died as a result. Madeleine Albright, ever the humanitarian, famously said that these deaths were "worth it." That’s empire-speak for: we got what we wanted.
The 2003 Invasion: Lies and Looting
The second Gulf War was sold with even bigger lies—nonexistent weapons of mass destruction and fabricated links to al-Qaeda. The invasion toppled Saddam but turned Iraq into a failed state. Sectarian militias filled the vacuum left by the U.S.-dismantled government, and the rise of ISIS added yet another layer of horror.
Meanwhile, American corporations cashed in. Halliburton and its ilk looted Iraq under the guise of reconstruction, while ordinary Iraqis endured violence, poverty, and displacement. Today, Iraq remains a fractured nation, a shadow of the regional power it once was, thanks to the empire’s intervention.
Syria: The Fall of Assad and the New Scramble
After over a decade of civil war, Bashar al-Assad’s regime finally collapsed in 2024. Rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept through the country, capturing Damascus without firing a shot. Assad fled to Russia, leaving behind a legacy of brutality and a nation in ruins.
HTS, once linked to al-Qaeda, now faces the unenviable task of governing a country gutted by war. Its leader, Ahmed al-Shara (formerly Abu Mohammad al-Jolani), has tried to rebrand the group as a legitimate political force, but skepticism runs deep. Can a group with jihadist roots and Islamist ambitions unite a nation as fractured as Syria?
Turkey, which backed HTS’s advance, is asserting its influence, while Russia—distracted by its war in Ukraine—has lost its grip on the region. Israel continues its airstrikes, targeting what it claims are chemical weapons and missile stockpiles. Meanwhile, the U.S. maintains its small but strategic military presence in northeastern Syria, ostensibly to fight ISIS but also to keep an eye on Iran and Russia.
Syria’s future is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the people of Syria, who have endured years of bombs, blockades, and brutality, will continue to bear the brunt of this new power struggle.
Iran and Israel: From Shadows to Direct Conflict
The Israel-Iran conflict has escalated from proxy skirmishes to open confrontation. In April 2024, Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel, firing over 300 drones and missiles in retaliation for the assassination of senior Iranian and Hezbollah figures. Then, in October, Iran struck again with another 180 ballistic missiles. While Israel intercepted most of the projectiles, the attacks marked a bold escalation.
Israel’s response was predictably devastating. In October 2024, the IDF launched precision strikes on 20 key Iranian sites, crippling missile production facilities and air defenses. These strikes didn’t just weaken Iran’s ability to retaliate—they sent a clear message: Israel, with U.S. backing, will stop at nothing to maintain its military superiority.
But this isn’t just about Israel and Iran. Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria are ramping up their activities, threatening to drag U.S. forces stationed in the region into the conflict. The cycle of retaliation is spiraling, with each side escalating further, and the region edging closer to a broader war.
Palestine: A Slow-Motion Catastrophe
While the world watches Iran and Syria, the slow-motion catastrophe in Palestine grinds on. Gaza remains an open-air prison, bombed repeatedly by Israel under the pretext of fighting Hamas. In the West Bank, illegal settlements expand daily, swallowing Palestinian land while military raids terrorise the population.
The U.S., of course, continues to provide Israel with billions in military aid, shielding it from international accountability. The rhetoric of "peace" and "security" is a cruel joke when the reality is apartheid, occupation, and systemic violence.
For Palestinians, resistance isn’t just a right—it’s a necessity. But as long as the empire props up Israel’s occupation, justice will remain a distant dream.
Yemen: The Forgotten War
Yemen is the empire’s dirty little secret. The U.S.-backed Saudi coalition has turned the country into a humanitarian nightmare, waging a brutal war against the Iran-aligned Houthis. Tens of thousands have been killed, millions displaced, and famine stalks the population.
The Houthis, for their part, have launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia and the UAE, escalating a conflict that shows no signs of ending. Yemen is a microcosm of the empire’s playbook: endless war, endless suffering, and zero accountability.
Conclusion: The Middle East Burns While the Empire Profits
The Gulf War was just the beginning. From Iraq to Syria, from Palestine to Yemen, the U.S. and its allies have turned the Middle East into a laboratory for violence. The rhetoric of liberation and security is a facade. The real goals are control, exploitation, and the suppression of any challenge to imperial power.
The region doesn’t need more bombs, more sanctions, or more meddling—it needs an end to the empire’s stranglehold. But as long as war is profitable and power is addictive, the fires will keep burning.
The Gulf War may feel like ancient history, but its legacy is alive and well. The empire’s project continues, and the Middle East remains its most tragic victim.
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