A Commodity Chain Analysis of a pair of shoes Essay

A Commodity Chain Analysis of a pair of shoes - Essay Example It is worth bringing such a product into perspective in order to unearth the whole processes that lead to the final products that the whole want have now made an essential part of their lifestyle. This analysis is mainly focused on the leather shoes. It is an unparalleled fact that leather shoes is the most consumed of all the brands of shoes that exist. It is mainly used as part of the attire for clerical and office works. Many companies across the world have made leather shoes part of their attire and a mandatory requirement for any staff. However, leather shoes are not only used as attire for office work but it also forms a very core part of casual wears. It is therefore imperative to the needs of the society that a little focus is given to this special kind of shoes. A pair of leather shoes is very popular in modern society as many people now use it. The most consumers of leather shoes currently are the world’s growing economies (Roberts, 32). This includes nations in the some parts of the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Far East. In the Americas, the use of leather shoes has been part of the existing population for hundreds of years. With the production of leather shoes having been in existence for such a long time, it is worth noting that the major source of raw materials for these products have mainly been Africa and Asia. These materials are gotten through numerous import agencies who gather the materials from their resources inlets. These inlets are always set up in rural areas where animals are kept in their large numbers. The materials are then used in the manufacturing of the leather shoes that are the sold to different parts of the world through exports thus earning the respective countries involved in the trade foreign exchange. This helps in enhancing the economic growth of the respective nations. The production of leather shoes has spread into many parts

How to Be a Better Listener Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

How to Be a Better Listener - Research Paper Example These are common natural sounds, yet they may sound unfamiliar, because we do not have the time or the inclination to listen to them. ‘Listening’ is not magic; it is simply an art that you will have to master, if you wish to succeed in life. Now the next question that will most obviously come to our minds will be, if listening is not hearing, then what do we do to listen? Yes, listening and hearing are entirely two different entities. How many times we have our ‘heard’ our mothers asking us to clean our rooms; and how many times we actually ‘listen’ to what she is trying to say and also do accordingly? How times do we ‘listen’ to our parents advising us to avoid doing certain things, or do we just hear them speaking some jargon, a language that we pretend we cannot understand and so can be easily forgotten? The basic difference between hearing and listening is in the amount of attention we pay to the person who is speaking to us, and in our attempts in trying to understand as to what he/she is actually saying. â€Å"My son never listens to what I say!†; â€Å"Will you for god’s sake please remain quiet and listen to what I am trying to say?† We have heard these complaints so many times that they sound quite clichà ©d to us by now. It is simply not in most people to listen to what others say. We love to speak, and have fallen in love with our voices so much, that we prefer to talk, even if it means speaking utter nonsense at times. Speaking one to a dozen does not help us much, and it is only in listening to what others say that we climb the ladder to success. So the next time your mother asks you to clean your room, or avoid doing certain things, just ‘listen’ to her. The training to acquire such basic skills start right from home, and once you are out in the world on your own, you may actually find that

Supreme Court of the United States Essay Example for Free

Supreme Court of the United States Essay During United States history, the U. S. government, particularly the Supreme Court, has played a major role on our nations society. The decisions made by our nations Supreme Court influenced the way we live as present day Americans. Decisions made by our Supreme Court concerning our rights and freedoms as individuals can limit or impact day-to-day activities. One court case that illustrates the power the Supreme Court has over our daily rights is Brown v.  Board of Education. This case emphasizes the Supreme Courts influence throughout history. From the late 1800s to this case in 1954, public places were segregated for Blacks and whites and was said to be acceptable as long as they were equal. The Jim Crow Laws were set up to support segregation which significantly impacted African American rights. This separate but equal formula had been maintained by the court case Plessy v. Ferguson, which therefore separate bathrooms, water fountains, schools etc were set up for blacks but these public facilities werent equal whatsoever; Black public facilities had a lower quality. Brown v. Board of Education ruled in African American equality and civil rigghts. The supreme court declared segregated public schools was unconstitutional since separating children based on race wasnt right. As a result of this ruling, all schools were required to integrate black and white students but african american students still faced difficulties. This ruling also inspired Blacks to fight against other racial oppressions. Brown v. Board of Education subsequently helped establish a more equal African American society. Another case that spotlights the power the United States Supreme Court has over our daily rights or freedoms is Schneck v. U. S. Since the United States was brought into World War 1, there was a decision to put a draft into place, or demand to enroll into military services from any qualifying person during war time. In 1919, Schneck, an american citizen, spoke out against this war-time decision but was arrested for handing out circulars that encouraged draftees to oppose the draft, which violated the Espionage Act by attempting to cause insubordination in the military and to obstruct recruitment . Schneck insisted that an arrest like this violated his First Amendment Right to freedom of Speech and Press. Ultimately, this case was brought all the way up to the Supreme Court, stating that during a time of war individual freedoms or rights can be limited or shrunken to protect national security. This case formed the phrase clear and present danger. Supreme Court ruled that Schneck proposed a clear and present danger to american society. This is why we cant yell fire! in a movie theater or in any crowded public facility. The United States Supreme Court has a massive influence on forming american society. The decisions made by the Spreme Court played a major role on the Civil Rights of African Americans, First Amendment Rights of individuals and all other forms of american society.

Symbols and Symbolism - A Comparison of Nicknames in A Dolls House and Major Barbara :: comparison compare contrast essays

Symbolism of Nicknames in A Doll's House and Major Barbara    The use of nicknames in literature is an important tool in which the author can provide insight into the attitudes of the characters toward each other and to provide illumination as to the nature of specific characters. Two such pieces of literature in which these attitudes and illumination can be evidenced are A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen and Major Barbara by Bernard Shaw. The attitudes of the characters in A Doll's House, more specifically Torvald Helmer and the maid Anne-Marie, toward Nora can be evidenced with the names by which she is referred. In Major Barbara, the names by which the characters call each other not only show their personal attitudes toward each other, but also provide classical reference by which we can better understand the characters.    In A Doll's House, Torvald Helmer's attitude toward his wife Nora can be seen in the ways in which he refers to her. In line 11 of the first act, we come across the first instance of Torvald's bird references to Nora with "Is that my little lark twittering out there?" This reference is the first of many in which Torvald refers to Nora as a lark. Often this referencing is preceded by diminutive terms such as "little" and "sweet, little." Torvald also refers to Nora as a squirrel, a spendthrift, a songbird, and a goose, these terms also preceded with a diminutive. The significance of this nicknaming is to show Torvald's attitude toward Nora. Torvald sees Nora as small, sweet, unobtrusive and therefore easily controlled. This position is one he would like Nora to continue to occupy. In line 257, Torvald refers to Nora as "my richest treasure" denoting his attitude toward her as his possession.    Nora's nurse, and the nurse of her children as well, Anne-Marie, shows her attitude of Nora as well. In the beginning of the second act, we find Nora in a conversation with Anne-Marie in which Anne-Marie refers to Nora as "Miss Nora," "little Nora," and "poor little Nora." It seems to everyone that Nora not only acts as a child, but is seen as one as well. It is here we realize it is not only the man being overbearing and keeping the woman in what he sees as her rightful position, but the maid also contributes to the indoctrination.

After the Sirens

As soon as the radio is switched on it is described as screaming and it startles the man. He also recognized the radio announcer’s voice but it this was the first time his voice did not sound upbeat and happy as it usually was during his morning show. The author also describes his voice as â€Å"Cracking with hysteria† (Hood, pg. 161) which clearly sets the mood in the story. The way his voice is described stresses the role that the announcer plays in this story.The radio announcer uses repetition right from the beginning of the story and creates suspense, when he repeats â€Å"This not an exercise†(Hood, pg. 160) three times. He also repeats â€Å"This is an air raid warning†(Hood, pg. 160) twice right after the radio is turned on. He continues with the count down right until ten seconds before the bomb hit. The radio announcer sets this man into action to save himself and his family.The man responds immediately by telling his wife not to ask questions an d to dress her self and the baby in many layers of heavy clothing. While she is doing that he gathers up food, water, canned goods and two can openers. The radio announcer also helps the man to decide where they should take cover in the house because he reported the target and the man knew where the blast would be coming from. The radio announcer helped them survive. I was captured immediately by his voice and was taken on a journey of anticipation and suspense.

Activities that managers perform in markets - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1779 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Managers perform certain activities as they efficiently and effectively coordinate the work of others using different approach and skills. This report was prepared to identify and discuss the relevant Katzs skills which are or not reflected in the work of Mr. Gan, Director of GPA Holdings Berhad. Mr Gan is an executive Director of GPA holdings Berhad. Being an executive Director, he is mainly responsible for the formulation of the company policies, the strategies, the planning, the direction and the development of his organization. He is a member of the board of directors and he reports directly to the chairman.GPA Holdings Berhad is an investment holdings company and is listed in the main market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad.. The core business and operations of the groups are in the manufacture, distribution and marketing of automotive batteries. The interview identified managerial functions, the skills required at different managerial level, the management roles of the manager and how technological advancement affects the managers job. Based on the results of the interview, it is evidently supported that conceptual skills of Katzs principle are reflected in Mr.Gans job as a top line manager. However, there are other roles that are found to be relevant to Mr.Gans job as well. Katz wrote that performance of a manager depends on his fundamental skills rather than on his individuality traits (Katz,1955). According to him, it is important to know what the managers do, not what the managers are. He then proposed a three category typology of skills: technical, human and conceptual. Technical skills involved understanding and ability in a certain specialized fields where a specific skill is needed (Katz, 1955). This type of knowledge is acquired by a combination of formal education, training, and job experience. According to Katz, technical skills meant working with things, not people (Katz, 1955).Technical skills are most important at the lo wer level of administration and as an administrator moves to higher levels, the need for technical competency decreases (Katz,1955). In relevance to Katzs theory, as a top line manager, Mr Gan uses limited technical skills in his job aspect. For eg, he provides technical support and presentations to his subordinates through charts. Also, he uses his limited technical skills to ensure that his organization and activities operate are legal and do not cause an adverse impact to workers or the environment. Hence, it can be seen that as a top line manager, Mr. Gan does not involve himself in hands-on operations and activities; instead he employs technical engineers, maintenance engineers and skill workers to run the operations and production. This strongly supports Katzs technical theory. Interpersonal skills are essential to communicate, to motivate and to create team spirit between the subordinates, superiors, peers, and outsiders (Yukl,2002). Such skills are either inborn or acquir ed through training and exposure to work environment (Katz,1955). Mr Gans human skills were well honed as he is the Director of his company; he is constantly working directly with his colleagues, staffs and his board of directors. He emphasized that there is a need to be a team player in an organization in order to achieve the targeted organizational goals. In times of decision making, human skills are essentially needed (Katz,1955).This is essential because everything a leader says and does have an effect on his associates. This belief appears to reflect Mr. Gans role at the company. As a top level manager, he frequently holds top level meetings and brain storming sessions with his board of directors to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This shows that he uses his human skills to communicate and to work cooperatively among his colleagues to resolve conflicts. On the other hand, this shows that Mr. Gan has the attributes of a disseminator role as well. As a disseminator, he transmits information received from outsiders or from subordinates to members of the organization during the meetings held (Mintzberg, 1975).Barnard (1930) believed that it is the managers job to communicate and stimulate employees to achieve high levels of performance. Mr. Gan knows that it is important to provide employees with the right and adequate tools for the employee to work with. Therefore, he identifies weaknesses in the organization and often provides training and seminars as the necessary tools for their efficient performance. From this, it can be seen that human skills are needed in his job as a top line manager in order to disseminate information and to motivate his members. Conceptual skills are the ability to mould an idea into a concept so that it can be more easily presented to and understood by the targeted group (Yulk, 2002). According to Katz, conceptual skills become the most important ability of all at the top level of administration (Katz, 1955). This is strongly supported, as Mr. Gan is a top level administrator, he claims conceptual skills is significant in his job as he has to conceptualize so that his workers and people can readily relate to the problems at hand. Katz further proposed that these skills extend to visualizing the relationship of the firm to the external environment (Katz, 1955). Using his conceptual skills, Mr.Gan identifies how the company can be affected by external factors so that the damage can be mitigated. Once a problem is identified, he determines what needs to be done, how it will be done and who to do it. It is clearly visible that his role also involves organizing, one of Fayols management functions (Fayol, 1949). It is important to shine and be different in todays world said Mr. Gan. He said, in order to survive in this competitive world, one has to apply conceptual skills in creating new ideas and concepts. It can be deduced that conceptual skills is strongly needed in his job as a top line manager in order to simplify problem areas and implement simple and practical solutions to the problems identified. Katz acknowledged that these skills are interrelated when applied to managerial problems (Katz, 1955). He further claims that different degree of application of these skills are required at varying levels of management within the organization (Katz,1955). These roles are not easily separable. For example, without conceptual skills, Mr. Gan is unable to recognize problem areas and implement solutions to those problems. As a result, he cannot make effective decisions. It is clear that the successful migration from entry level to mid-level manager and from mid-level manager to top level manager is a direct correlation of the accumulation of the required experiences and skills as one moves up the corporate ladder (Guglielmino Carroll,n.d) In todays world, with rapid technological changes and increasing competition, acquiring new technology becomes crucial to e nable firms to develop new products more quickly. The usage of technology is worldwide. Technology definitely increase productivity, machine efficiency, creates economies of scales. This will lead to lower cost of production; hence improve competitiveness for the companys product in the market. If one do not or unable to adapt to technological advancement, one will lose out to the competitors eventually. Most organizations indicate that the major reasons for employing technological changes in their organization are to reduce labor costs, improve efficiency and productivity of the company and eventually generate a greater profitability for the company (The Hunter Group, 2001). With the aid of technology, organizations are able to achieve economies of scales through mass production, improve productivity, increase speed in terms of processes, and reduces human errors. With technological advancement, human efforts are being replaced with machine efforts. The introduction of flexible machine tools and programmable equipments are capable in performing variety of tasks. When asked how technology changes affected his organization, Mr Gan mentioned that his company reduced their number of workforce to be replaced with machineries. He also added that this change was able to reduce their overhead expenses and that their organizations efficiency and productivity increases as well causing an increase in their companys profitability. Besides increasing efficiency and productivity, technology advancement reduces time consumption in performing tasks. As automated machines are faster in recording, filing, and processing information, this reduces time consumption taken through manual recording. As everything is computerized, inputing data and retrieving information can be done within seconds and with no human errors involved as the functions are preprogrammed. Before the advent of technology, Mr, Gan used to prepare his work for discussion on pieces of paper and he armed himself also with a calculator. He finds it so cumbersome and time consuming if there are changes to be made in his reports or figures presentations. Thus, it is a welcome change that he is able to use software to edit any of his reports now with technological changes because any amendments or corrections just need to be made thru a click of a mouse. In addition to that, technology allows processes to be integrated such as to do video conferencing especially when the personnel involved for discussion in the meeting is overseas. Previously, before technology advancement, Mr Gan had to make frequent overseas trips to market his products thus incurring additional overheads and time. Now, his company is able to market their products worldwide through electronic business in order to achieve its goals efficiently and effectively. It can be seen that technological advancement has certainly improves Mr.Gans organization production, efficiency, cost effectiveness and also Mr Gans job a s a manager in his company. Even though, new technologies are not beneficial to the employees or the environment to which they are newly introduced and that new processes and equipment may bring about unemployment or the rejection of skilled workers, however, this does not concern the organization as their goals are achieved effectively and efficiently. In conclusion, based on the interview with Mr. Gan, it is clearly evident that there is significant skills of Katzs three skills present in Mr Gans job as a top line manager. As a top line manager, he uses limited technical skills in his job as he does not limit himself in performing specialized tasks. Also, as a manager, Mr Gan applies human skills when he disseminates information to his members and when he motivates them. However, among the three skills, conceptual skills is strongly needed in his job as a top line manager in order to simplify problem areas and implement simple and practical solutions to the problems identified. Besides Katzs skills, there are other skills needed by the managers in order to perform his duties at an optimum level. Such as Fayols 14 principle of management and Mintzbergs managerial roles. The influence of technology has a direct impact on Mr Gans managerial work in his company. As technology advances, Mr Gans work becomes more productive, effective and efficient. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Activities that managers perform in markets" essay for you Create order

Iraq Government, Facts, and History

The modern nation of Iraq is built upon foundations that go back to some of humanitys earliest complex cultures. It was in Iraq, also known as Mesopotamia, that Babylonian king Hammurabi regularized the law in the Code of Hammurabi, c. 1772 BCE. Under Hammurabis system, society would inflict upon a criminal the same harm that the criminal had inflicted upon his victim. This is codified in the famous dictum, An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. More recent Iraqi history, however, tends to support the Mahatma Gandhis take on this rule. He is supposed to have said that An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Capital and Major Cities Capital: Baghdad, population 9,500,000 (2008 estimate) Major cities: Mosul, 3,000,000 Basra, 2,300,000 Arbil, 1,294,000 Kirkuk, 1,200,000 Government of Iraq The Republic of Iraq is a parliamentary democracy. The head of state is the president, currently Jalal Talabani, while the head of government is Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. The unicameral parliament is called the Council of Representatives; its 325 members serve four-year terms. Eight of those seats are specifically reserved for ethnic or religious minorities. Iraqs judiciary system consists of the Higher Judicial Council, the Federal Supreme Court, the Federal Court of Cassation, and lower courts. (Cassation literally means to quash - it is another term for appeals, evidently taken from the French legal system.) Population Iraq has a total population of about 30.4 million. The population growth rate is an estimated 2.4%. About 66% of Iraqis live in urban areas. Some 75-80% of Iraqis are Arabs. Another 15-20% are Kurds, by far the largest ethnic minority; they live primarily in northern Iraq. The remaining roughly 5% of the population is made up of Turkomen, Assyrians, Armenians, Chaldeans and other ethnic groups. Languages Both Arabic and Kurdish are official languages of Iraq. Kurdish is an Indo-European language related to Iranian languages. Minority languages in Iraq include Turkoman, which is a Turkic language; Assyrian, a Neo-Aramaic language of the Semitic language family; and Armenian, an Indo-European language with possible Greek roots. Thus, although the total number of languages spoken in Iraq is not high, the linguistic variety is great. Religion Iraq is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, with an estimated 97% of the population following Islam. Perhaps, unfortunately, it is also among the most evenly divided countries on Earth in terms of Sunni and Shia populations; 60 to 65% of Iraqis are Shia, while 32 to 37% are Sunni. Under Saddam Hussein, the Sunni minority controlled the government, often persecuting Shias. Since the new constitution was implemented in 2005, Iraq is supposed to be a democratic country, but the Shia/Sunni split is a source of much tension as the nation sorts out a new form of government. Iraq also has a small Christian community, around 3% of the population. During the nearly decade-long war following the US-led invasion in 2003, many Christians fled Iraq for Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, or western countries. Geography Iraq is a desert country, but it is watered by two major rivers - the Tigris and the Euphrates. Only 12% of Iraqs land is arable. It controls a 58 km (36 miles) coast on the Persian Gulf, where the two rivers empty into the Indian Ocean. Iraq is bordered by Iran to the east, Turkey and Syria to the north, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to the west, and Kuwait to the southeast. Its highest point is Cheekah Dar, a mountain in the north of the country, at 3,611 m (11,847 feet). Its lowest point is sea level. Climate As a subtropical desert, Iraq experiences extreme seasonal variation in temperature. In parts of the country, July and August temperatures average over 48 °C (118 °F). During the rainy winter months of December through March, however, temperatures drop below freezing not infrequently. Some years, heavy mountain snow in the north produces dangerous flooding on the rivers. The lowest temperature recorded in Iraq was -14 °C (7 °F). The highest temperature was 54 °C (129 °F). Another key feature of Iraqs climate is the sharqi, a southerly wind that blows from April through early June, and again in October and November. It gusts up to 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph), causing sandstorms that can be seen from space. Economy The economy of Iraq is all about oil; black gold provides more than 90% of government revenue  and accounts for 80% of the countrys foreign exchange income. As of 2011, Iraq was producing 1.9 million barrels per day of oil, while consuming 700,000 barrels per day domestically. (Even as it exports almost 2 million barrels per day, Iraq also imports 230,000 barrels per day.) Since the start of the US-led War in Iraq in 2003, foreign aid has become a major component of Iraqs economy, as well. The US has pumped some $58 billion dollars worth of aid into the country between 2003 and 2011; other nations have pledged an additional $33 billion in reconstruction aid. Iraqs workforce is employed primarily in the service sector, although about 15 to 22% work in agriculture. The unemployment rate is around 15%, and an estimated 25% of Iraqis live below the poverty line. The Iraqi currency is the dinar. As of February 2012, $1 US is equal to 1,163 dinars. History of Iraq Part of the Fertile Crescent, Iraq was one of the early sites of complex human civilization and agricultural practice. Once called Mesopotamia, Iraq was the seat of the Sumerian and Babylonian cultures c. 4,000 - 500 BCE. During this early period, Mesopotamians invented or refined technologies such as writing and irrigation; the famous King Hammurabi (r. 1792- 1750 BCE) recorded the law in the Code of Hammurabi, and over a thousand of years later, Nebuchadnezzar II (r. 605 - 562 BCE) built the incredible Hanging Gardens of Babylon. After about 500 BCE, Iraq was ruled by a succession of Persian dynasties, such as the Achaemenids, the Parthians, the Sassanids and the Seleucids. Although local governments existed in Iraq, they were under Iranian control until the 600s CE. In 633, the year after the Prophet Muhammad died, a Muslim army under Khalid ibn Walid invaded Iraq. By 651, the soldiers of Islam had brought down the Sassanid Empire in Persia  and began to Islamicize the region that is now Iraq and Iran. Between 661 and 750, Iraq was a dominion of the Umayyad Caliphate, which ruled from Damascus (now in Syria). The Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled the Middle East and North Africa from 750 to 1258, decided to build a new capital closer to the political power hub of Persia. It built the city of Baghdad, which became a center of Islamic art and learning. In 1258, catastrophe struck the Abbasids and Iraq in the form the Mongols under Hulagu Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan. The Mongols demanded that Baghdad surrender, but the Caliph Al-Mustasim refused. Hulagus troops laid siege to Baghdad, taking the city with at least 200,000 Iraqi dead. The Mongols also burned the Grand Library of Baghdad and its wonderful collection of documents - one of the great crimes of history. The caliph himself was executed by being rolled in a carpet and trampled by horses; this was an honorable death in Mongol culture  because none of the caliphs noble blood touched the ground. Hulagus army would meet defeat by the Egyptian Mamluk slave-army in the Battle of Ayn Jalut. In the Mongols wake, however, the Black Death carried away about a third of Iraqs population. In 1401, Timur the Lame (Tamerlane) captured Baghdad  and ordered another massacre of its people. Timurs fierce army only controlled Iraq for a few years  and was supplanted by the Ottoman Turks. The Ottoman Empire would rule Iraq from the fifteenth century through 1917  when Britain wrested the Middle East from Turkish control and the Ottoman Empire collapsed. Iraq Under Britain Under the British/French plan to divide the Middle East, the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, Iraq became part of the British Mandate. On November 11, 1920, the region became a British mandate under the League of Nations, called the State of Iraq. Britain brought in a (Sunni) Hashemite king from the region of Mecca and Medina, now in Saudi Arabia, to rule over the primarily Shia Iraqis and Kurds of Iraq, sparking widespread discontent and rebellion. In 1932, Iraq gained nominal independence from Britain, although the British-appointed King Faisal still ruled the country and the British military had special rights in Iraq. The Hashemites ruled until 1958  when King Faisal II was assassinated in a coup led by Brigadier General Abd al-Karim Qasim. This signaled the beginning of a rule by a series of strongmen over Iraq, which lasted through 2003. Qasims rule survived for just five years, before being overthrown in turn by Colonel Abdul Salam Arif in February of 1963. Three years later, Arifs brother took power after the colonel died; however, he would rule Iraq for just two years before being deposed by a Baath Party-led coup in 1968. The Baathist government was led by Ahmed Hasan Al-Bakir at first, but he was slowly elbowed aside over the next decade by Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein formally seized power as president of Iraq in 1979. The following year, feeling threatened by rhetoric from the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the new leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Saddam Hussein launched an invasion of Iran that led to the eight-year-long Iran-Iraq War. Hussein himself was a secularist, but the Baath Party was dominated by Sunnis. Khomeini hoped that Iraqs Shiite majority would rise up against Hussein in an Iranian Revolution-style movement, but that did not happen. With support from the Gulf Arab states and the United States, Saddam Hussein was able to fight the Iranians to a stalemate. He also took the opportunity to use chemical weapons against tens of thousands of Kurdish and Marsh Arab civilians within his own country, as well as against the Iranian troops, in blatant violation of international treaty norms and standards. Its economy ravaged by the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq decided to invade the small but wealthy neighboring nation of Kuwait in 1990. Saddam Hussein announced that he had annexed Kuwait; when he refused to withdraw, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to take military action in 1991 in order to oust the Iraqis. An international coalition led by the United States (which had been allied with Iraq just three years earlier) routed the Iraqi Army in a matter of months, but Saddam Husseins troops set fire to Kuwaiti oil wells on their way out, causing an ecological disaster along the Persian Gulf coast. This fighting would come to be known as the First Gulf War. Following the First Gulf War, the United States patrolled a no-fly zone over the Kurdish north of Iraq to protect civilians there from Saddam Husseins government; Iraqi Kurdistan began to function as a separate country, even while nominally still part of Iraq. Throughout the 1990s, the international community was concerned that Saddam Husseins government was trying to develop nuclear weapons. In 1993, the US also learned that Hussein had made a plan to assassinate President George H. W. Bush during the First Gulf War. The Iraqis allowed UN weapons inspectors into the country, but expelled them in 1998, claiming that they were CIA spies. In October of that year, US President Bill Clinton called for regime change in Iraq. After George W. Bush became president of the United States in 2000, his administration began to prepare for a war against Iraq. Bush the younger resented Saddam Husseins plans to kill Bush the elder and made the case that Iraq was developing nuclear weapons despite the rather flimsy evidence. The September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington DC gave Bush the political cover he needed to launch a Second Gulf War, even though Saddam Husseins government had nothing to do with al-Qaeda or the 9/11 attacks. Iraq War The Iraq War began on March 20, 2003, when a US-led coalition invaded Iraq from Kuwait. The coalition drove the Baathist regime out of power, installing an Iraqi Interim Government in June of 2004, and organizing free elections for October of 2005. Saddam Hussein went into hiding  but was captured by US troops on December 13, 2003. In the chaos, sectarian violence broke out across the country between the Shia majority and the Sunni minority; al-Qaeda seized the opportunity to establish a presence in Iraq. Iraqs interim government tried Saddam Hussein for the killing of Iraqi Shiites in 1982  and sentenced him to death. Saddam Hussein was hanged on December 30, 2006. After a surge of troops to quell violence in 2007-2008, the US withdrew from Baghdad in June of 2009  and left Iraq completely in December of 2011.