text: what is the history behind the war in iraq?   79 iran overthrows their government for a religious rule and took the us government civilian employees as hostages, shortly after they attacked iraq. us sided with iraq gave them weapons and intel. the war ended in 88 saddam invades  kuwait in 90 and us counters and sends iraqi troops out of kuwait but doesn't go to baghdad, after 911 iraq was seen as very unstable and full of natural resources so us attacks again.   also they tried to kill our 41st president.