On September 22, 1980, Iraqi armed forces invaded Iran, and began the 8 year Iran-Iraq War.  By its conclusion, approximately 1.5 million Iraqis and Iranians were killed, and approximately 1 trillion dollars was spent by Iran and Iraq.

The border between Iran and Iraq was disputed for centuries, going back to skirmishes between the Ottomans and the Persians.  Saddam Hussein held racist anti-Persian beliefs.  He kept a plaque on his desk that said: "Three Whom Allah Should Not Have Created: Persians, Jews, and Flies", which was also the title of a pamphlet that Saddam's uncle had published.  The pamphlet was used as a textbook for children, and said that Persians were "animals God created in the shape of humans,"  and Jews were a "mixture of dirt and the leftovers of diverse people".

In 1971, Iraq confiscated the property of 60,000 former Iranians living in Iraq, and expelled them from the country.  As usual when Muslims are committing the atrocities, international reaction was limited to "express[ing] their dismay."

Shortly before Iraq invaded, Saddam made several speeches referencing the ancient Battle of al-Q?disiyyah in 636A.D., in which Arab forces wrested Iraq from the Persian empire.  Unlike the kufirs, Muslims have a keen sense of history, and refer to historical precedents to justify their actions and to rally their troops.

Saddam saw the turmoil of the Iranian Revolution as an opportunity to redraw the borders.  Initially, the Iraqis penetrated deep into Iran.  But after several months, the drive stalled, and the Iranians began organizing a counter-strike.  The Iraqis had superior weapons, but the Iranians had the numeric advantage.  The Iranians relied on "human waves", masses of unarmed children, for their attacks against the Iraqis, and for clearing minefields.

Saddam viewed the war in terms of an Arab supremacy over the Persians.  Ayatollah Khomeini viewed the war in terms of Shi'a versus Sunni, or Shi'a versus secular Ba'athists.  Each side pledged not to compromise until the other side was annihilated.  Each side fired Scud missiles into each others' cities, and began a series of tit-for-tat destruction of each others' cities using artillery and bomber aircraft.  The Iraqis also began a campaign of using nerve gas agents against soldiers and civilians.

Henry Kissinger said at the time, "it's a pity they both can't lose."  The U.S. alternatively supported both the Iraqis and the Iranians, the latter as part of the illegal Iran-Contra affair.  The U.S. favored the Iraqis, and saw Saddam Hussein as someone they could work with, and as a foil to the Iranians who were seen as the greater threat "to the region" (read: to the Saudis).  Besides material support, the U.S. also provided intelligence and technical information to support the Iraqi chemical weapons program.  There is absolutely no need for kufirs to encourage or support Islamic atrocities against Muslims or non-Muslims.  At any rate, the Iraqis showed their appreciation by attacking the USS Stark with Exocet missiles, killing 37 seamen.

When the war finally ended, the Iranians again pointed out how we are all the same, we all want the same things, when they expressed their regret that no more martyrs were being sent to Paradise with Allah:

"There is not a single school or town that is excluded from the happiness of waging war, from drinking the exquisite elixir of death or from the sweet death of the martyr, who dies in order to live forever in paradise."

Previous Days in the "Religion of Peace™":

Sept 21: Algerian Guelb El-Kabir massacre
Sept. 20: "Palestinian" corruption
Sept 18: Persecution of Taslima Nasreen
Sept 17: Destruction of Library of Alexandria
Sept 16: Black September