Assyrian victims of the al-Anfal Campaign

The Ba'ath regime's al-Anfal campaign severely weakened the Assyrians' presence in northern Iraq. The al-Anfal campaign occurred in northern Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. Currently, this campaign is widely recognized as a campaign which targeted Kurds exclusively. However, current research is shedding light on the other victims of this campaign: the Assyrians. As it stands, the majority of scholarly articles that deal with this topic area often fail to describe the Assyrian perspective of this repressive campaign. Consequently, a full appreciation for the al-Anfal campaign cannot be realized without a look at all perspectives towards this event in Iraq's modern history. This article serves to describe the Assyrian perspective to the al-Anfal campaign.

History

The history of the Assyrians and the events surrounding the al-Anfal campaign can be distinguished by three periods: the prelude to the campaign, the events during the campaign, and the repercussions of the campaign on the Assyrians.

Prelude

The ethnic cleansing of Assyrians was proceeding at a rapid rate in the time leading up to the campaign.