The Iraqis suffered so heavily and not just because of the 2003 war. The first war in 1991 inflicted terrible damage on Iraq and then the next 10 years of sanctions immiserated the populace and inflicted an especially punishing blow on Iraqi women and children.Steven SimonBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Steven served on the National Security Council staff from 1994 to 1999 and again fro 2011 to 2012. Earlier he served in the State Department for fifteen years. He is currently a Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow at the MIT Center for International Studies and his most recent book is Grand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:43Iran - 4:41JCPOA - 22:58The Iraq Wars - 27:19Saudi Arabia - 32:57Key LinksGrand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East by Steven SimonLearn more about Steven Simon"America's Great Satan" By Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon in Foreign AffairsDemocracy Paradox PodcastRobert Kagan Looks to American History to Explain Foreign Policy TodayZoltan Barany on the Ineffectiveness of the Gulf MilitariesMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show