The beginning year of the chronicle is when the U.S. was beginning to comprehend the vital importance of Iraq's abundant oil supplies. The work continues through several major events in U.S.-Iraqi relations, including several Iraqi coups and countercoups, the U.S. response to Iraq's invasions of Iran and Kuwait, the first Gulf War and the current Iraq War. The overview ends in December 2006, at the news of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's death and the end of the Ba'athist Party regime.