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Iraq War: A Timeline

Iraq War: A Timeline. Clearing up the Misconceptions. 1991 The First Gulf War. The Gulf is a region near the Persian Gulf in SW Asia . The U.S. declared war on Iraq in 1991, its first Gulf War . A “coalition” of other countries joined the U.S. Why did we declare war against Iraq?.

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Iraq War: A Timeline

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  1. Iraq War: A Timeline Clearing up the Misconceptions

  2. 1991 The First Gulf War • The Gulf is a region near the Persian Gulf in SW Asia. • The U.S. declared war on Iraq in 1991, its first Gulf War. • A “coalition” of other countries joined the U.S.

  3. Why did we declare war against Iraq? • The leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, had invaded Kuwait. . . . • Hussein said Kuwait was tapping into Iraqi oil. • He also claimed Kuwait was originally part of Iraq. • Kuwait was oil rich and Iraq was still paying for a war it had with Iran.

  4. Why did we declare war against Iraq? • Iraq had the world’s sixth largest military. • Iraq also had the world’s fifth largest tank army. • Hussein sent tanks into Kuwait to annex it. • If Kuwait fell to Iraq, Hussein would control the oil fields of both Iraq and Kuwait.

  5. Who won the first Gulf War? • The U.S. organized a “Coalition” of nations to stop Hussein’s efforts. • Even Arab nations joined these Coalition forces. • Saudi Arabia permitted the U.S. to use its bases. • In less than two months, Iraq surrendered.

  6. Meanwhile, someone was watching. . . • A Saudi Arabian prince, named Osama bin Laden, complained to Saudi leaders about the U.S. • He said U.S. military had “defiled” their country. • Bin Laden started to focus on the U.S. and their allies. • He funded two terrorist activities against U.S. embassies in Africa in 1998.

  7. Bin Laden begins his plans . . . • Bin Laden used his terrorist organization, Al Qaeda, to carry out various attacks. • When he was expelled from Saudi Arabia, he returned to Afghanistan. • Bin Ladenbegan training more terrorists in Afghanistan. • Bin Laden’sgrand plan was fulfilled on September 11, 2001.

  8. Did Hussein have a part in 9-11? NO! These two men didn’t even like each other. Sadam Hussein Osama bin Laden

  9. What is the goal of terrorists? • The goal is to terrorize people—to make them fearful of the future. • Osama bin Laden had achieved his goal. • Now Americans feared, “Could this happen to us again?” • That fear set the stage for how our leaders made decisions. . . .

  10. A response to 9-11 . . . • In September 2001, President Bush declared a “War on Terrorism.” • He began by declaring war against Afghanistan. • He also vowed to fight against terrorists and those who harbor them. • But how do you know who the terrorists are? • How do you fight them?

  11. President Bush laid out a plan . . . • “We will find and capture those responsible for the 9-ll attacks.” • “We will bring the terrorists to justice.” • “We will refuse to do business with countries who assist terrorists.” • “We will strengthen security at all airports.”

  12. Protecting America became foremost • President Bush created a new Cabinet position. • Gov. Tom Ridge became the first Secretary of Homeland Security. • Airports installed new screening equipment. • On Oct. 26, 2001, the Patriot Act was passed, giving government the right to “listen in.”

  13. Meanwhile, back in Iraq . . . • Iraq had broken the treaty signed in 1991. • U.N. inspectors were supposed to be allowed to search for weapons. • But Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, refused to let inspectors go wherever they wished. • People started getting suspicious about Iraq . . .

  14. President Bush’s War on Terror • In January of 2002, Pres. Bush vowed to shut down terrorist camps, disrupt terrorist plans, and bring terrorists to justice. • He also vowed to prevent terrorists and those who seek WMD from threatening the United States. • Pres. Bush got specific: He called Iraq, Iran, and North Korea an “Axis of Evil.” • He pointed out Iraq had used chemical weapons in the past. • Bush suggested Iraq sent away U.N. inspectors because Iraqhad something to hide. . . .

  15. The Bush Doctrine • In June of 2002, Bush addressed the West Point Military Academy and introduced a new strategy: The Pre-emptive Strike Doctrine. • What does that mean? • Bush said that, in some instances, the U.S. should strike first to prevent a potential threat from another nation.

  16. Bush addresses the United Nations • In September of 2002, Pres. Bush addressed the United Nations (UN). • Bush challenged the U.N. to enforce its own resolutions against Iraq. • Bush said if the U.N. did not force Iraq to obey the U.N. resolutions, the U.S. would act on its own against Iraq.

  17. Congress supports the President • A U.S. Senator from Arkansas read the results of their vote. • On Oct. 11, 2002, the U.S. Senate voted 77-23 to authorize Pres. Bush to attack Iraq if it did not give up WMD as required by the U.N. resolutions. • Hours earlier the House voted 296-133 on the same measure.

  18. The United Nations acts . . . • On Nov. 8, 2002, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a new resolution, #1441. • This resolution called for new arms inspections. • The U.N. warned that if Iraq violated this new resolution, it would face “serious consequences.”

  19. Conflicting reports . . . • On Nov. 18, 2002, U.N. inspectors returned to Iraq for the first time in four years. • A month later, Iraq filed a 12,000 page report , claiming that it had no banned weapons. • By January, however, U.N. inspectors reported they found 11 empty warheads that were not cited by Iraq.

  20. The tension mounts . . . • In January of 2003, Pres. Bush gave his annual State of the Union message to Congress. • He made his case against Iraq, insisting that Iraq had not complied with U.N. resolution #1441. • Bush said if the U.N. did not force Iraq to comply, then the U.S. would.

  21. Colin Powell addresses the U.N. • On Feb. 5, 2003, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed the United Nations. • Powell said the U.S. had evidence that Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction (WMD). • He urged the U.N. to take action against Iraq.

  22. Powell’s message gets mixed results • The U.N. admitted Iraq had not been compliant, but it sought a peaceful solution. • The U.N. ordered Iraq to destroy two missiles that could have reached Israel. • The U.S., Britain, and Spain proposed a resolution that called for force against Iraq. • France, Germany, and Russia offered a counter resolution, saying force should be a last resort.

  23. The U.S. declares war • In a 15 person U.N. Security Council, only 4 members were willing to vote to use force against Iraq. • On March 17, 2003, Pres. Bush gave Saddam Hussein an ultimatum: Leave Iraq in 48 hours or face a U.S. attack. • Two days later, Pres. Bush declared war on Iraq. • The war was called, “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”

  24. In conclusion . . . • On Oct. 6, 2004, a CIA report concluded there were no WMD in Iraq. • The report also concluded Saddam Hussein was not motivated by a desire to strike the U.S.; rather, he wanted to make Iran think he had WMD. • Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld also concluded Saddam Hussein had noAl Qaeda connection.

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