The Cold War – The Middle East

1. The Cold War – The Middle East

2. Iran • In March 1951, the pro-western Prime Minister Ali Razmara was assassinated • Parliament then voted to nationalize the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and not allow British technicians not work with the new National Iranian Oil Company • The government of Britain was concerned about its interests in Iran and convinced the U.S. that Iran's nationalist movement was Soviet-backed

3. Iran • Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and President Dwight D. Eisenhower planned the overthrow of the government in Operation Ajax • In 1953, they installed a Shah who was able to rapidly modernize Iranian infrastructure with U.S. aid, but he simultaneously crushed all forms of political opposition and was increasingly autocratic

4. Iran • In 1978, strikes and demonstrations paralyzed the country • The Shah fled in January 1979 and was replaced by an anti-Western Islamic Republic • In November 1979, Iranian students seized 52 hostages from the U.S. embassy and held them for 444 days • They wanted the Shan in exchange for the hostages, but he died in 1980 • In the Algiers declaration, the hostages were released after the U.S. agreed to not meddle in Iran’s affairs and undo all trade sanctions

5. Lebanon • Egypt’s President Nasser was upset that the Lebanese Christian President didn’t break relations with Western powers during the Suez Crisis • Lebanese Muslims pushed the government to join the newly created United Arab Republic (intended to be a pan-Arab state) with Egypt and Syria

6. Lebanon • In Operation Blue Bat, 14,000 marines landed in Beirut, the capital • They replaced the President with a popular impartial president that both Christians and Muslims liked • Only four U.S. marines were killed, 3 in an accident

7. Afghanistan • Afghanistan was traditionally a buffer zone between the British and Russian empires • They both tried to gain influence over the country

8. Afghanistan • In 1953, Mohammoud Daoud became Prime Minister • He wanted to modernize the army and first approached the U.S. to purchase military equipment • When the U.S. rejected his request, he turned to the USSR • Over a period of time, a relationship with the USSR was developed

9. Causes of the War • Eventually Daoud’s non-Marxist, but pro-Soviet government gave rise to discontent: • He failed to carry out much-needed economic and social reforms • He repressed his political opponents • In Spring 1978, he tried to eliminate the PDPA (People’s Democratic Party) by arresting its leaders • Khalq – led by Nur Mohammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin • Parcham – led by Babrak Karmal

10. Causes of the War • This provoked a coup by army leaders in the PDPA, during which Daoud was killed • PDPA leader Nur Mohammed Taraki tried to introduce Marxism and promoted the establishment of: • Women’s rights • Land reform • This threatened Afghan cultural traditions and the wealth of the landowners

11. Causes of the War • This led to widespread resistance in the summer of 1978 • In March 1979, Hafizullah Amin became Prime Minister, while Taraki was demoted • Amin began massacres throughout the countryside

12. The Soviet Invasion • Anarchy spread through the country • Alarmed at disorder which might cause the U.S. to intervene, the USSR decided: • To get rid of Amin • To take control of the country • Amin was tricked into inviting Soviet aid. Instead, in Dec. 1979, Soviet forces invaded and executed Amin

13. The Soviet Invasion • Babrak Karmal would be brought back from the Soviet Union, where he had been an ambassador, to become the new Prime Minister, President, and Secretary General • Widespread resistance against Babrak’s regime and his Soviet backers led to the Afghan war

14. U.S. Reaction • The U.S. provided funds, weapons, and support for the mujahiddin (fighters united against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan) • The invasion would be unpopular with the Muslim world. The U.S. saw an opportunity to side with the Arabs • The U.S. saw the Soviet invasion as part of the onward march of Communism and the Soviets attempting to gain power in the oil-rich Middle East

15. U.S. Reaction • It was a distraction from the humiliation of the U.S. in the region (Iran hostage crisis) • U.S. boycotted the summer 1980 Moscow Olympic Games • Banned grain sales to the USSR • Broke off SALT talks

16. Course of the War • The high-technology Soviet troops fought a war of attrition against a low-technology, ill-disciplined, but highly motivated guerrilla force • Considerable Soviet forces (up to 100,000) were tied up for a long time • Soviet troops controlled the cities and had air superiority, but not the countryside

17. Course of the War • The U.S. provided: • Funds • Weapons (from rifles to missiles) • Training camps • Satellite reconnaissance of Soviet targets • Plans for Soviet military operations • Intercepts of Soviet communications • This was the largest U.S. aid program since WWII

18. Course of the War • With no serious progress being made, no end in sight, and many deaths, Soviet morale dropped • In 1988, Gorbachev announced gradual withdrawal from Afghanistan. This was completed in 1989 • After the Soviet withdrawal, the war continued until 1992, when the pro-Communist troops were defeated

19. Effects of the War • Soviet losses were: • 15,000 dead • 37,000 wounded • 1 million Afghanis died

20. Effects of the War • The Soviet Union was regarded as aggressor by Third World states • The Soviet invasion assisted Western leaders Reagan and Thatcher in creating anti-Soviet propaganda to justify a return to the Cold War and to increase defense spending • The War contributed to the breaking down of the Soviet economy and downfall of communism

21. Effects of the War • The Afghan Mujahiddin consisted of several different groups, with no unified organization • When the Soviets withdrew, the Afghan factions fought each other for power, beginning a long civil war • This led to the rise of the Taliban, a Muslim fundamentalist regime

22. Effects of the War • The Mujahiddin sold U.S. Stinger missiles on the international arms market • In order to try to prevent them falling into the hands of terrorists, the U.S. offered to buy them back at $100,000 each, but the offer was not taken up

23. Effects of the War • The U.S. played a major role in boosting and arming the rise of Islamic fundamentalism • Among the many foreigners drawn to Afghanistan to fight with the Mujahiddin was a young, wealthy Saudi, Osama bin Laden

24. Effects of the War • When the USSR left the war, so did the U.S. • The U.S. did nothing to stop the civil war • The U.S. did not help with reconstruction, but turned over interests to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, who proceeded to tear the country apart • Forged relations with warlords • Cut down forests • All this led to Bin Laden’s resentment of the U.S. • The Mujahiddin victory inspired pro-democratic movements in the Eastern Bloc