Modern Day Middle East

1. Modern Day Middle East • Start of 20th Century the Ottoman Empire controlled the vast majority of region

2. World War I Impact on Region • Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire • Allied Powers: Britain, France, Russia(till 1917), United States (entered 1917) • British supported the Arabs under Prince Feisal against the Ottoman Turks • Captain T.E. Lawrence, “Lawrence of Arabia” worked with Arabs

3. Prince Feisal and T.E. Lawrence at Versailles Conference Arabs promised independence by British if they helped defeat Ottoman Turks…..arrived at Versailles Conference in 1919 with high hopes

4. Balfour Declaration • British Foreign Minister Arthur Balfour promised Jews an independent state if they lent financial support to the British in the 1917 Balfour Declaration

5. Sykes-Picot Agreement • 1916 secret agreement between British and French which planned for the division of Ottoman Empire in the Middle East between the two

6. Versailles Conference 1919 • U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s “14 Points” Peace Plan promised “self-determination” and an end to old Empires and colonial holdings • British, French and Italian leaders disagreed and determined to maintain colonies • League of Nations “Mandates” established

7. League of Nations Mandate

8. Middle East in World War II • Both the Allies and Axis powers saw region as important due to OIL and Suez Canal • Battle of El Alamein, Egypt, 1942, was turning point in “Desert War”

9. US Ties to Middle East • Feb. 1945, Franklin Roosevelt cements deal with Saudis to exchange military support for access to oil…..continues today

10. Cold War and Middle East • US-Soviet Union both tried to gain client states in Middle East • 1948, Israel declares its independence with US giving its support….continues to this day

11. US-Iranian Relations • Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ruled Iran after WWII replacing his father who was suspected Nazi collaborator • 1953, the US CIA led a coup against the elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh who threatened to nationalize the oil industry • 1979, Shah was overthrown by fundamentalist Islamic leader Ayatollah Khomeini….established a theocracy • US embassy was taken over and Americans held hostage for over a year…..no formal relations between the two since

12. Iran-Iraq War • 1980-1988, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein invaded Iran • Iraq= Arabs and Sunni Muslims • Iran= Persians and Shiite Muslims • US supported Saddam Hussein in the eight year war against Iran…. “enemy of my enemy is my friend”

13. 1990 Persian Gulf War • August, 1990, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait to punish it for selling its oil so cheap • President George H.W. Bush gains United Nations Security Council support to eject Iraq from Kuwait • Operation Desert Storm drives Iraq out after 100 hr. ground war……Saddam Hussein allowed to stay in power as balance of power was stabilized • UN weapons inspectors destroy chemical, nuclear capability • President Clinton continues “dual containment of Iraq-Iran”

14. 2003 Iraq War • 9/11 attacks by Osama Bin Laden used by Neo Cons in George W. Bush administration to justify regime change in Iraq • March, 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom lead to a preemptive war in pursuit of “weapons of mass destruction” • UN Security Council does not authorize war • No WMD leads to credibility gap for Bush administration

15. US – Iran Showdown • 2006, Bush administration makes claim that Iran in midst of building nuclear weapons program • Israel declares its right to self-defense to curtail Iran’s nuclear program….preemptive strike against Iraq’s reactor in 1981 • 2009, Obama administration offers talks to improve relations and persuade Iran to forego nuclear program • 2012, P5 + 1 talks with Iran accomplish little…..Obama gains international support to implement sanctions • Future? July 24 talks set to resume in Turkey