1 / 12

Iran, Iraq, & Afghanistan: Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Iran, Iraq, & Afghanistan: Can’t We All Just Get Along?. Iraq: Early History. Modern day Iraq is the ancient Mesopotamia Ruled by a lot of different people—eventually ruled by Ottomans and then the British. Kingdom of Iraq established in 1932. Republic formed in 1958 through military coup.

zanta
Download Presentation

Iran, Iraq, & Afghanistan: Can’t We All Just Get Along?

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Iran, Iraq, & Afghanistan: Can’t We All Just Get Along?

  2. Iraq: Early History • Modern day Iraq is the ancient Mesopotamia • Ruled by a lot of different people—eventually ruled by Ottomans and then the British. • Kingdom of Iraq established in 1932. • Republic formed in 1958 through military coup. • Saddam Hussein takes over in 1979.

  3. Iraq: Life Under Saddam • Not great • More interested in military build up that raising the standard of living for the people • Executed people who opposed him • Kurdish rebellions = use of chemical and biological weapons. • Tried for war crimes and executed in 2006

  4. Iraq: Invasion of Kuwait • UN imposed sanctions on Iraqi oil—upsets Hussein • Invades Kuwait and UN threatens military force • January 1991—Operation Desert Storm starts • Hussein removed from Kuwait in 2 days • Before he left, he set oil wells of Kuwait on fire • If he can’t have the oil he doesn’t want anyone else to have it.

  5. Iraq: Operation Iraqi Freedom • Hussein cut off ties with UN inspectors–afraid they have WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) • West feels threatened in a post 9/11 world so “coalition of the willing” invaded and overthrew Hussein in March-April 2003. • Riots ensue, eventually a transitional government set up with democratic elections

  6. Afghanistan: Early History • Part of the Persian Empire and then taken over and ruled by various groups • Several wars between the British and Russians were fought here. • Becomes a republic in 1973 through a coup and then established Communism as form of government

  7. Afghanistan: Influence of the Soviet Union • US supports Afghanistan until Communism & murder of ambassador • Soviet Union invades in n1979 to help the country and the Mujahadeen (rebel group in Afghanistan) fights back • Soviet action influences world affairs & US supports Mujahadeen ($$ and military support) • Soviet Union leaves but no peace—Taliban takes over

  8. Afghanistan: Taliban & Al-Qaeda • Taliban takes over and imposes strict Sharia law, outlawed education of women, destroyed TVs & radio • Al-Qaeda partnered with Taliban in 1990s and provided the miltary back up for the Taliban. • Later Al-Qaeda is held responsible for terrorist attacks in the US on 9/11—beginning of the “war on terror”

  9. KhaledHosseini

  10. Iran: Early History • Area previously known as Persia—wealth of culture and science • Arabs brought Islam to the region • In the 1960s the “White Revolution” happened—modernization, secularization, economic growth, imitation of the West (pushed by Kennedy) • 1978—groups began to form in opposition to the leadership (Shah)

  11. Iran: Iranian Revolution and the New Iran • 1979—Ayatollah Khomeini assumes control of the country and turns it into a theocratic “republic” guided by Islam (Shia) • Country is now under a form of Sharia Law • Now the country is guided by both a secular leader and a religious leader • Closes Iran off from the West and Iran Hostage Crisis (444 days occurs • Massive human right violations, economic disorder, and unrest

  12. Iran: Life Today • Current president: Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad • Has been accused of “voter fraud” & “electoral interference” (cheater) • Protests against the current regime have resulted in an undisclosed amount of deaths • Iran is rumored to have an intense nuclear weapons program and has been considered “noncompliant” for several years. • UN Security Council has offered economic incentives for cooperation—not interested

More Related