Concerns and Conflicts
in the Middle East
Lesson #504
What was happening in Iran in 1980s?
The roots of our problem
with Iran began during
the Cold War.
Old Iran
• Persian Empire – an ancient culture
– Very powerful
– Very advanced
– Gardens, architecture, science – “paradise”
• Conquered by the Muslim Empire ~650
– Became a Sunni Muslim region of Islamic Empire
• Persia shook off Sunni Muslims in 1500
– Established Shia as official religion
– To show break with past conquerors
• New Persian king: “The Shah”
Iran in a modern age
• The Shah was forced to accept a constitution in ~1905 – A
FORM OF DEMOCRACY
• The democracy was overthrown by Reza Khan in 1925 –
remained unto the 1940s
• His goal: more quickly modernize Iran
• Suspected of supporting the Nazis, he was force to abdicate in
favor of his son, Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi
• In 1961, The Shah launched the White Revolution: a broad
modernization plan
• The conservative
Muslims HATED this
The Shah of Iran
HE WAS A DICTATOR!
Dictator of Iran up to 1979
Iran was modernizing
But…
7m
Conservative Religious
people did not like the fast
modern changes
The Shah of Iran
Why would we liked him?
Pro-Western
Wanted to modernize
Friendly to USA
More into gender equity
Why we would not like him?
Ruthless dictator
Killed protestors
Created instability
Rick Steves - 7:45-13:45
What two very different sections
of Iranian society would want the
Shah gone?
The Islamic Revolution in Iran
January, 1979
Shah overthrown by a combination of two groups
1. Conservatives, who hated the modernization
2. Modernists, who hated his dictatorial ways
Two weeks later, Ayatollah became supreme leader
American Hostage Crisis
USA refused to recognize the revolution
Iranian students stormed the US embassy
52 Americans captured – held hostage 444 Days
All diplomatic ties were cut off by new Iranian
government
Americans were LIVID
The New Iran, post 1979
Women must be covered
Became an Islamic dictatorship
click
US and Iranian relations
• Our relationship with Iran in the 1980s and 1990s was nonexistent - We no longer had an embassy
• We talked to their government through other governments
• Iran seemed to go backward socially since 1979
– All women must wear the Chador
– All men must pray 5x a day
– Western ways were seen as corrupt
– USA was called “the Great Satan”
US and Iranian relations
• Iran went to war 1980-1988 against Iraq
• Iran built up military in 1990s to the strongest in the region
• We issued sanctions against Iran in 1979, and continued up
until Jan 16, 2016
– We used them to try to control Iran
– “Sanctions” prevent a nation from gaining international aid
– Most recently, we used sanctions to try to force end Iran’s
nuclear weapons development and production (2006
during Bush Presidency)
US and Iranian relations
The recent nuclear deal:
• Iran has promised to halt all Weapons production, in return,
they got:
• Full access to $150 billion of potential revenues
• $1.3 billion of US tax dollars as interest payments on a
$400,000 trust set up just before diplomatic relations soured
in 1979
Meanwhile… in Iraq…
Iraq also had a shift in leadership
• Iraq was an Arab republic from
WWII to the modern era.
• General Saddam Hussein staged
a Military coup 1979
– became dictator
• New government ran by Saddam
& Ba’ath Party
– Enormously powerful
– Repressive
• Territorial dispute with newly
formed Iranian government led
quickly to a long, bloody war
Iran-Iraq War
1980-1988
Iraq invaded Iran
REASONS:
1. Saddam saw Iran
in chaos
2. Arabs vs. Persians
3. Control oil
4. Control Gulf
American Role
AMERICAN GOALS:
• Openly support Iraq
• Keep the new
dictatorships fighting
• Secretly support Iran
– Iran-Contra sale of
weapons
War ended 1989
No clear winner
1 million Iranian deaths
Iraq lost billions of $$
Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait
1990 – new war, new enemy
Iraq suddenly invaded
Kuwait
Reasons:
• Kuwait was stealing oil
from Iraq
• Kuwait was land that
should be Iraq
• Kuwait was not supportive
enough in Iran-Iraq War
• Kuwait drove down price
of oil – Hurt Iraqi economy
click
Know as “The Gulf War” (1989-1990)
• Iraq invaded Kuwait
• Kuwait asked for our help
• Saudi Arabia asked for our
protection
• US demanded Iraq get out
• Iraq refused
• USA took a hard line
against Iraq
– Al Qaida disgusted that
USA was “invading” region
Describe the picture
What you think Saddam is trying to show is happening?
What actually is happening
American Response
• Operation Desert Shield
• 500,000 Americans sent to Saudi Arabia
(to protect those Saudi oil fields, and prepare
invasion of Iraq)
• 37 nation coalition
• Demand: get out of Kuwait
Operation Desert Shield (1989-1990)
• US built coalition of nations
(support)
• US shifted 500,000 troops
to Saudi Arabia
– To protect oil
• Islamists angered by
American meddling
Operation Desert Storm
• American invasion of
Kuwait
• Reasons:
– Iraq was HORRIBLE to
Kuwaitis
– Iraq could control oil
market if it owned
Kuwait
• Expectation: months
of horrible fighting,
American deaths
American victory
• Almost no American
casualties
• Iraqi army surrendered
to anyone
• Iraq was humiliated
• Islamists hated that
Americans didn’t leave
Gen Norman Schwarzkopf
New problem: TERRORISM
1990s:
Things seemed to be all calm
Then… 9-11
American was back at war
1. Al Qaeda in Afghanistan
2. Saddam in Iraq
AMERICANS WERE ANGRY AT MIDDLE EAST
New War: Global War on Terror
GOALS
1. Find terrorists
2. Deny terrorists funds
3. Destroy terrorist
networks
(GWOT)
Two wars
1. Afghanistan (2001-present)
– Goal: Find those responsible for 9-11
– Dismantle terrorist groups responsible for 9-11
– Help create stability in Middle East
2. Iraq (2003-2012)
– Eliminate terrorist support structure
– Remove Saddam Hussein
– Help create a stable, lawful Iraqi government
NEW GENERATION OF WAR
America fights back
GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR
1. Operation Enduring Freedom
2. Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Saddam was
supporting terrorists
• Saddam may have
been creating WMD
• Tons of chemical
weapons disappeared
• Invasion into Iraq 2003
• Saddam was to be
replaced with a
democratic
government
Goal: remove Saddam
Replace him with a
democratic government
Purpose in Iraq
• Remove Saddam Hussein
• He had been supporting
terrorists
• He was building forces
back up after Iraq War
Success in Iraq
• Problem: recreate a
democratic government
• First election in 2005 –
formed new government
– Women voted
– Protected “real” elections
• First real election in
January 2010
Purpose in Afghanistan
• Remove Al Qaeda
terrorists
• Taliban government
fought our efforts
• New goal: remove Taliban
government
• US Troops to leave in 2017
Terrorism – what is it?!
Terrorism
Global War on Terrorism (2001-now)
TERRORISM – a definition
• Come up with a definition
• Think of:
– who does it?
– What do they want?
– How do they expect to get it?
– How do they go about getting their attention?
TERRORISM – a definition
• Destructive actions meant to create dramatic
fear and to shift political support for a cause
• Usually violent
• Considered illegal
• They usually target innocent people (civilians)
• Terrorists usually say they are fighting for a
bigger cause
Civilian Targets
Suicide Bombing
Terrorists can act alone…
Subtitle spoof
… or with a group
Click – 3m
A quick history of Terrorism
• 66-72 AD - Romans attacked by
people they controlled
• “terrorism” first used by French
Revolutionaries to scare French
people to stay “with” the revolution
• Terrorism is usually used by people
who feel they are oppressed, and
have no other means of getting
attention for their cause
Terrorism in recent times
• IRA in Ireland
• Palestinians in Israel
Increase in attacks
Terrorism in America
Nationwide bombing campaign
Between 1978 and 1995
Opposed modern technology, industrialization
Mailed and planted homemade bombs
killing three people; injuring 23 others.
Ted Kaczynski,
the "Unabomber"
Went to Harvard at age 16
Was guinea pig in stress experiments
Earned PhD in math from Mich.
Professor @ age 25, UC Berkeley
Quit
Recluse in Montana
Sent 16 bombs in 17 years
In prison for life
American Terrorist
Click – 3m
He hoped to inspire a revolt
against what he considered to be
a tyrannical federal government.
Timothy McVeigh
Oklahoma City bombing
Detonated a truck bomb next to
Federal Building in Oklahoma City, 1995.
Killed 168 people and injured over 600
Found guilty
Executed quickly (four years)
Foreign terrorist in America, WTC 1993
World Trade Center bomber, 1993
Car bomb - detonated below North Tower
1,500 lb (680 kg) bomb intended kill 250,000 people
It failed, but killed six people and injured 1,042
Ramzi Yousef
Yousef sent letter to New York Times after the bombing:
The bombing was “in response for the American support to Israel,"
And he hoped to show Americans the pain they caused to the
Japanese in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Foreign terrorist, WTC 1993
Ramzi Yousef
Sentenced to 240 yrs in prison
Yousef prayed almost every hour
Made many attempts to convert
Cellmates on "Bomber's Row."
• Timothy McVeigh
• Ted Kaczynsk
Yousef reportedly converted to
Christianity in 2005.
"Yes, I am a terrorist, and proud of it as long as it is against the U.S.
government and Israel, because you are more than terrorists; you are the
one who invented terrorism and using it every day. You are butchers, liars
and hypocrites."
Our first real attack of
TERRORISM in America:
9-11 attack
Americans were confused
Most had no idea anyone was mad at us
Most Americans wanted revenge
AMERICANS WERE ANGRY AT
• All of the MIDDLE EAST
• All MUSLIMS
Where did terrorists come from?
• Small in number
• Mostly made up of
VERY loyal Muslims
• Most just want
“Western” things
out of Middle East
• Problem: we
depend on Middle
Eastern Oil
9-11 (Sept. 11, 2001)
New York city
World Trade Center
Became known as
“GROUND ZERO”
What is the history of terrorism?
Click – 36min history of terrorism
Anti-Terrorism Measures
Anti-Terrorism
Goal – prevent terrorism
Prepare and defend ourselves from them
React to them after they attack – keep others safe
EXAMPLE: AIRPORT SECURITY
Counter-Terrorism
Goal – defeat terrorism
Deny them the ability to attack
Find and attack terrorists to eliminate them
EXAMPLE: TRACK DOWN TERRORIST RING & DESTROY
Counter Terrorism Measures
Goal of War on Terror
1. Find terrorists
2. Deny terrorists funds
3. Destroy terrorist
networks
Purpose of troops in Afghanistan
• Remove Al Qaeda
terrorists
• Taliban government
fought our efforts
• New goal: remove
Taliban government
• US Troop became
advisors at end of 2014
Click- 56min
War on Terror
Modern History of Terrorism
• Terrorism is Asymmetric Warfare.
– Asymmetric warfare is the use of apparently
random/unpredictable violence by an weak military
against a stronger military to gain advantage. (Allen,
1997).
– The key of Asymmetric warfare is using unexpected,
unconventional tactics in combat (Craig, 1998).
Arthur H. Garrison
Prevention of Terrorism
• Primary prevention:
– Education!!!
– Understand the differences in cultures, religions,
beliefs and human behaviors
– Think of the peace, freedom and equality of all
human beings, not just “my group of people”
– Eliminate the root of terrorism
Prevention of Terrorism
• Secondary prevention:
– Establish surveillance and monitoring
system on terrorism attack
– Improve protective system for citizens
Prevention of Terrorism
• Tertiary prevention
– Early detection of the sources
– Prevent the extension of impairments
– Rescue the survivors
– Console the rest of the population
Types of Terrorism
• Domestic terrorism involves groups whose
terrorist activities are directed at elements of
our government without foreign involvement.
Oklahoma City is a primary example.
• International terrorism involves groups whose
terrorist activities are foreign-based and/or
directed by countries or groups outside the
United States. Sept. 11 is an example of
International Terrorism.
the Center for National Security Studies
Methods of Terrorism
•
•
•
•
•
Firearms
Explosive and Incendiary Devices
Chemical Agents
Biological Agents
Nuclear Weapon
Suspicious Thing to Look for
From Emergency Net NEWS Archives, 1994
Document Courtesy of the U.S. Postal Inspector's Office
Death Rate of Various Causes in
2000 USA and that from Terrorism
Heart disease*
One in 400
Cancer *
One in 500
Cerebrovascular diseases*
One in 2,000
Accidents *
One in 3,000
Diabetes*
One in 4,000
Suicide*
One in 10,000
Homicide*
One in 20,000
Terrorism in 2001
Terrorism in 1990’s
One in 100,000
One in 50,000,000
Why did terrorism draw considerable
attention in 2001?
• The risk of dying from terrorism was extremely low in
1990’s, and was still relatively low compared with
some diseases in 2001
• But the death rate increased by 500 times in 2001
due to Sept. 11
• Overall the death rate of terrorism has not been high
• Despite the low risk, shock, surprise and fear
engulfed the United States and world
Conclusion
• Terrorism is unlawful act
• Terrorism has a long history of being used to
achieve political, religious and ideological
objectives
• Terrorism can be conducted through firearms,
explosive devices and biological, chemical,
nuclear materials
• Even through the events of 2001,the risk of
dying from terrorism has remained much
lower than that from motor vehicles, smoking,
and alcoholic beverage.