The document discusses the geopolitical context in the Middle East from World War 2 through the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. It notes that during WWII, the US and its allies wanted to secure oil supplies from the Middle East. It then discusses the Cold War dynamics between the US and USSR competing for influence in the region, the 1953 Iranian coup supported by the US and UK, and the 1979 Iranian Revolution overthrowing the US-backed Shah.

3. • Great Britain, USA, USSR – Allies
– Protect oil of the Middle East from Nazis
– “oil is the lifeblood of the armies of WWII”
• 1940 – 63% of world’s oil from the USA only 5% from
ME
• Why would the USA want to preserve their oil and use
the oil in the Middle East in the future?
– Increased importance of Saudi Arabia
• 20% of the world’s oils reserves are in SA
World War II – 1939-1945

4. Cold War –
1948 - 1991

5. Cold War Era
Cold War 1948 – 1991
United States Vs. Soviet Union
-spread
democracy/capitalism and
stop the spread of
communism
Overall Goal
-spread communism and
stop the spread of
capitalism
-gain allies and access to oil
reserves
Goal in the
Middle East
-gain allies and access to oil
reserves

6. Cold War Era
• Countries that recently gained independence
were feared to side with Soviet Union
– Iran
• Elected Prime Minister (Mossadegh) in 1951
• Nationalized oil
• Legitimate fear or ‘excuse’ to get involved?

7. 1953 Iranian Coup
• Britain & US CIA involvement
– Embargo on trade caused economic troubles
– “Operation Ajax”
• False reports were planted in newspapers
• Violence occurred in the streets of Iran
• Shah overthrew Mossadegh
– Received aid & military arms from US & Britain

8. Shah’s Rule of Iran
• Contradictory?
– Liked many aspects of “modernism”
• Supported women’s rights
• Claimed to redistribute land from wealthy to farmers
• Receptive to Western policy ideas
– Very authoritarian
• Islamic clergy’s power slowly taken away
• Created a one-party system
• Corruption

9. 1979: Islamic Revolution in Iran
• Ideology:
– Saw Western culture as a
‘plague’
– Traditional Islam was the
only ‘liberator’
• Ayatollah Khomeini
– Began leading opposition
against Shah in 1963
– Believed everyone &
everything needed
supervision by Islamic
leaders, to ensure sticking to
the laws of the faith

11. First Televised Revolution
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDeaOOm
fxZ8

12. Islamic Revolution: Groups Involved
• Political Groups
– Marxist
• Focused on social-class issues
• Islamic Groups
– Followers of Khomeini
• Focused on cultural issues

13. Results of Revolution
• Ties between Iran & West completely severed
– Shah’s Westernization reversed
• Women were ordered to wear head coverings and full
body cloaks
• gangs of religious zealots roamed the streets enforcing
new laws
– Ayatollah rule not what was expected

14. Results of Revolution
• Some revolutionaries now seen as enemies
– Even people who supported the revolution but not
Kohmeini were imprisoned, beaten & killed
• Shah & wife left Iran in January, 1979
• October 1979: Shah comes to US for cancer treatment
– Hostage situation, lead by student group
– Failed rescue attempt killed 8 Americans
– Shah died in July 1980, hostages not released until January
1981
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8bC1DEYbI4
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9COJXrrHHQ
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld2KOv_zWWw

15. Hostage Situation
• What would you have done?!
– If you were the President of the U.S. during the
hostage crisis, what would you do?
• What are the options?

16. Iran-Iraq War
• 1980: Iran-Iraq war begins
– Iraq attacks Iran
– WHY?

17. Iraq
• Attacked Iran to prevent being attacked
– Weak after revolution
– Shia leader of Iran made Hussein nervous
• Lead by Saddam Hussein
– Militaristic dictator
– 65% of population: Shia
– 32% of population: Sunni
• Including Saddam Hussein
• Openly oppressed Shia

18. Iran-Iraq War
• Who did the US support?
– Why?
• War lasted 8 years (Sept. 1980- July 1988)
– Over 1 million casualties, cost $500 million for each
country, neither side claimed victory

19. Impact of War on Iran
• What did the Persepolis video tell us about
the war’s impact on Iranian society?
– Air strikes
– Strict laws
– Food shortages

20. Impact of War on Iraq
• Increased ‘personality cult’ of Hussein
• Civilian rations
• Terror campaign
– Fear people into supporting, fighting well
– 300 Iraqi army officers killed for ‘poor
performance’ in battle
– Use of force against Kurds in northern Iraq
• Chemical weapon use, 1988
• US response?

21. Iraq
• 1990: Hussein accused Kuwait of taking oil that
belonged to Iraq
– Iraqi army invades Kuwait
• US & International forces fight back
– Operation Desert Storm, January 1991
– Defeated Iraqi forces, cease-fire declared in February

22. Results of Persian Gulf War
• Iraqi government remained
– UN imposed economic sanctions, limiting sale of
oil, created no-fly zones
– UN conducted regular inspections to prevent
production of nuclear, chemical, and biological
weapons

23. U.S. Relations in Middle East
• Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, & others felt US
presence was necessary for protection
– 15,000 US troops stayed
• Reminder to Arab world of weaknesses
• Angered a lot of people in Middle East

24. U.S. Relations in Middle East
• March 2003: Iraq Invasion
– Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Bush administration believed Hussein had WMD and
would use it against U.S.
• Did everyone in U.S. support invasion?
– Hussein’s government toppled in weeks
• WMDs?

25. Who lead the attacks on 9/11?
• Al-Qaeda
• Osama Bin Laden

26. Osama Bin Laden
• Founded Al-Qaeda, 1989
– Multinational, stateless
– Sunni Islamic Militant Group
– Dedicated to opposing non-
Islamic governments with
force, removing Western
influence from Muslim world
– Roots back to Soviet War in
Afghanistan
• Mujahideen

27. Why Afghanistan?
• Taliban
– Islamic fundamentalist political group
– Ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001
• Only recognized as legitimate political leader in Saudi
Arabia, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates
– After Bin Laden moved to Afghanistan in 1996,
groups became allies
• Al-Qaeda began training Taliban army forces

28. History of Violence
• 1993: World Trade Center
Attack
– Truck bomb was intended to
destroy foundation, bringing
both towers to the ground
– 6 were killed; ~1,000 injured
• 1996: Attempt at Clinton
assassination
– Bomb was planted under
bridge; found by secret service
• 1998: US Embassies in Africa
were bombed
– 300 deaths

29. History of Violence
• 1998: Central Intelligence
Counterterrorism Center
reported Al-Qaeda prepping
for attack on US using
hijacked planes
• Sept. 11, 2001: Attack on
the World Trade Center
– 2,977 people killed

30. After 9/11
• October 2001: Invade Afghanistan
– Operation Enduring Freedom