Wars in the Mid East from 1990
IRAQ: 1990-91 Saddam Hussein, Leader of Iraq until 2003, and the U.S. invasion In 1990, the Iraqi army invaded the oil rich nation of Kuwait, intent on seizing the oil production facilities there. The U.S. formed a coalition with dozens of other countries to oust the Iraqi Army in what was known as Operation Desert Storm
Had Saddam Hussein succeeded in his goal Iraq would have been able to control the global oil market
International Response The United States, under the leadership of Pres. George H.W. Bush, formed a large international coalition to liberate Kuwait. The army took months to mobilize and the battle that followed was the largest set piece battle since WWII
Desert Storm This was one of the most one-sided battles in all of history The Iraqi army was utterly defeated and Kuwait was liberated in February of 1991 What remained of Saddam s army fled back to Iraq, leaving guns and equipment strewn on the desert.
Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf Pres. George H.W. Bush
The retreating Iraqi Army set fire to all of Kuwait s oil fields. It took over 12 months to put the fires out
Kuwait Oil Fires
Aftermath Pres. Bush decided not to invade Iraq itself, judging the chaos that would follow to be not in the interests of World stability. Saddam Hussein decided to take out his frustrations and anger on the Kurdish minority. The international community did nothing to prevent this atrocity
Afghanistan: 2001 - Present
Afghanistan: base of terror Afghanistan has been a semidysfunctional state for years. It has been ruled by the Taliban, a hard line Islamic extremist group. It is known to harbor notorious criminals such as Osama Bin Laden and other terrorists. Its unique geography makes this country almost impossible to govern effectively
Afghanistan 2002-Present In a direct response to 9/11 the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to attempt to kill or capture Osama Bin laden and his allies. Taliban regime was temporarily knocked out. U.S. installed a moderate government but then lost initiative as this government is corrupt and weak
Like every army before it, the U.S. army faced harsh landscapes
and highly motivated enemies.
Afghanistan Meanwhile, the war raged on and Osama Bin Laden was still at large and making propaganda videos George Bush and Hamed Karzai at the White House. Pres. Bush summoned him there in 2007 to put pressure on him
Afghanistan Pres. Obama set out a new Afghan strategy in 2009. His new policy called for thousands of more troops. Karzai remains in charge of Afghanistan after a questionable election.
Thousands of civilians were caught in the middle
American casualties began to climb along with the civilians
Afghanistan: NOW Afghanistan has the world s largest supply of Heroine which makes corruption and drug trafficking a way of life. The drug money finances the terror operations of the Taliban. Afghanistan is and has been a state with no natural government, and many areas are independent and lawless. The U.S. has an uneasy relationship with the government of Afghanistan. In the end we were forced to make peace with our former enemies Both sides were spent after a decade of war and bloodshed.
Iraq War: 2003-2010 In late 2002, Pres. Bush argued that Iraq was stockpiling Weapons of Mass Destruction. The message strongly implied the use of nuclear weapons and other deadly weapons on American soil. Later, Bush sought and received Congressional permission to attack Iraq and find the WMD. Pres. Bush argues for war with Iraq, citing faulty intelligence By March 2003, the Iraqi government had been given an ultimatum: hand over the weapons or suffer an invasion
Shock and Awe
After an initial, devastating air assault, the U.S. Army and Marines invaded Iraq from the South. Ground War The invasion was efficient, being carried out by a relatively small force. Iraqi government collapsed and Saddam Hussein went into hiding.
Iraq After a few weeks of fighting and consolidation, Pres. Bush makes his famous trip to the JFK But Iraq unraveled shortly afterwards, and the U.S. was sucked into a bloody civil war. Civilian casualties were horrendous, and U.S. casualties increase to as many as 200 per month. Meanwhile, no weapons of mass destruction were ever found Bush faced increasing criticism and a growing anti-war movement
Iraq Saddam Hussein was found after eight months in hiding He was placed on trial in Iraq, and an Iraqi court sentenced him to death for crimes against his own people (Kurds, 1991). Dec 30, 2006 a defiant Hussein was executed in a mob scene in Iraq
Iraq As a candidate, Obama pledges to end the Iraq War. By summer 2009, the situation in Iraq had improved due to a surge ordered by Pres. Bush. Pres. Obama gave orders that all combat troops would leave Iraq by summer of 2010
Since the end of the Iraq war, Pres. Bush and his lieutenants have become the objects of ridicule for their handling of the war
Arab Spring
What is the Arab Spring? A wave of protests that spread across North Africa and the Mid East from 2010 onwards. Egypt and Libya saw revolutionary movements that ousted their long standing dictators... Social media is credited for spreading news and ideas that sparked protests and demonstrations.
Arab Spring
The U.S. supports the efforts of people seeking change in Arab countries Mostly
The United States, Britain and France helped enforce a No Fly Zone across Libya. Libyan forces were hit from the air, though no ground forces were committed
Muamar Gaddafi Found by revolutionary forces and beaten to death and shot.
Protests in Egypt, Feb 2011
Hosni Mubarak: fled his palace and was later arrested put on trial and is in prison.
Two Ousted Leaders HOSNI MUBARAK (EGYPT) MUAMAR GADDAFI (Libya)
Bashar Assad Syrian leader allied with Russia. Fighting an uprising since 2012. Destroying towns, cities. Exterminating large numbers of civilians including the use of poison gas. Syria s Internet disconnected in 2012. What is happening there?
Why doesn t the West confront Syria about the killing there?
This is happening right now as you sit at your desk