The War in Afghanistan

By the mid 1990’s the extremist Taliban controlled most of

Afghanistan, they allowed al Qaeda to live there

9/11 attacks planned in Afghanistan

Global War on Terror

• US and NATO allies invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001

• “Operation Enduring Freedom”

Cities & towns taken over in 1 month

Rural border with Pakistan cleared in 3 months

Why is it so difficult to fight the war in Afghanistan?

1. Afghanistan is remote, mountainous, treacherous – it is

hard to move soldiers and supplies

2. Access to Afghanistan is difficult

3. Much of the fighting is done in remote,

mountainous regions that the Taliban know better than the US

4. The Taliban and al Qaeda re-grouped in Pakistan

5. Al Qaeda fighters are devoted to their cause

6. Huge cultural divide between the US and Afghanistan

7. No experience with democracy

8. Afghanistan is a very underdeveloped country

9. Hard to tell if people are friends or foes

Poppies – used to make heroin, are a major crop

Looking Forward

Build schools, roads and other services Afghanistan needs

Train the Afghan military

Pull Western troops out of Afghanistan

Global War on Terror• Then Iraq, March 20, 2003• “Operation Iraqi Freedom”

Three main reason for extending the war on Terror to Iraq:

1.It was believed the Iraq had WMDs

2.It was believed Saddam Hussein was supporting Osama bin Laden

3.Desire to spread democracy in the Middle East

Ethnic and Religious Groups in Iraq

Sunni Arabs Shi’a Arabs KurdsMinority in Iraq

(32-37%)

Minority in Iran

Majority in Iraq

(60-65%)

Majority in Iran

Separate ethnic group (15-20%)

Most are Sunni, but identify with Kurds over Sunni

Majority in the world and in Saudi Arabia

Minority in the world and in Saudi Arabia

Want to form their own country – “Kurdistan”

Had power under Saddam Hussein

Discriminated against by Saddam Hussein

Attacked by Saddam Hussein

Mostly in the central-west part of Iraq where there is little oil

Mostly in the southeast part of Iraq where there is oil

Mostly in the northern part of Iraq where there is oil

Sectarian Violence

• Definition- fighting between sects (recognized divisions) within a specific religion or ideology

Initiated by Sunnis afraid of losing power in Iraq • Carried out Guerrilla warfare - raids, ambushes,

suicide bombers, Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s or roadside bombs), etc…

• Coordinated attacks with Al Qaeda in Iraq-an organization created AFTER the US invasion

Creating a Democratic Iraq

• Initially Iraq was run by the US government who hand-picked Iraqi leaders to work with (Coalition Provisional Authority). Goal was to create a stable Iraq until elections could be held.

• Elections held January 2005. Shias won, Sunnis boycotted the election.

• Iraqi constitution passed September 2005• In 2006, the US begins to hand over control to

the Iraqi government.

February 2007: Launch of security surge • Amid growing US concerns about

continuing sectarian violence in Iraq the US institutes a new policy know as the “The Surge” sending an additional 30,000 troops to Iraq, most going to the area around Baghdad

Security Surge

Sunni AwakeningLate 2007: Sunnis switch sides• After 4 years of Sunnis (along with

Al Qaeda in Iraq) fighting against the US and Shia-dominated Iraqi army Sunnis switched sides and began allying with the US against Al-Qaeda in Iraq – 80,000 Sunni Muslims joined the Iraqi

army in exchange for money from the U.S.

• Sunnis also begin participating in the government

Security Pact (Status of Forces)

Late 2008: Agreement between the US and Iraq on when US forces with be withdrawn– US forces left cities by 2009– All U.S. forces removed from Iraq by mid 2011

Problems still remaining• Economic

– High unemployment rates – Lack of infrastructure (Roads, power lines, schools) – Most of the well educated people have fled the

country– Struggle over oil-rich regions

• Political– Different sects still don’t get along with each other

• Continuing violence (though at a much lower level than 4 years ago)