US AND MID EASTWhy are we so involved in the Middle East?

Persian Gulf War

•Dates = 1990-1991

Persian Gulf War

•Countries Involved•US•Kuwait•United Nations (UN)• Iraq•Saudi Arabia

Persian Gulf War Continued

Cause1. Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing

oil2. UN warned Iraq to leave

Kuwait3. Iraq was mad that Kuwait

wanted $ back from Iran-Iraq war

Hussein in power

1. Saddam Hussein ~ leader of Iraq led invasion of Kuwait, refused to leave Kuwait

2. President Bush ~ led US to invade Iraq

3. UN cuts off Iraq’s trade

Outcomes•Many killed (Kurds)•Iraqi air force destroyed•Iraq set Kuwait’s oil fields on fire

•Saddam Hussein still in power•Iraq defeated

•Must destroy WMD

Iraq burning Oil Fields

“Global War on Terrorism”

•Dates•2001-now

Who is this “war” between?•Countries

•US•Afghanistan

WHY??•US searching for Bin Laden b/c of Sept. 11 attacks

September 11, 2001

• On 9/11 terrorists hijacked 4 planes headed to east coast California

• 2 jets crashed into the World Trade Center towers in NYC

• The 3rd plane crashed into the pentagon in Washington, DC

• The 4th plane crashed into an open field in Pennsylvania after the passengers fought back

Crash at the Pentagon

Crash in Pennsylvania

9/11 Memorial

Who was behind the 9/11 attacks• An Islamic terrorist organization known as Al-Qaeda

• It’s members believe that the U.S. and its allies are evil

• Their Leader Osama Bin Laden was living in Afghanistan, he was a former millionaire of Saudi Arabia

• Afghanistan's government was controlled by Islamic extremists called the Taliban

• The Taliban was protecting Bin Laden

What did the U.S. do?• Demanded that the Taliban turn over Bin laden

• They refused – Oct. 2001 US began bombing Taliban air defenses and air fields and command centers

• They also struck several al-Qaeda training camps

• Us provided support to rebel groups who opposed the Taliban

Outcomes:

1. Many die

2. Longest US war

3. Cost $Billions

4. By December, 2011 – the Taliban was weakened and the U.S. killed Osama bin Laden

Operation Iraqi Freedom•2003-now (“2010”)

Countries involved

•US•Iraq•Britain•Kuwait (marched through to Iraq)

WHY??•US feared WMDs and Hussein’s power

•Al-Qaeda growing•Feared more terrorist attacks

Key Events•Saddam Hussein captured and killed

•Iraqi army defeated•The last U.S. troops left Iraqi territory on December 18, 2011

What happened to Saddam?

•Captured in December of 2003•Charged by the Iraqi’s with war crimes •Charged with the murder of 148 people• Illegal arrest of 399 people• Torture of women and children

•Found guilty and sentenced to death in 2006

Overall Outcomes•No WMDs found•Many died•Democracy established in Iraq

•Hussein killed