Iran, Iraq, & Afghanistan: Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Iraq: Early History• Modern day Iraq is the ancient Mesopotamia• Ruled by a lot of different people—eventually

ruled by Ottomans and then the British.• Kingdom of Iraq established in 1932.• Republic formed in 1958 through military coup.• Saddam Hussein takes over in 1979.

Iraq: Life Under Saddam• Not great• More interested in military build up that raising

the standard of living for the people• Executed people who opposed him• Kurdish rebellions = use of chemical and

biological weapons.• Tried for war crimes and executed in 2006

Iraq: Invasion of Kuwait• UN imposed sanctions on Iraqi oil—upsets Hussein• Invades Kuwait and UN threatens military force• January 1991—Operation Desert Storm starts• Hussein removed from Kuwait in 2 days• Before he left, he set oil wells of Kuwait on fire• If he can’t have the oil he doesn’t want anyone else to

have it.

Iraq: Operation Iraqi Freedom• Hussein cut off ties with UN inspectors–afraid they

have WMDs (weapons of mass destruction)• West feels threatened in a post 9/11 world so

“coalition of the willing” invaded and overthrew Hussein in March-April 2003.

• Riots ensue, eventually a transitional government set up with democratic elections

Afghanistan: Early History• Part of the Persian Empire and then taken over

and ruled by various groups• Several wars between the British and Russians

were fought here.• Becomes a republic in 1973 through a coup and

then established Communism as form of government

Afghanistan: Influence of the Soviet Union• US supports Afghanistan until Communism &

murder of ambassador• Soviet Union invades in n1979 to help the country

and the Mujahadeen (rebel group in Afghanistan) fights back

• Soviet action influences world affairs & US supports Mujahadeen ($$ and military support)

• Soviet Union leaves but no peace—Taliban takes over

Afghanistan: Taliban & Al-Qaeda• Taliban takes over and imposes strict Sharia law,

outlawed education of women, destroyed TVs & radio

• Al-Qaeda partnered with Taliban in 1990s and provided the miltary back up for the Taliban.

• Later Al-Qaeda is held responsible for terrorist attacks in the US on 9/11—beginning of the “war on terror”

Khaled Hosseini

Iran: Early History• Area previously known as Persia—wealth of

culture and science• Arabs brought Islam to the region• In the 1960s the “White Revolution” happened—

modernization, secularization, economic growth, imitation of the West (pushed by Kennedy)

• 1978—groups began to form in opposition to the leadership (Shah)

Iran: Iranian Revolution and the New Iran• 1979—Ayatollah Khomeini assumes control of the

country and turns it into a theocratic “republic” guided by Islam (Shia)

• Country is now under a form of Sharia Law• Now the country is guided by both a secular

leader and a religious leader• Closes Iran off from the West and Iran Hostage

Crisis (444 days occurs• Massive human right violations, economic

disorder, and unrest

Iran: Life Today• Current president: Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad• Has been accused of “voter fraud” & “electoral

interference” (cheater)• Protests against the current regime have resulted

in an undisclosed amount of deaths• Iran is rumored to have an intense nuclear

weapons program and has been considered “noncompliant” for several years.• UN Security Council has offered economic incentives for

cooperation—not interested