Setting the Stage for US Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan

Background

• Created at the end of WWI– Treaty of Versailles– Combined 3 ethic

groups• Kurds (North)• Sunni’s (Central)• Shia (South)

Government

• British established a Monarchy

• 1958: The Kings assassination brings a military dictatorship

• 1968: Ba’ath Party takes control by assassination– Secularism– Pan-Arabism– Socialism

Saddam Hussein

• Gained power in Ba’ath Party as an assassin

• 2nd in command when Ba’ath Party took control

• Became Dictator in 1979

• Authoritarian control: – Define:

Iran- Iraq War 1980-1988

• Saddam uses Chemical weapons– Even against the

Kurds in his own nation

• 1 million people die • Saddam has 4th

largest Army in the world– Low on money from

war

Aug. 1990: Iraq invades Kuwait

• Invades Kuwait/ places troops on Said Arabian border

• Saudi Arabia asks U.N. for protection– U.N. –led by U.S.- sent

troops to Saudi Arabia– President Bush sets Jan.

15 1991 as deadline for Iraq to leave Kuwait

• Iraq ignores the date

Persian Gulf War

• Jan. 16th 1991: U.S. begins bombing forces in Kuwait and in Iraq

• Feb. 23- U.N. forces invade Kuwait

• March 3 Iraq signs cease fire

• Iraq agrees to:– No biological/ chemical/

nuclear weapons– Open to U.N. weapons

inspections– No fly zones (to protect

Kurdish, Shia Iraqi’s)

Persian Gulf War Results

• 22,000 Iraqi Dead• 148 U.S. Dead• In return for the

United Nations stopping its attack, Saddam agreed to the following:– Chemical / Biological

Inspections– No-Fly Zones

Osama Bin Laden• Son of a wealthy Saudi

Arabian Construction family (Billions)

• Outraged over US presence on “Holy Soil” (Saudi Arabia). Protested against the government.

• Also points to US support of Israel– Banished from Saudi

Arabia– Moves to Sudan, then

Afghanistan

Background

• 1992: Osama Bin Laden is banned from Saudi Arabia– Criticizes government for allowing U.S. forces onto

Muslim soil– Goes to Sudan

• 1996: The Taliban takes over Afghanistan• 1996: Under pressure from the US, Bin Laden is

kicked out of Sudan– Welcomed by the Taliban– Operates Terrorists training centers for Al-Qaeda

Bin Laden in Afghanistan

• 1980’s: Fights to kick Russia out of Afghanistan

• US helps with money and weapons then leaves

• Forms Al-Queda to fight against “evil” and spread fundamentalist Islam

Bin Laden Attacks AmericaSomalia - 1993

18 Killed

World Trade Center Bombing 1993

6 Killed

Bombing of U.S. Embassies in Tanzania & Kenya -1998

Over 200 Killed

Bombing of the USS Cole - 2000

17 Killed

September 11, 2001

• 3,057 Americans killed• Largest attack on

American soil in almost 200 years

• President Bush vows that the attackers will pay

• Suspicion goes to Al-Qaeda – They soon take credit for

the attack

September 11th 2001

3057 Killed

• 19 Hijackers– 15 from Saudi Arabia– 2 from Egypt– 1 each from United Arab Emirates and

Lebanon

AfghanistanA Brief History

History• Has been invaded many

times:– Persians from (modern

day) Iran– 327 BC 150BC:

Alexander the Great– Kushans 0 AD 700

AD– ~ 700 AD: Muslims

(Sunni) take over– 1220: Genghis Khan– 1505: Mogul Dynasty– 1738: Persians – 1838-1842: The British

try to take over– 1878-1880: They try

again– 1979 - 1989: Russia

invades

Effect of Invasions• Diverse population

of 29 million people– Dozens of ethnic

groups – Hundreds of tribes

• Many Afghans identify with their tribe first

• Then their ethnic group

– Few major cities• Most scattered though

out small villages/ hamlets

• Very difficult to bring together under one government

Recent History of Fundamentalist Islam in Afghanistan

• 1979 The Soviet Union Invades– 10 years of fighting

• A worldwide call goes out to declare Jihad (struggle)– Muslims across the world

rush to remove the invaders of a Muslim nation

– They form the Mujahideen

Mujahideen

• An army of Muslim fighters of Jihad defending Islam

• Made up of Muslims from around the world (including Osama Bin Laden)

• Assisted by the United State’s CIA to remove the Soviet Union ($, weapons, training)

1989: The Soviets Retreat

• The United States then removes aid• Leaves a gap for who is going to run the

country• The Mujahideen break up into groups

fighting for control• The Civil War rips apart the country even

more than the Soviet Invasion• 1996: The Taliban take control of

Afghanistan

The Taliban• Fundamentalist Islamic

group who believes that the religion of Islam should be the government

• Began during the Civil War as a group to fight road thieves.

• Brutal fighters• They bring order to

Afghanistan through strict religious rules– Most Afghans welcome

the end of the wars at first.

Taliban Law• Sharia (Islamic) Laws…No:

– Education or sports for women

– TV– Movies– Videos– Music– Dancing– Clapping during sports

events– Kite flying– Beard trimming

• Bush Doctrine: The United States will attack first against any nation that poses a threat to the security of the United States or its allies

Bush Doctrine

The Ultimatum• President Bush informed the

Taliban that they must turn over Bin Laden to the US or they will face the consequences.– The United States will make

no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them,“

• The Taliban offers to try Bin Laden in their court according to Shiria Law – refused

• Taliban offered to hand Bin Laden to a third country for trial under Shiria Law - Refused

October 2001: America attacksOperation Enduring Freedom

• Massive air bombings • January 2002: Ground

troops are sent into Afghanistan.– Britain joins with the US– North Atlantic Treaty

Organization (NATO) follows:

• Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Australia, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark and 34 other nations.

Goals

• Capture Osama Bin Laden

• Remove Taliban from power

• Disband Al-Qaeda / prevent their operation in Afghanistan

Initial Results

• US forces overwhelm the Taliban

• Taliban is removed from power

• Al-Qaeda camps destroyed

• Osama Bin Laden on the run

• Life changes for those in US controlled areas

The Hunt for Bin Laden

• Osama Bin Laden runs to the mountain region called Tora Bora– Cave Complex

• Area is bombed • Special Forces sent to area with Afghan guides• More troops requested- refused

– US policy focused on major cities

• Afghan guides turn on US troops• Bin Laden escapes to Pakistan

Pakistan

• Government is allied with US

• Population is divided• Some areas support anti-

US movements• The border areas are now

controlled by Taliban/ Al-Qaeda– Most attacks against US

troops staged out of Pakistan

– Government refuses to allow US troops to enter Pakistan

2003: US Goes to War in Iraq

• Resources dedicated to Iraq

• End of 2003:– 13,900 troops in

Afghanistan– 140,000 troops in Iraq

• Taliban begins to re-conquer areas they lost

Strategy

• Small outposts spread throughout Afghanistan

• Designed to:– Prevent return of Al-

Qaeda– Remove Taliban

influence in area• Patrol area towns

– Fight the Taliban– Provide services to

the people

Guerilla Warfare

• No uniformed combatants• Hit and run tactics

– Improvised Explosive Device (IEDS)

– Ambush• Then mix with population

• Effect:– Frustration– Who’s the enemy?– Increased civilians killed

(collateral damage)

Afghanistan Government

• President Karzai elected 2004– Corrupt government

• Turns many toward Taliban for stability

• 2009 election– Abdullah Abdullah

challenges the President

• Nov. 2009 President Karzai wins– Corrupt election– Anger increases

After 8 Years of War

• Troops in Iraq have been reduced (staying out of major cities)

• 100,000 troops in Afghanistan

• Increased violence– Taliban gaining power in

areas– US casualties growing

• 1455 Dead

• 9256 Wounded

President Obama’s Decision

1. Leave Afghanistan2. Keep the status as-

is3. Increase troops (as

requested)

What would you do? Why?What would the consequences be?

Decision

• Send additional troops– Goals

• train an Afghan army and police force

• Afghan government to provide increased services

• Conditions:– President Karzai must work

to eliminate corruption– 400,000 trained soldiers

and police• Timeline: Begin

Removing troops July 2011

Challenges to President Obama’s Plan

• Corruption of President Karzai’s government

• Need to recruit and train 400,000 Afghan soldiers– Corrupt

• Bringing the countryside within the government

• Pakistan