U.S. Foreign Policy and Terrorism

Israel

Background/History

1. 1948-U.S. supports the new Jewish nation of Israel.

2. Israel forms its new country in Palestine which was a predominantly Moslem/Arab country.

3. Palestinians fight to kick Israelis out

4. Israel takes control of all of Palestine to protect itself.

5. Fighting between Israelis and Palestinians (including terror attacks on Israeli civilians and retaliation by the Israeli military) has continued up to today.



Many Arab people today feel hostile towards the Jewish state of Israel and their control of the Islamic people of Palestine and angry at the U.S. for supporting Israel.




Iran

1.1953-Iran's leader Mohammed Mossadegh tried to take control of all oil companies in the country.

2. The U.S. CIA organized and financed the overthrow of Mossadegh until he was replaced by Shah Paklavi

3. The Shah uses torture and killing to keep control of his country but gives control of 40% of the country's oil to the U.S.


Many Iranian people are angry at the U.S. for intervening in their country just so the U.S. could get control of more oil.












The Cold War
Soviet Union (Communists)


Invade Dec. 1979

->Afghanistan War-(1978-1992)

->Islamic guerillas stop the Soviet Union

->The entire Soviet Union collapses 1989-1992


1980-USA
Weapons & $
To stop communism

Mujahideens

-Islamic guerillas
-Osama bin Laden
-Al Qaeda



Iran-Iraq War

1979-Ayatollah Khomeini overthrows the Shah and takes control of Iran

1980-1988-Long war between Iran and Iraq


Secret Weapons Deals U.S.A.


->U.S. is now known to have supported Saddam Hussein with weapons when he was using chemical weapons on his enemies and his own people.


->U.S. builds up Naval and Military presence in the region to protect Kuwait and its own interest



The Cold Warr (1991)

*Saddam Hussein is in debt after the Iran-Iraq War.
*Iraq invades Kuwait to take control of their oil.


Iraq invades in 1990

U.S. counterattack pushes Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait


*U.N. supports use of military force
*George Bush Sr. is President
*Saddam Hussein remains in power
*U.S. continues to build up military bases and naval ships in the Middle East Gulf region.
*U.S. establishes military bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to "stabilize the region" and protect its interests in oil.
*The U.S. and the Bush family become friendly with King Fahd of Saudi Arabia.












Oklahoma City Bombing

1995

1. Terrorist attac on a federal government building in Oklahoma City

2. 168 people, including some children in a day care center, were killed

3. The worst terrorist attack in the United States, before the September 11th attack




Timothy McVeigh

1. Was sentenced to death for the bombing

2. He was a white, male American who said he carried out the bombing as revenge for a federal govt. raid on the Branch Dravidian Compound in Waco, Texas, in which 75 men, women and children were killed.

3. He and those who helped him were angry at the U.S. government












President Bush and the War in Iraq

Osama bin Laden and many Middle Easter Islamic people are angry at the U.S.



The U.S. ....

1. Supports Israel- A Jewish state which has taken over control of Palestine, an Islamic nation.

2. Has established military bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and has naval ships in the Persian Gulf.

3. Is using its military and economic power to control Islamic Middle Eastern people for its own benefit and for the benefit of its large oil companies





King Fahd of Saudi Arabia

1. He is just a puppet leader who is going along with U.S. wishes.


Modern U.S. culture

1. Spread in the middle east is destroying fundamental Islamic beliefs and practices.



U.S. Christians

1. Have no respect for Islamic people.


The U.S.

1. Has destroyed the lives of many Middle Eastern people through its support of Israel, the sanctions on Iraq and the Iraq wars












Preemption-The "Bush Doctrine"

1. The U.S will never allow its military supremacy to be challenged as it was during the Cold War
a. U.S. hegemony- the U.S. will seek to keep its place as the dominant power in the world.


2. Countries that threaten the U.S. with terrorists acts or by building up weapons of mass destruction will be dealt with preemptively
a.The U.S. will not wait for another terrorist attack. The U.S. will use its military to attack other countries before they have attacked us.

3.The U.S. will use military force and economic power to change countries into democracies around the world.

4. The U.S. will disregard the U.N. and take unilateral military action if necessary












Problems in Iraq leading up to the September 11th Attack


1992
->After Saddam Hussein loses the gulf war, the United Nations demands that he destroy his stockpile of weapons of mass destruction (WMD's-chemical and biological weapons)


->Saddam Hussein does not comply completely


->The U.N. requires that weapons inspectors be allowed into Iraq to see proof that the WMD's have been destroyed.


->The United Nations starts economic sanctions on Iraq until Saddam Hussein complies completely. ->No nation will buy Iraq's oil


->Iraq has very little money to support its people. Saddam Hussein builds palaces for himself. -> An estimated 5000 children die each month in Iraq because there is not enough food and medical treatment.



Sept. 11th, 2001

->Al Qaeda terrorists led by Osama bin Laden are angry at U.S. control in the Middle East -> Attack the World Trade Center and the Pentagon->3000 people killed in the United States


October 2001

->President Bush attacks the Taliban government in Afghanistan


Sept. 11, 2001

*Terrorist attacks on the U.S.

*Pres. Bush states: "We will make no distinctions bewteen the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."



Sept. 15, 2001

*Bush Administration decides to attack the Taliban government in Afghanistan and Al Qaeda training camps there.


Sept. 20, 2001

*Pres. bush: "Any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime."


October 2001

*U.S. invades Afghanistan to remove Taliban govt.


Jan 2002

*Pres. Bush, State of the Union Address Iran, Iraq and North Korea are countries that are hostile to the U.S., support terrorism or are seeking to build up WMD's. They constitute an "Axis of Evil"


Sept. 12, 2002

Pres. Bush speaks before the U.N., saying it must be tough on Iraq, or it will be a useless organization


Oct. 10, 2002

*Congress votes to give President Bush authority to take preemptive military action against Iraq, when and how he feels necessary
Vote: 302-133; 77-23


Feb. 14, 2003

*U.N. weapons inspectors indicate progress is being made on Iraq's cooperation


Feb. 22, 2003

*U.N. wepaons inspectors order Iraq to destroy all long range missiles


Feb. 24, 2003

*The U.S., Great Britain and Spain submit a proposal to the U.N. Security Council stating that Iraq has failed in its last chance to comply with Resolution 1441.

*France, Germany and Russia submit a counter proposal: the weapons inspections should be continued and intensified.


March 1, 2003

*Iraq begons destroying some long range missiles


March 7, 2003

*Hans Blix, Chief Weapons Inspector requests more time.


March 12, 2003

*New York and 150 U.S. cities pass resolutions opposing preemptive/unilateral military action in Iraq


March 14, 2003

*The U.S. and Great Britain can get only 4 nations on the Security Council to support a military invasion of Iraq. They need all 15 members to get U.N. support.


March 17, 2003

*Great Britain says all diplomatic efforts with Iraq have ended. Weapons inspectors are ordered to leave Iraq. President Bush gives Saddam Hussein and his sons 48 hours to leave Iraq or face war.


March 19, 2003

*The U.S., Great Britain, and a few other nations begin the invasion of Iraq called Operation Iraqi Freedom.


March 20, 2003

*Heavy aerial bombing of key targets in Iraq. This is called a "decapitation" attack (targeting the government and military leaders and their headquarters first). This bombing is meant to "shock and awe" the Iraqi people.


April 9, 2003

*U.S. troops take over and control Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.


May 1, 2003

*The U.S. and Great Britain control Iraq












Iraqi Insurgent Resistance

August 2002

*Vice President Cheney predicts that the streets of Baghdad will "erupt in joy" when U.S. troops arrive.


March-May 2003

*Saddam Hussein regular military is quickly defeated.


May 203

*Civil disorder, arson, looting. Not enough U.S. troops in Iraq to keep order after U.S. takeover.


July

*Sabotage attacks on oil pipelines, power lines, telecommunication line. U.S. claims that killing/capturing key leaders from Saddam Hussein's government will end the resistance


*U.S. troops killed by mines, ambushes and suicide bombers. The U.S. admits it is being confronted by guerilla resistance. U.S. claims it is just local pockets of resistance

*Attacks on U.S. soldiders in every region of Iraq-Sabotage of oil and power lines in every region of Iraq. U.S. must admit it is fighting an organized nationwide resistance movement.

*Threats of a Civil War between Sunni Moslems (who supported Saddam Hussein) and Shi'a Moslems.












Insurgent Strategy in Iraq


*Osama bin Laden
*Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations


IRAQ

*Baath party Loyalists (Supporters of Saddam Hussein)
*Sunni Muslims
*Other anti-U.S. Iraqis


SYRIA

*"Foreign terrorists"

*People who want to stop the U.S. from using its military power to control other coutries

*People willing to die in a holy Islamic war, jihad, against the U.S.



Insurgent Goals

*Make the U.S. strategy of using military power to control other countries unworkable

*Use the same hidden guerilla warfare that was used in Afghanistan

*Use suicide bombers- people willing to die in a religious war-jihad

*U.S. military power was stopped in Vietnam

*Soviet military power was stopped in Afghanistan













Insurgent Strategy in Iraq


Destroy Iraq's Economy and infrastructure

*Sabotage oil pipelines, power lines


Destabilize the new Iraqi government

*Kill high ranking officials; sabotage elections; destroy government building

*Try to start a civil war between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in Iraq


Cause American Opinion to turn against the war

*Continual attacks on the U.S. troops

*Ambush supply trucks-destroy supplies

*Loss of life and high expense will cause Americans to grow tired of the war


Attack U.S. allies: anyone helping the U.S.

*Suicide bombers attack police headquarters, Iraqi security forces, recruits.

*Kidnappings of Japanese, Chinese, Italians, Filipinos, Australians and other from country with troops supporting the U.S.

--Threaten to kill hostages if troops aren't removed

*Attacks on the Turkish Consulate, Jordanian Embassy, U.N. Headquarters in Baghdad, U.S. Red Cross and other headquarters in Iraq.


*Attack, or kill, or kidnap anyone who is supporting U.S. troops or the new Iraqi government.

--Including contractors, aid workers; Suicide bombs in busy marketplaces.












President George W. Bush

Foreign and Domestic Policy in the war on Terror 2001-2006

Praise:
-The United States and the U.S. economy remained strong through 2007.

-The U.S. economy suffered a blow after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, but recovered.

-The U.S. is building democracy in Iraq.

-Life in America has returned to normal after the Sept, 11th attacks.

-There have been no more major terrorist attacks on the U.S. soil since Sept. 11th





Criticism:
-Intelligence information regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was faulty.

-Did the Bush Administration mislead the public on the presence of WMD's in order to start the War in Iraq?

-The Bush administration has alienated our allies through our unilateral, preemptive attack of Iraq.

-U.S. troop levels in Iraq were far too low.

---The Bush Adminstration has violated the rights of U.S. citizens and Arab prisoners in conducting the war on terror.