Transcript Iran-Iraq War and the Persian Gulf War

Iran-Iraq War and the Persian
Gulf War
Iraqi History
A. British Mandate
•Post WWII British colony
B. British Backed Monarchy
•King chosen by England
C. Dictatorships
•1958 Baath Revolution
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Thinking Slide:
How might Iraqi history affect
how they view the Americans &
their British allies in the current
war in Iraq?
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Baath Party
B. What does it do?
•Secular (non-religious)
government
•Uses oil $ for government projects
•Hussein begins to eliminate
opponents
HUSSEIN CARD AS PART OF DECK OF 55 CARDS OF US CHARACTERS
WANTED Reuters/CORBIS
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That all changes with the Iran-Iraq War
•Iranian Revolution
A. Why?
•Pro-western Shah unpopular because of his alliance w/US & secret
police
B. How?
•Religious (Shiite) revolution
C. Results
Fear in most neighboring Middle Eastern countries, especially
majority Shiite Iraq
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Iraq-Iran War
The World Takes Sides
Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
1) Key Players?
-Iraq & Iran
2) Cause?
Immediate- border dispute (oil)
3) Saddam’s Invasion?
-Hoped to gain control of rich oil
fields on border
-“Church & State” argument
-Iraq was secular
-Iran was Islamic
4) Assumptions?
-Saddam believed victory would be easy
5) Cease-Fire?
-Attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf attracted
U.S. and U.N. Oil exports were reduced leaving Iraq
and Iran struggling economically. Both agreed to a
cease-fire in Aug 1988.
Operation
Desert
Storm
Persian Gulf War (the 1st one!)
•Why?
1.Iraq’s claimed to the
land
2. Claimed Kuwait was
stealing oil (“slant
drilling”)
3. $ owed to countries
Kuwait
4.Hussein thought no
one would stop him
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Persian Gulf War
• Claimed Kuwait as part of Iraq
• Saudi Arabia threaten
• United Nations
– United States and Arab coalition
• Within days Iraqi forces surrender
Persian Gulf War (the 1st one!)
•What happened??
•US invades w/full UN backing
•US bombs Iraqi military &
civilian infrastructure
•We make no attempt to hold
Iraqi towns or capture Saddam
Hussein
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Persian Gulf War Pictures
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Persian Gulf War (the 1st one!)
•Results?
UN Embargo & Oil for Food
Program
Peace Terms:
•Iraq accepts border with Kuwait,
surrenders all WMDs, destroys all
WMD production capability
•Iraq can sell oil in exchange for
food & medicine
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Thinking Slide:
Do you think a program like the “oil for food”
program was a good one given the situation at
the time?
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Afterwards
• Saddam is still is power
• Trade sanctions
– Removed only if UN
inspectors can visit
• What do you think UN
inspectors were looking
for?
– Chemical Weapons and
WMDs
• Causes US and British to
do air raids
Gulf War Syndrome
• Joint pain, fatigue, loss of muscle control,
headaches
• Causes? No one really knows
– Nerve gas
– Oil well fires
– Anthrax Vaccine