Transcript File

Hey! So I hear that you need a little help
understanding the Carter and Bush
Doctrine. No problem! I think I can help!
So, let’s start with the Carter Doctrine – named
of course after President Jimmy Carter who was
President after Gerald (Jerry’s real name) Ford
who became President after Richard Nixon who
would have been impeached for the whole
“Watergate Scandal” (Oh, who doesn’t love a
scandal?), but resigned before he
could be.
Jimmy C. entered office in 1976 with high hopes. For a
time, Americans were optimistic about promoting
democracy and peace around the globe. In 1977, Carter
brought the Egyptian President and the Israeli Prime
Minister (there had been a series of wars between these
two countries) to his Maryland retreat, Camp David.
There, the leaders signed the Camp David Accords in 1978.
There’s my
boy Jimmy!
Tensions and conflict in the Middle East,
however, quickly challenged Jimmy’s
optimism. Many (not all) Arabs and Muslims
resented American support for Israel and
saw American culture and Western values as
threats to their own beliefs.
In 1979, Jimmy faced an international crisis – he
allowed exiled ruler of Iran to enter the U.S. for
medical treatment. Angry revolutionaries in
Iran seized the American embassy in Iran and
took 66 Americans hostages.
In response to the Iran Hostage Crisis and a
Soviet “invasion” or “intervention” of/into
Afghan affairs, Carter issued what would
become known as the…(wait for it) CARTER
DOCTRINE!!!!
So what did this Carter Doctrine say? Well, Carter
basically said that any attempt by an outside force
(mostly talking about the Soviets) to take control
of the Persian Gulf Region (when I say Persian
Gulf, you say “oil” – Persian Gulf…) would would
be met with the military might of the U.S. (sounds
like bullying to me).
So, 11 years later when Iraq’s brutal dictator, Saddam
Hussein sent troops to invade neighboring Kuwait –
one of the richest oil-producing nations in the Persian
Gulf region, the U.S. President at the time George W.
Bush Sr., fearing that the invasion was the start of an
Iraqi plan to seize Middle Eastern oil, sent troops to
Saudi Arabia.
After Iraq refused to exit Kuwait, the U.S.
began launching a series of air attacks and
so began the PERSIAN GULF WAR – a war
that lasted only 6 weeks (yes, you heard that
right) and ended in a victory for the U.S.
As the United States became more involved in the
Middle East (a very diverse region by the way –
inhabited by people who speak a number of
languages and practice many different religions),
some people in the region grew resentful of
America’s power and influence.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the United States.
What is terrorism? Good question. There is still no
consensus on how to define this term. I believe terrorism is
the use of violence, often against civilian targets, to force
political or social change. Terrorism has a long history. In the
United States, for example, the KKK used terror tactics to
keep African Americans from voting during Reconstruction.
President George W. Bush (Jr.) expressed the nation’s outrage.
In a speech he made to Congress, Bush promised to “hunt
down and punish those responsible.” Bush believed that in
order to protect America, the U.S. needed to be proactive. If
the U.S. believed that a nation posed a possible threat to its
security, it had the right to attack before such a threat
materialized (came to be). This idea, known as preemptive war
is pretty much the main point of the Bush Doctrine.
“I can hear you, the rest of
the world can hear you
and the people who
knocked these buildings
down will hear all of us
soon.”
But Bush didn’t stop there. No, he decided to create
the fancy Office of Homeland Security to coordinate
the country’s counterterrorism efforts. And, in
December 2001, Bush signed the infamous PATRIOT
ACT – granting authorities a lot of power to
investigate people suspected as having terrorist ties.
A suspected in the September 11 attacks soon
emerged. His name was Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden
took refuge in Afghanistan. There, he was protected
by the Taliban. After the Taliban refused to give up
Bin Laden, U.S. troops attacked – toppling the Taliban
without capturing Bin Laden.
Bush next targeted Iraq as a threat – accusing Iraqi
dictator Saddam Hussein (remember him from the
Persian Gulf War?) of having ties with Bin Laden and
developing weapons of mass destruction. In 2003,
the U.S. led a group of about 30 nations in an attack
on Iraq – smashing Iraq’s defenses in just six weeks!
Many Americans criticized Bush’s actions – feeling that
Iraq had not posed an immediate threat. But, remember,
Bush wanted to be proactive (preemptive war). The
situation in Iraq was growing worse every day.
Nevertheless, the U.S. did not leave Iraq until 2011.
Almost 4,500 Americans dead in the Iraq War.
Well, I hope you better understand the Carter Doctrine,
the Persian Gulf War, the Bush Doctrine, the War in
Afghanistan and the Iraq War! Wow! I covered a lot of
topics. Good luck on the test! You will do great!
And, yes! Hillary
is my wife!
Hey Bill! I’m
working.. What
you doing?