Transcript Topic Three

Terrorism & Political Violence
The Middle East
© William Eric Davis – All Rights Reserved
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Topic Outline
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I. Introduction
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II. The Crusades
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III. The Israeli / Palestinian Conflict
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IV. The Associated Terror Groups
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V. Al-Qaeda [“The Base”]
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VI. Summary of Middle East Terror Groups.
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VII. The Neglected Duty [Farij].
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VIII. The “Hama Rules”
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IX. Discussion Questions [on Middle East]
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Pre-Crusades Period
634 AD: Muslims mount invasion of India, Afghanistan, and
Pakistan.
639 AD, the Muslim armies began to conquer Egypt.
By 642 AD, All of Egypt was under Muslim control.
By 650 AD: Christian Armenia fell to the Muslims
650 AD: Muslims reach Cilicia and Caesarea.
By 667 AD: Muslims attack Europe (Cyprus, Rhodes, Crete and
Sicily).
668 AD: Constantinople (in modern Turkey) was attacked.
715 AD: Muslims conquer Spain, which they held for 700 years.
732 AD: Muslims press further into France (but halted at Tours)
792 AD: Muslims wage a new “jihad” against France.
848 AD: Muslim armies invade France again.
827 AD, the Muslims set their sites on Italy.
846 AD: Muslim armies reach Rome.
1091 AD: Islamic armies held Sicily until 1091 AD.
1095 AD: Pope Urban II calls for a defensive “Crusade” to retake
the Holy Land.
“The Crusades”
(1095-1291 A.D.)
The year 1095 AD was the start of the First Crusade.
The Crusades were attempts to restore the holy
land (Israel/Palestine) to Christian control (which
at the time meant catholic control).
►
There are 8 generally recognized crusades, but Muslim Arabs
consider the creation of Israel in 1948 to be a 9th crusade,
and America’s War on Terror to be a 10th Crusade.
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Important  The Arabs do not hate the West because of
Israel. Instead, they hate Israel because of the West.
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The First Crusade
(1095-1099 A.D.)
Pope Urban II called for a Crusade in 1095, responding to a request from
the Emperor of Constantinople (the remnant of the Roman Empire) for
military help against the Seljuk Turks.
In a stirring speech given in France in the autumn of 1095, he extolled
Europeans to "take the cross" and take back the Holy Land from the
Muslim “heathen.”
It would take a year for an army to form, and another year to walk from
Europe (through Constantinople) to the Holy Land.
The First Crusade was the only successful one for the Crusaders if
measured by the holding of Jerusalem.
The crusaders fought through hundreds of miles of enemy territory,
wearing steel armor in unfamiliar heat, capturing all of the principal
cities, such as Antioch, and Jerusalem itself in 1099 AD, after a six week
battle.
These knights would return to France just 3 years after having left it 5and
achieving success.
The Second Crusade
(1147-1189 A.D.)
►
Fifty years after the first one, when the Turks had
recaptured a portion of the Middle East, the Second
Crusade was launched, but was defeated within
Asia Minor (modern Turkey.)
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Muslims under a formidable leader named Saladin
recaptured Jerusalem for the Muslims in 1187.
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Saladin is considered a great hero to Muslims today.
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The Third Crusade
(1189-1192 A.D.)
This is the one which included all of the colorful
characters which delight Hollywood: Saladin (above
right), Richard I (“Lion Heart”, above left), King
Philip II of France, German Emperor Frederick II
(“Barbarossa”).
The Third Crusade was essentially England’s King Richard's war,
as he defeated Saladin in several battles but could not capture
Jerusalem.
This crusade was started by Saladin’s refusal to allow Christians
into Jerusalem. After suffering several defeats, Saladin
allowed Christian pilgrims to enter the city freely to worship.
The Crusaders went back home to Europe after this
agreement.
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The Fourth Crusade
(1202-1204 A.D.)
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This one was unlike the others in that the Crusaders
it turned on their former ally: Constantinople.
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When the mainly French crusaders reached Venice
(a major maritime power at the time) with the
intent of taking ships across the Mediterranean, the
Venetians raised the price of passage, offering ships
in return for a combined crusader/Venetian attack
on Constantinople (a Venetian competitor), a city
which had never been taken.
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The crusaders and Venetians took Constantinople,
and abandoned plans to go to the Holy Land.
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“The Children’s Crusade”
(1212 A.D.)
A Semi-Crusade (in 1212, not one of the 8)
was the “Children's Crusade” and was a
pathetic effort to get God to act through
children in re-taking the Holy Land.
The children (many of whom were under 12)
never reached there, either dying along the
way or ending up as slaves to Muslims.
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The Fifth Crusade
(1217 – 1221 A.D.)
The crusaders conquered a city near the
mouth of the Nile in Egypt, and that
was about all that happened on this
crusade.
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The Sixth Crusade
(1228-1229 A.D.)
► Led
by Emperor Frederick II of
Germany (above left) who, without a
fight, got the Muslims to give
Jerusalem to the Christians.
► Note:
Muslims would take it back 15
years later in 1244 A.D. and this led to
France's King Louis IX (above right) to
launch the Seventh Crusade.
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“The Seventh Crusade”
(1248 - 1254 A.D.)
The 7th Crusade produced some limited
successes before King Louis IX was
captured. After paying the large
ransom to get released, he raised
another army in Europe, which became
the Eighth Crusade (in 1270 A.D.).
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The Eighth Crusade
(1270 A.D.)
This was a short effort since King Louis IX died (old
and ill) soon after arriving in the Holy Land. The
Crusaders went into a defensive posture to hold
what lands they had captured. They lost control of
Jerusalem.
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The 8th crusade is considered by most Western
historians to be the last crusade, but it is not so
considered in the Islamic world.
Two decades later, In 1291, the last crusader
stronghold at Acre (Acco) fell to the Muslims.
After the 8th Crusade, Europe turned its attention
from the Old World to new directions (i.e., the “New13
World” in North America).
The Following Years
“The Renaissance”
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In 1492 (a very significant date in American history
and related to the crusades for reasons you will
see), the Muslims were finally ousted from Spain,
the home of Christopher Columbus). On the date he
sailed for the New World, Jews were ordered to be
out of Spain as well.
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In that same year, the New World (North America)
was “discovered.” Europe decided to leave the
Middle East to the followers of Islam.
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There is evidence that Europeans had already been
to Nova Scotia (Canada) a hundred years before
Columbus, and others too as long ago as 10,000
years before Columbus.
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The Knights Templar
The Order of the Poor Fellow Knights of
Christ and the Temple of Solomon
(“The Knights Templar”)
The main Christian battle force during the crusades.
They were created to safeguard Christian pilgrims
in the Holy Land. Very secretive and are rumored to
guard the “Holy Grail.”
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Templar Beginnings
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In the year 1118, Hugues de Payens, a knight of
Champagne (France, previously Gaul), and eight
companions bound themselves by a perpetual vow,
taken in the presence of the Patriarch of Jerusalem,
to defend the Christian kingdom & protect Christian
Pilgrims.
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Baldwin the II (King of France, formerly Gaul)
accepted their services and assigned them a portion
of his palace, adjoining the place of Solomon’s
Temple of the capital city; hence their title “Poor
Knights of the Temple of Solomon.”
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TEMPLAR’S TREMENDOUS GROWTH
The order owed its rapid growth in popularity to the
fact that it combined the two great passions of the
Middle Ages: religious fervor and military prowess.
The Catholic religious and the secular authorities
heaped upon them favors of every kind, spiritual
and secular—exempting them from taxes and tithes.
The popes took them under their immediate
protection, exempting them from all other
jurisdiction, Episcopal or secular. That is, made
accountable directly and only to the pope.
They grew incredibly wealthy and powerful owning
9000 estates in Europe (rumors are they found a
secret & blackmailed the Church).
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TEMPLAR’S TRAGIC END
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Philip IV (or Philip the Fair”) became King of France.
He wanted to establish his legacy from a new crusade.
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Philip was greedy, personally and heavily in debt to
the Templars, and was of poor character. He wanted
not just his own debts expunged, but he wanted all
the money of the Templars – which was substantial.
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Philip started a campaign to suppress the Templars,
which some scholars assert evolved into a conspiracy
between himself and Pope Clemente V to destroy the
Templars and take their wealth in 1307.
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Was this the end of the Templars?
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The Prosecution of the Templars
Secret orders were sent throughout France to arrest all the
Templars on the same day (Friday, Oct. 13, 1307 –the very
first unlucky “Friday the 13th”).
King Philip IV and Pope Clement (who Philip installed as Pope)
accused the Templars of all kinds of sacrilege, paganism, evil,
and apostasy. Their secrecy and secret initiation rites made
them vulnerable to the charges.
Two phases must be distinguished: the royal commission and the
papal commission.
Many Templars were tortured & executed (only a few confessed
under torture, but later recanted). The rest changed the
order’s name & went into hiding.
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The Templar Legend Continues
The Last Grand Master of the Templars
(Jacques De Molay), in the midst of flames,
declared that if the Templars were innocent,
God would summon Philip and Clement to
both appear in the course of the year before
the tribunal of God.
Both Pope Clement and King Philip died
shortly after The last Grand Master (Jacques
De Molay) was burned to death (within the
year).
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What Happened Subsequently?
The Templar’s New Names:
The Teutonic Knights (Germany)
The Knights of Christ (Portugal)
The Freemasons (In USA/Europe)
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The Battle Flag of the
Knights Templar Navy
The Battle Flag of the
Knights Templar Navy
A “pretty red” flag known as the “Jolie Rouge” flown with the skull and
crossbones signified that no prisoners would be taken. Later, its
Anglicized name “The Jolly Roger” referred only to the skull &
crossbones flag.
The Origins of The United States
The United States was
founded by Templars
(i.e., Freemasons)
► They brought the ideals
of the organization
with them: liberty and
political/social
equality; and
capitalism.
► Americans are political
descendants of pirates.
George Washington
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The 9th Crusade?
Muslims do not hate the West because
of Israel, -- they hate Israel because of
the West.
That is, they consider the creation of
Israel in 1948 as a 9th crusade that put
Jerusalem and Palestine under nonIslamic control.
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The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
Starting in the late 1800s, 2 powerful forces
emerged in Palestine.
ZIONISM  represents the yearning for
Jewish political and religious selfdetermination in the “promised land” (i.e., a
homeland for the Jews in modern day
Israel).
ARAB NATIONALISM  (A.K.A. Pan-Arabism)
the notion that all of the tribes that are Arab
belong together as a single nation.
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The Balfour Declaration
In 1917, after WWI, British Foreign Secretary
Lord Arthur Balfour stated in a written
document that “Palestine shall be
reconstituted as a national Home of the
Jewish People.”
It was not a legally binding document, but it did
strengthen the cause of the Zionist movement and it
stimulated immigration of Jews back to the Holy
Land.
The British also promised to give the Arabs of
Palestine the opportunity to become an independent
nation. That was the origin of the “two-state
solution” to the conflict.
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The escalating conflict in the region
can be traced to 3 factors:
The Indecision of the British
The Impatience of the Zionists
The Political Immaturity of the Arabs
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The United Nations Takes Over
By 1947, the British mandate in Palestine found Arab
and Jewish demands irreconcilable and turned the
problem over to the newly formed United Nations.
The 2-State solution  A special UN Commission
reviewed the question and recommended
partitioning the country. The UN was now
committed to the principle of a divided Palestine.
The Zionists eagerly embraced the plan because it
would mean the realization of their dream of a
Jewish homeland.
The Palestinians unequivocally rejected the solution.
They wanted it all, especially Jerusalem.
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The United Nations Gets Out
The British Mandate to govern the region ended on May
14, 1948. One day later, the new Jewish state of Israel
was proclaimed.
In response, the invading armies of 5 surrounding Arab
countries immediately challenged the Jewish assertion
of statehood. Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.
It was the 1st of 6 major Arab-Israeli wars, none of which
were won by the Arab/Palestinian side and Israel was
able to quickly consolidate its independence and control
over almost all of Palestine.
Palestine (the land set aside for a Palestinian state)
ceased to exist after the 1948 war.
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The Legacy of the 1948 War
The 1948 War did not settle the issue or bring
lasting peace:
1. It left a legacy of hate.
2. The Arabs were humiliated by their
militarily defeat (which contributes to
histrionic terror).
3. Arabs were determined to reverse the
outcome in a future war.
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The Major Wars in Palestine since 1948
1. The 1948 War for Israel Independence
2. The 1956 Suez War
3. The 1967 Six-Day War
(established Israel’s modern boundaries)
4. The 1968-1970 War of Attrition
5. The 1973 Yom Kippur War
(Israel came closest to losing but won)
6. The 1982 Lebanon War
(not as clear a “victory” for Israel, but not a defeat either)
7. The Summer 2006 Israel / Lebanon War
(fought between Israel and Iran & Syria’s proxies “Hezbollah”).
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Neither Side Learned Lessons
Notwithstanding the Yom Kippur war, where the Arabs lost, but
gained confidence that Israel was not invincible, Israel came
to view itself as a major power that would exist indefinitely.
However, the problem for Israel is that they ignore the history of
their own people. That is, people suffering from dispersion,
homelessness, and refugee conditions lead to violence and
terrorism.
But what can Israel do when the Palestinians refuse to accept
the two-state solution and will not recognize Israel’s right to
exist as an independent Jewish state?
The P.L.O. (now P.A.) finally did recognize Israel’s right to exist,
but often seem to backtrack in fiery speeches to their
militants.
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The Oslo Accords
In September of 1993, in Oslo, Norway, an
agreement was signed by both sides that
created the first autonomous government
for the Palestinians, called the Palestinian
Authority (PA). This government got control
of Gaza and a limited area of the West Bank.
The pact did not settle the issue of final
borders between Israel and a future
Palestinian state, so did not really resolve
the issue, but Yassir Arafat did concede (in
writing) to Israel’s right to exist in pre-1967
borders.
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Why does Al-Qaeda Attack the US?
1. The US is regarded as an infidel nation.
2. The US is seen as supporting other infidel
governments and institutions.
3. US and UN 1991-2002 economic sanctions against
Iraq.
4. Al-Qaeda supports the Palestinian Intifada
dedicated to the destruction of Israel.
5. The US has influence (and sometimes troops) on
the Arabian peninsula.
6. Hizballah was rewarded by its terrorism in early
1980s and another superpower was driven from
Arab land in the late 1980s (USSR in Afghanistan).
7. The US did not retaliate after the suicide attack on
the US Cole in Yemen in 2000.
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“The Neglected Duty”
(or Absent Obligation”)
A statement published by Mohammad Abdus Salam
Faraj – originally issued from Egypt in 1984.
The 3 Levels of Jihad:
The Greater Jihad  [Jihad of the Nafs] – the jihad of
the “inner self” – which means to get yourself
under control and on the pathway to righteous
Islam.
The Jihad of the Shaytan (Satan, the Devil) –- direct
conflict with the evil one “Satan.”
The Lesser Jihad  The Jihad against disbelievers,
apostates, and hypocrites – The lesser jihad. This
is the one Faraj said was being neglected.
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The “Hama Rules” of Conflict
1. Arabs understand raw power.
2. The offer to negotiate is often considered a sign of
weakness by Arabs. It is viewed as a prime
opportunity to attack (but feign interest in
diplomacy).
The lesson, which is subject to debate to be sure, is that the only
way to deal with radical Arab terrorists is to completely
annihilate them (without deliberate civilian casualties), with
emphasis on the word “terrorists”.
This, ironically, enough, might be the only way to get them to
abandon violence as means of resolving disputes.
Named after the Syrian crackdown upon Hama, Syria, in 1982, in
which the city was completely buried (literally).
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“The Road Map” to Peace
[George W. Bush Proposal]
A performance-based and goal-driven
roadmap, with clear phases, timelines,
target dates, and benchmarks aiming at
progress through reciprocal steps by the
two parties in the political, security,
economic, humanitarian, and institutionbuilding fields, under the auspices of the
United States, European Union, United
Nations, and Russia].
The goal is a final and comprehensive
settlement [Two state solution] of the
Israel-Palestinian conflict by 2005.
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Is Road Map the Only Hope?