The Modern Middle East

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The Modern Middle East
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Pan-Arabism

• 1950s most ME countries were independent
• but borders had been drawn by Euro countries
• start movement to unite all Arabs by language
  culture.
• Form Arab League in 1945
• wanted to create a major world power
• Prob- nationalism was stronger than Pan-Arabism

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Lebanon

• 1975 civil war a result of the constitution set
  up by Fr in 1943
• split pwr btw Christians (majority) Muslims
  (Christian pres, Sunni P.M Shiite speaker)
• by 1970 Christians were minority
• Palestinian refugees also flood Lebanon- a few
  supported the PLO
• PLO attacked Israel from bases in Lebanon
  Christians attack PLO- Civil war starts b/c
  Christians attack the Palestinians
• Syria, Israel, Iran USA get involved
• ends by 1990. Christians give up some govt pwr
  to Muslims
• 1980s take US hostages in Beirut
• Response to US troops sent there anti-American
  sentiments in Iran
• Last released- Terry Anderson in 1991

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Iran

• 2nd largest country in ME mainly Persian oil is
  main commodity
• was ruled by a shah (king) Pahlavi dynasty but
  reforms werent going well
• people look toward Ayatollah Khomeini (who was
  exiled in France)
• shah is forced to flee. Khomeini returns to rule
• Iran becomes a theocracy- ruled by relig leader.
  All laws based on Koran
• started anti-western campaign held 52 US citz
  hostage (in part b/c we allowed the shah to come
  to US for cancer treatments)

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• US boycotts trade w/ Iran - hurts econ
• 1980-1988 fight Iran-Iraq War
• 1 million casualties
• Iran takes US hostages for 444 days b/c we
  supported Iraq tried to cut off trade to Iran.
• Freed on day Reagan becomes president
• Iran also funds rebel forces in Lebanon (they
  took 7 US hostages)
• Khomeini dies in 1989
• current leaders are
• chief of state Supreme Leader Ali
  Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989) head of
  government President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since
  3 August 2005)

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Egypt

• 3rd largest ME country but most people live along
  Nile
• 1950s Pres Nasser promoted Arab socialism
• nationalized industries controlled foreign
  owned business (Inc. Suez Canal)
• built Aswan High Dam- to irrigate farm land
• caused Lake Nasser to form (good for fishing)
• environ probs ended annual flooding- hurts soil.
  Now using chemical fertilizer which is damaging
  environ.
• Pres Anwar Sadat opened Egypt to foreign
  investment private industry
• 1st Arab leader to make peace w/ Israel

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• 1981 Sadat is assassinated by Islamic
  fundamentalist. Hosni Mubarak becomes pres.
• Focuses on natl debt large pop.
• Peace treaty w/ Israel.
• Aided Kuwait in Persian Gulf War
• Hosted Feb 2005 truce mtg btw Palestine Israel

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OIL!

• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
  forms in 1960s.
• Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
• decides how much oil to produce what price to
  sell it at
• now 13 addl countries have joined
• 1973 oil used as weapon against western countries
  (supporting Israel). Stop shipments to US.
  Expensive hard to get
• current prices for oil gas due to OPECs
  control