Conflicts in the Middle East

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Conflicts in the Middle East

• Chapter 17
• Section 3

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Middle East
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Middle EastLand of Conflict

• For decades, the Middle East has been the
  location of conflict
• Modern Israel was created in 1948 on land that
  had belonged to Palestinian Arabs following the
  UN Partition vote in 1947
• As a result, there has been repeated war and
  violence between Israel and the Arab countries
• In several wars against Egypt and other Arab
  states, Israel gained more territory after
  defeating the Arab countries
• This is called the occupied territories land
  that Arab states believes belongs to them

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(No Transcript)
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Israels War of Independence (1948)
Arab countries invaded Israel from Syria,
Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt with the mutual goal
of destroying Israel. Israel defeated these Arab
armies in 1948.
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Israel in 1947 and 1949
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Palestinians

• The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), led
  by Yasir Arafat, fought against the Israelis
• In the occupied territories, Palestinians
  launched uprisings called intifadas
• In addition, suicide bombers spread terror inside
  Israel by blowing themselves up to kill innocent
  civilians
• The Israelis have responded with armed force to
  protect their citizens, and Palestinian
  bitterness increased
• Leaders such as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak
  Rabin, pushed for peace with the Palestinians
  over many years

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Suicide Bomber
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Suicide Bomber Training for an Attack
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Yasir Arafat leader of the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO)
The PLO has been branded a terrorist organization
by many countries.
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Palestinian Intifada
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Obstacles to Peace

• There were many stumbling blocks, however, such
  as disagreements over Jerusalem, a city sacred to
  Jews, Christians, and Muslims
• During the early 2000s, new steps toward peace
  offered some hope, but serious obstacles remained

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Jerusalem
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Lebanon

• Lebanon is home to diverse ethnic and religious
  groups
• The government depended on a delicate balance
  among Arab Christians, Sunni Muslims, Shiite
  Muslims, and Druze
• In 1975, Christian and Muslim militias battled
  each other, and both Israel and Syria invaded
• Lebanons civil war lasted for 15 years, until
  1990, when peace was finally restored
• Thousands of Lebanese died during the civil war

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Lebanon
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Lebanons Civil War
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Iraq

• Conflicts also plagued Iraq
• Iraqs Sunni Muslim minority dominated the
  country for centuries and oppressed other Iraqi
  ethnic and religious groups
• The Kurdish minority and Shiite majority were
  excluded from power
• In 1979, Saddam Hussein seized power as dictator
• He fought a prolonged war against neighboring
  enemy Iran in the 1980s (Sept. 22,1980-August 20,
  1988)

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Saddam Hussein
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Iraq
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Distribution of Sunni and Shiite Muslims Worldwide
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Iran-Iraq War
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Iraq (continued)

• In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait to seize Kuwaiti oil
  fields
• In response, the USA led a coalition against that
  invasion
• In the Gulf War that followed, Kuwait was
  liberated and Iraqi forces were crushed
• Saddam Hussein remained in power and used terror
  to impose his will
• The USA, France, and Britain set up no-fly zones
  to protect the Kurds and Shiites from Husseins
  persecution and extermination

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First Gulf War
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First Gulf War
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Oil Fields Set Ablaze During the First Gulf War
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No Fly Zones in Iraq
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Iraq (continued)

• The United Nations worked to keep Saddam Hussein
  from building biological, nuclear, or chemical
  weapons, called weapons of mass destruction
  (WMDs)
• In 2003, the United States led a coalition that
  invaded Iraq and overthrew Saddam Hussein
• Iraqi insurgents fought against the occupation
  that followed
• In 2005, national elections were held in Iraq for
  the first time
• Saddam Hussein was executed December 30, 2006

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Weapons of Mass Destruction
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Weapon of Mass Deception
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Powerpoint Questions

• 1. What is the name of the land given to the
  territory Israel acquired over successive wars?
• 2. Who was the leader of the Palestinian
  Liberation Organization (PLO)?
• 3. Rebellious uprisings are called ??
• 4. What Israeli leader pushed for peace despite
  these uprisings?
• 5. What city is claimed by Jews, Christians, and
  Muslims?

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Powerpoint Questions

• 6. What event happened in Lebanon beginning in
  1975? Explain.
• 7. Who seized power in Iraq in 1979?
• 8. What country did Iraq fight for 8 years?
• 9. What country did Iraq invade in 1990?
• 10. Why did Iraq invade this country?
• 11. Why did the United States led coalition
  establish a no-fly zone over Iraq? Explain.

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Powerpoint Questions

• 12. What were the two no-fly zones called? (2
  points)
• 13. Define weapons of mass destruction.
• 14. How did the USA address the Iraq problem in
  2003?
• 15. What happened on December 30, 2006?
• 16. Critical thinking What does the cartoon
  with George W. Bush suggest?

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The End