Title: Conflicts in the Middle East
1Conflicts in the Middle East
2Middle East
3Middle 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
4(No Transcript)
5Israels 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.
6Israel in 1947 and 1949
7Palestinians
- 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
8Suicide Bomber
9Suicide Bomber Training for an Attack
10Yasir Arafat leader of the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO)
The PLO has been branded a terrorist organization
by many countries.
11Palestinian Intifada
12Obstacles 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
13Jerusalem
14Lebanon
- 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
15Lebanon
16Lebanons Civil War
17Iraq
- 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)
18Saddam Hussein
19Iraq
20Distribution of Sunni and Shiite Muslims Worldwide
21Iran-Iraq War
22Iraq (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
23First Gulf War
24First Gulf War
25Oil Fields Set Ablaze During the First Gulf War
26No Fly Zones in Iraq
27Iraq (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
28Weapons of Mass Destruction
29Weapon of Mass Deception
30Powerpoint 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?
31Powerpoint 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.
32Powerpoint 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?
33The End