New Tensions Emerge 1991-2003 Flashcards
Who are the Taliban?
Extremists - believe their religion requires them to go to war for Islam
Led by former mujahideen commander Mohammed Omar, started an a movement to fight against the warlords.
Taliban is afghan for students - many followers educated in the madrassas of Pakistan
What did the Taliban do in 1996?
Took control, for up an Islamic Emirate
Imposed strict Sharia Law on Afghanistan
What laws did the Taliban enforce on Afghanistan
Taliban interpretation of Quran was fundamentalist - TV, music, games etc were for identical. All windows painted black, women lost many rights (burqa, education, free travel)
Punishments included flogging, stoning, execution etc
who were Al-Qaeda?
emerged from MAK and leader was osama bin laden who had fought against the USSR in the afghanistan war
who were MAK?
set up charities supposed to help refugees, in many countries, but donations actually went towards recruiting, training and arming mujahideen
who was osama bin laden?
son of saudi arabian billionaire and raised a devout sunni muslim, he became convinced the muslim world was being attacked by unbelievers. the only answer was to destroy all outside influences and enforce a strict form of sharia law
when was the gulf war?
1991
who was saddam hussein?
president of iraq 1979-2003
a tyrant who used violence and abuse to rule his country, particularly against the kurdish people and other minorities in the north of the country
what was the wests opinion towards saddam hussein?
originally supported by the west as they saw him as a friend against the fundamentalist muslim govt of iran. the west supplied him with weapons.
support ended in 1990 when saddam invaded kuwait, a small oil-rich state south of iraq. there was outrage among the western powers and george bush snr organised a coalition of 34 nations which drove the iraqis out of kuwait
what was operation desert hield?
george bush snr stated that all american troops would be removed from saudi arabia once iraq had been dealt with. however, the troops stayed there
what did bin laden do in 1998
issued a fatwa against the USA - Jihads against Jews and Crusaders
he believed christians and jews controlled SA and were conspiring against Islam, and Mecca had turned into a “American Colony’
what were the long term reasons for 9/11?
afghanistan war saw the rise of jihadism
emergence of al-qaeda, bin laden convinced west threatened the muslim world
iraq’s invasion of Kuwait prompted operation desert shield - american forces based in saudi arabia
iraq defeated but US troops remained in Saudi Arabia
1993 world trade centre attack - US punishment for remaining in the middle east
1998 declaration of war by Al-Qaeda saw suicide bombers attack american embassies in Tanzania and Kenya
2000 the USS Cole attacked off Yemen with 17 soldiers killed by Al-Qaeda
why did al-qaeda choose to attack the twin towers?
bin ladens hatred of america - condemned US support for israel, criticised US interventions in somalia 1993-95, hated USA was an ally of saudi arabia and troops stationed near ecca
to start a fight - provoke USA into attacking muslim world - radicalising muslims and creating jihadists
where were the 4 hijacked planes sent to?
2 to twin towers new york world trade centre - symbol of US economic power
3rd nose dived into pentagon - hq of US defense department
4th headed to Washington DC (possibly targeting White House), passengers attacked terrorists and it crashed in South Pennsylvania
how many deaths were there during 911?
2915
what was the american reaction to the 9/11 attacks?
president bush declared war on terror, congress passed the authorisation for use of military force against terrorists (AUMF)
Patriot Act gave US gov the right to monitor phone calls and internet messages. many Al-Qaeda leaders were killed in drone strikes, bin laden was killed in 2011
what were the aims of bush’s war on terror?
find and kill terrorists like bin laden, who has taken credit for 9/11 and destroy their organisations
undertake ‘regime change’ remove govts which support terrorism and abolish terrorist safe spaces
strengthen weaker states such as Afghanistan to resist terrorism by building them into strong democracies
Improve security for US citizens and places at home and school
what were the results of bush’s war on terror?
afghanistan attacken in october, taliban regime removed by December 2001
2003, a coalition of forces invaded iraq
almost 800 prisoners were suspected of terrorist connections were imprisoned without trial at guantanamo bay
when was the war in afghanistan?
2001
what and when was the Operation ensuring freedom?
7th October 2001 - waves of bomber and missile attacks on the taliban army and al-qaeda camps
what was the impact of the afghanistan war?
afghan military, ISAF and civilians all suffered heavy casualties
not all middle eastern countries backed the west’s campaign
some people felt the war only created more taliban recruits
what was the ISAF?
international security assistance force
describe the relationship between Iraq, the West and WMDs
USA and GB believed hussein was stockpiling WMDs
tensions increased when iraq expelled UN inspectors in November 1997
how did the USA and GB try to prove that iraq had WMDs?
a few days after 9/11, bush set up the office of special plans to prove the connection between saddam and al-qaeda and that iraq had WMDs - UN inspectors found no evidence
September 2002 - British Joint Intelligence Committee reported saddam had WMDs ‘ready within 45 minutes of an order to use them’
October 2002 - US senators told that Iraq could attack the USA with chemical or biological weapons
who carried out the invasion of Iraq?
USA and GB and joint coalition forces. didn’t gain UN security council support - didn’t believe they had sufficient support from council members
what were the reasons for the invasion of iraq?
saddam’s support for al-qaeda
Iraq’s possession of WMDs
‘regime change’ - removing a tyrant and giving iraqis a democratic government
other motives suggested
western powers wanted to secure iraq’s oil reserves for themselves
bush wanted to finish his father’s war of 1991
US wanted to dominate the rest of the world
when did the iraq war begin?
20th march 2003
how long did it take for the iraqis to be defeated from the start of the iraq war?
3 weeks
what happened to saddam hussein after the iraq war?
he fled but was captured in december 2003
was tried and hanged in 2006
why did the coalition forces have trouble establishing a democratic governent in iraq?
new gov contained majority shia muslims - alienated majority sunni muslim population and led to sectarian violence
monopoly of government contracts went tot american firms - social and economic hardship in Iraq
attacks of coalition forces - westerners soon confined to small defended area in Baghdad ‘green zone’
US military abuse of POWs
what were the results of the iraq war?
reputation of UN weakened as USA and Gb ignored it
terror attacks on western nations increased rathe than decreased
popular protests took place against the war
reputations of bush and blair weakened as no conclusive evidence of Iraq’s WMDs found
major world powers such as russia, germany and france condemned the war, showing tension and lack of unity among democratic countries in their fight against terrorism
