s/frontline/shows/iraq/view/ The War Behind Closed Doors Ch. 2, 3, and 6

Let’s Review: 1991 Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) Key People in US Gov’t.: George HW Bush was US President, H. Stormin’ Norman Schwarzkopf was commander of US military, Colin Powell was Joint Chief of Staff, and James Baker was Secretary of State Aug 1, 1990 – Iraq invaded Kuwait, international outrage, Saddam Hussein was dictator since 1979 January 16, 1991 – US led coalition of 32 nations including Britain, France, Canada, Spain, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Italy, and Saudi Arabia, declared war on Iraq – US sent over 2 million troops

Let’s Review: 1991 Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) Feb 28, 1991 – Coalition defeated Iraqi forces, Iraq left Kuwait but not before setting fire to oil wells, cease-fire reached, US didn’t press on to Baghdad, Hussein remained in power, and he promised to destroy all WMDs 1996 – Osama bin Laden issues a “declaration of war” against the US, citing the presence of “infidel” American troops in Saudi Arabia, the Muslim holy land, as part of the reason

Why did we go to back to war with Iraq in 2003? 1.Saddam Hussein  Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD)  Refusal to let UN inspect and UN took too long  9/11 2.Link to al Qaeda and/or Osama Bin Laden – Saddam’s support of terrorism 3.Oppression of the Iraqi people & ethnic minorities (Kurds – 1988, chem weapons)

Did we go to war w/ Iraq for Oil? Not necessarily – since the war, Iraq is producing less oil, it’s more unstable, and has led to disruptions in the world market.

Jan/Feb 1991: First Persian Gulf War Oct 1998: Iraq/Saddam ends cooperation with the UN commission to oversee destruction of WMDs Dec 16-19, 1998: President Clinton’s Operation Desert Fox to destroy Iraq’s WMD program Feb 2001: British/US forces carry out bombing raids to disable Iraq’s air defense network 9/11/01: Attacks on US by Al Qaeda terrorists kill 3,000, US invades Afghanistan Nov 2002: UN weapons inspectors to Iraq – “material breach” of disarmament obligations, UN threatens Iraq final chance to comply Jan 2002: GWB identifies Iraq, Iran, and N. Korea as “axis of evil” June 2002: Bush Doctrine Preemption – attack to gain advantage Sept 2002: GWB tells UN that they must act against Iraq Oct 11, 2002: Congress (House/Senate) authorize attack on Iraq 2000: In Feb, Iraq does not allow UN inspectors in and by Dec, Iraq stops exporting oil

Dec 2002: GWB approves the deployment of US troops to Gulf Jan 2003: UN inspectors find 11 undeclared empty chemical warheads in Iraq Feb 2003: US, Britain, Spain propose action against Iraq to the UN Mar 17, 2003: GWB issues ultimatum to Saddam to leave country within 48 hrs, or be attacked. UN withdraws staff Mar 19, 2003: GWB declares war – Operation Iraqi Freedom Mar 21, 2003: War begins with Iraq 5:30 am – shock & awe Apr 9, 2003: Fall of Baghdad May 1, 2003: US declares end to major combat operations July 22, 2003: Saddam’s sons killed in U.S. raid on Mosul

Dec 14, 2003: Saddam captured Nov 4, 2004: Bush wins reelection Jan 12, 2005: WMD search (biological, chemical, nuclear) in Iraq is declared over Jan 30, 2005: Iraq’s first competitive election Oct 15, 2005: Iraqis vote to approve new constitution – Islamic federal democracy Dec 15, 2005: Iraqis vote to elect members of Iraqi Parliament (they choose full term 4 year gov’t) Nov 8, 2006: U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld resigns, Bush nominates Robert M. Gates to replace Dec 30, 2006: Saddam executed by hanging for Operation Anfal in which 180,000 Kurds were killed

Feb 2, 2007: National Intelligence Estimate finds Iraqi leadership and military are too weak to hold country together, so U.S. troops are necessary to stabilize Iraq Mar 14, 2007: Pentagon acknowledges Iraq is a civil war Nov 27, 2008: The Iraqi Parliament ratified an agreement that sets the end of 2011 as the date by which the last American troops must leave the country Jan 20, 2009: Barack Obama was inaugurated as 44th President of USA and inherited the Iraq War situation on his international agenda Jan 30, 2009: First nationwide elections in Iraq since : President Obama withdraws remaining US combat troops leaving 50,000 troops behind to train Iraqi forces and conduct counterterrorism operations Dec 15, 2011: American troops pulled out after 9 years Jan 21, 2013: Obama reelected and inaugurated as 45 th President – trying to withdraw troops in Afghanistan like system in Iraq

Results of War Over 170,000 US troops involved Stationed in Iraq at more than 500 bases Up to as many as 100,000 Iraqi citizens killed Close to 4,500 US troops were killed The financial cost was almost $1 trillion to the US government

WAR TITLEWAR YEARSCASUALTIES Revolutionary War( )4,435 War of 1812( )2,260 Mexican War( )13,283 Civil War( )623,026 Spanish-American War(1898)2,446 World War I( )116,708 World War II( )407,316 Korean War( )36,914 Vietnam War( )58,169 Invasion of Grenada(1983)19 Persian Gulf War(1991)269 Afghanistan( )350+ Operation: Iraqi Freedom( )4,500+ TOTALS52 years+1,268,695+

Where were “hotspots” in Iraq? Mosul Fallujah Al Anbar Province Najaf Baghdad

Why is democracy so important for the people of Iraq - just like it is for the United States?  No more dictatorship or being ruled by fear and blood.  3 ethnic groups (Kurds – political refugees, Sunnis – minority in power under Saddam, Shiites – majority repressed under Saddam) can now be equally represented in a federal government.  Iraqis have control over their own political and social destiny.

A Civil War? Shiites – 10-15% of 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide, but are a majority in Iraq (60%). They were NOT favored under Saddam Hussein. Sunnis – 85-90% of 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide, but are a minority in Iraq (20%). They were the favored group under Saddam Hussein. Kurds – They comprise 22 million people in 6 countries - 10 million in Turkey, 5.5 million in Iran, 3.5 million in Iraq and pockets of population in Syria, Azerbaijan and Armenia. They were promised a Kurdish state after WWI and the Ottoman Empire broke up but oil was found on their land and Great Britain broke its promise to them. Most are Sunni Muslims. Saddam Hussein waged a genocide on this group in They are a minority in Iraq (20%). Shiites believe that the caliphs, or temporal successors to Muhammad, should come from his family line. The Sunnis, by contrast, believe that a caliph need only be a believer in Islam. The Sunnis prevailed & became the vast majority of the world's Muslims. Sunnis consider the Koran a divine text that needs no further interpretation. Shiites, on the other hand, believe the Koran should be interpreted for modern times, this is a distinction that deeply separates the sects (branches) of Islam. It is now the Sunnis who have become radicalized and suicide bombers today typically are young Sunni men and women.