Iran/Iraq A brief history

Sunnis  Sunnis: Muslims who claim the majority in the world Islamic community. The term sunna, by which the Sunnis refer to themselves (“people of the sunna”), probably means “middle of the road”.

Shiites  Shiites: emerged out of a dispute over the Muhammad’s successor. After the assassination of the fourth caliph (Islamic leader), Ali, in 661 C.E., the Shiites were Muslims claiming that it had been Ali's right to succeed Muhammad and that the previous caliphs had therefore taken over.  Shiites maintained that only descendants of Ali and his wife, Fatima (Muhammad's daughter), were entitled to rule the Muslim community. This doctrine (legitimism), was rejected by the majority of the Muslims (aka Sunnis).

Kurds:  Kurds: Live in Northern Iraq, Southern Turkey and Western Iran. They want their own country. Saddam Hussein hated them.

Iran = Persian Empire  Persian Empire until 1935 Darius Cyrus the Great Xerxes – Battle of Thermopylae 480 BCE  Greeks – 300 (Leonidas) vs.. Persians 200,000 – 1.5 millions

Iran modernizes  1921: Reza Khan leads Persian area into Modernization Literacy campaigns Voting rights for women Industrialization Neglected Islam Westernization occurs Oil is discovered

Iran:  1935: Persia becomes Iran  1951:Iranian Prime Minister Mossadeq nationalizes the oil industry – angers Britain

Shah Reza Pahlavi  CIA (US) overthrows Prime Minister Mossadeq and installs Shah Reza Pahlavi as leader.

Shah Reza Pahlavi  Pahlavi becomes an ally to the “ West ” and Israel.  He improved Iran ’ s literacy, women ’ s rights and industry,  an absolute monarch style rule that angered Fundamental Islamic groups.

 Fundamentalist Ayatollah Khomeini criticizes the Shah Ayatollah Khomeini

 Led his opposition from Iraq  Was exiled and fled to Paris  Still sent tapes to followers in Iran Ayatollah Khomeini

1979: Iranian Revolution  Shah Flees  Ayatollah Khomeini claims Iran  Created a Theocracy (called the Islamic Republic)

Iranian Revolution: 1979  Veils were enforced

Iranian Revolution: 1979  Islamic punishment reinstated (based off of Sharia Law).  The Sharia: Means "path" in Arabic and guides all aspects of Muslim life: daily routines, family/religious obligations, and financial dealings. Sharia is used to refer both to the Islamic system of law and the Islamic way of life. It is based off the Qu’ran (Koran) and the Sunna.

Iranian Revolution: 1979  Alcohol and “ Western ” ideals banned  Hostile towards US and Israel

Iranian Hostage Crisis  53 Americans taken hostage by Islamic students in Tehran – held 444 days and released in 1981 by Reagan

: Iran/Iraq War  Political reason: Over disputed waterway Shatt-al-Arab

: Iran/Iraq War  Economic reason: recession in Iraq  Saddam thought Iran was vulnerable because of Iranian Revolution

: Iran/Iraq War  US provides billions in aid to Saddam Hussein for weapons to kill Iranians  1983-White house secretly gives Iran weapons to kill Iraqis.

: Iran/Iraq War  1-2 million killed, UN cease fire  Led to Persian Gulf War  No-Fly Zones – Shiite southern region and Kurd northern region

More Recently in Iran  Ayatollah Khomeini dies  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is elected president. Power, however, is still in the hands of the Imams and Ayatollahs.

IRAQ:  Saddam Hussein comes to power in  He rules by using fear. He terrorizes, tortures, and kills own people.

Persian Gulf War 1990  After the Iran/Iraq war, Saddam Hussein was still in need of money.  1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait because “ they were overproducing and stealing oil from one of Iraq ’ s fields ”

Persian Gulf War 1990  That was a mistake- all the world sent money and/or troops  US imposed trade embargo against Iraq.  An embargo is when a country refuses to trade with another country.

Persian Gulf War 1990  Ground and air attacks for one month – Saddam withdrew  Before leaving – set fire to Kuwait ’ s oil fields and dumped 250 million gallons of oil in Persian Gulf

Operation Desert Fox  The December 1998 bombing of Iraq was a major four-day bombing campaign on Iraqi targets from 12/16- 12/19/1998 by the U.S. and the U.K.

Operation Desert Fox  These strikes were officially undertaken in response to Iraq’s continued failure to comply with United Nations Security Council resolution as well as their interference with United Nations Special Commission Inspectors.

Operation Iraqi Freedom:  March 20, 2003 invaded Iraq beginning the Iraq War  U.N. Resolutions Security Resolution - “a final opportunity to comply with it’s disarmament obligations”.

Operation Iraqi Freedom (American Iraq War)  Saddam Hussein refused to allow UN weapons inspections. UN Inspectors were supposed to be able to visit any facility in Iraq to check on WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction): biological, chemical, and/or nuclear weapons.

Operation Iraqi Freedom: Now known as “Operation: New Dawn”  Total Deaths as of 3/2/11 – 4,429 Americans  Total Wounded as of 3/2/11 – 31,938 Americans  Total Civilian Deaths as of 3/2/2011- Between 99,901 – 109,143 Iraqi ’ s

Power Vaccum  Power Vacuum: government has collapsed, or leadership left or died leaving vacancy in political office or government – strong group or person usually comes in to claim office.  Example: Two Macedonian kings, Philip II (ruled BC) and his son Alexander the Great (ruled BC), filled the power vacuum in Greece by turning their formerly weak kingdom into an international superpower.