PERSIAN GULF WAR CAUSE 1990 IRAQ INVADES KUWAIT

PERSIAN GULF WAR • CAUSE: 1990 – IRAQ INVADES KUWAIT BECAUSE THEIR LEADER, SADDAM HUSSEIN, ACCUSED THEM OF TAKING THEIR OIL. US IS AFRAID OF IRAQ TAKING OIL FROM KUWAIT AND POSSIBLY SAUDI ARABIA • 1991 – US LEADS FORCES AGAINST IRAQ AND FORCES THEM OUT OF KUWAIT. • 1991 – IRAQ LEAVES KUWAIT AFTER US FORCES PUSH THEM BACK. KUWAIT AND SAUDI ARABIA ARE ABLE TO PRODUCE AND SHIP OIL AGAIN • IMPACT: THE ARAB WORLD FEELS WEAK BECAUSE THEUNITED STATES HAD TO COME IN AND HELP THEM. SADDAM HUSSEIN STAYS IN POWER IN IRAQ BECAUSE THE US DIDN’T WANTIRAQ TO BECOME AN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (INVASION OF IRAQ) CAUSE: THE UNITED STATES BELIEVED THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN, LEADER OF IRAQ, WAS DEVELOPING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION (WMDS), PROVIDING AID TO ALQAEDA, MISTREATING HIS CITIZENS (ESPECIALLY THEKURDS IN THE NORTH), AND WAS A THREAT TOUS INTERESTS IN THE AREA (OIL). 2003 – UNITED STATES INVADES IRAQ AND CAPTURES SADDAM HUSSEIN IMPACT – WITH SADDAM DEAD THERE WAS NO POWER IN IRAQ (THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT INSTALLED THERE FAILED). THIS LACK OF POWER IN THE REGION LED TO THE EMERGENCE OF THE GROUP ISIS.

INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN • CAUSE: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 MEMBERS OF THE TERRORIST GROUP AL QAEDA HIJACK 4 PLANES AND CRASH THEM INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NYC, THE PENTAGON, AND ONE IN A FIELD IN PENNSYLVANIA. • OCTOBER 2001 THE US RESPONDS BY INVADING AFGHANISTAN WHERE THEY WENT AFTER THE LEADER OF AL QAEDA, OSAMA BIN LADEN, AND THE AFGHANI GOVERNMENT WHO WAS PROTECTING THEM (TALIBAN). • IMPACT: THE UNITED STATES WAS ABLE TO TAKE THETALIBAN OUT OF POWER, WEAKEN ALQAEDA, AND KILL OSAMA BIN LADEN, YET OUR FORCES ARE STILL THERE TRYING TO MAKE SURE A NEW GOVERNMENT CAN PROPERLY OPERATE. IN THE US, SECURITY HAS TIGHTENED AROUND THE COUNTRY.