Political Unrest in Middle East
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- What are the four causes?
- Territorial conflict, ideological differences, social or economic injustice, international interference.
- About territorial conflict?
- Ethnic diversity, religious diversity, historical claims, artificial boundaries.
- About ideological differences?
- Modernization v. Tradition, Orthodoxy v. fundamentalism
- About social and economic injustice?
- Autonomy, economic disparity
- About international interference?
- Undo outside influence, global economic interests
- What are driving cultural forces?
- Brotherhood (Pan Arabism and Pan Islamism) and Dignity (self-rule, identity, and justice)
- About Kurdistan?
- Not a real country, but the Kurds desire one. Turkey contains 10 million Kurds, Iraq 4 million, Iran 5 million, Syria 1 million.
- About Iraq/Iran border disputes?
- Complex. Arguments over Shat-al Arab region on the gulf coast.
- About Iraq/Iran War?
- Algiers Agreement of 1975 stated that if the shah in Iran stops his people from attacking Saddam Hussein's people in Iraq, Hussein would grant Iran access to Shat-al Arab. US supported Iran in the ensuing war because it was during the Cold War and Iran is adjacent to the Soviet Union and the gulf for oil. Shah is overthrown and Ayatollah takes over. He wanted Saddam overthrown and Saddam told Iran to leave the Shat-al Arab. Iran refused, which led to the outbreak of war from 1979 to 1989.
- About Iran-Contra Affair?
- Reagan supports Sandinista Movement in Nicaragua because of fruit suppliers. However, Congress doesn't want to give him money so he diverts money from the war in Iran to fight illegal contra-war in Nicaragua. Negotiates trade with Iran for ammunition and money in exchange for war hostages. In the end, Nicaragua overthrew their leader and became a democracy.
- What did Saddam say after the war was over?
- "Now we can turn our attention to more pressing Arab matters," referring to Israel.
- About "Clash of Civilizations?"
- Conflict is inevitable because of differences in culture. Us versus them.
- About "True Clash of Civilizations?"
- Gap in values causes clash. Ie, homosexuals, women's rights. Tests that Western values (such as separation of church and state) not only have importance in the West, but elsewhere as well.
- About Bill Moyers video?
- Panelists couldn't agree: Viewpoint 1: Terrorism is a symptom of a greater problem that needs addressed or terrorism won't go away. "Treat the problem, not the symptoms." Viewpoint 2: Terrorists are evil. Kill them all and everything will be better. Agreed upon: Extremists create schism in Middle Easy even though most people are moderate.
- About Balfour Declaration?
- British controlled Palestine and advocated for a Jewish homeland there. Caused influx of Jews there. After WWII, UN advocated division of Palestine into 2 separate states. Palestine refused, and Israel ended up taking all of Palestine in 1948.
- About Israel taking all that land?
- In 1968, Israel took Gaza Strip from Egypt, took Golan Heights from Jordan, took West Bank from Syria. Jimmy Carter's Camp David Accords ordered Israel to return land, but they still haven't except for the Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt.