Conflict in Southwest Asia

1. Conflict in Southwest Asia • By: Ms. Susan M. PojerHorace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY • With a little help from Ms. Elizabeth Heavner

2. Through out the history of Southwest Asia (Middle East), there have been many conflicts over: • Land • Natural Resources • Religion • Ethnicity

3. Arab-Israeli Conflict • A lot of conflict • Palestinians v. Israelis • Jews wanted Israel because God told them that is their homeland. • Palestinians also believe it is their homeland; believe Jews took away their home. Wailing Wall with Dome of the Rock in the background.

4. Arab-Israeli Conflict • Since the 12th Century B.C.E., there has been fighting in the region that is today called Israel. • After World War II, the United Nations wanted to split Palestine in two: • Half for Arabs/Palestinians • Half for Jews • Jews agreed, but Arabs said no.

5. United Nations’s Plan to Make Palestine and Israel Two Separate States

6. Arab-Israeli Conflict • On May 14, 1948, Israel is declared an independent state • The next day Israel is attacked by Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Iraq. • Fighting ends in January 1949, Israel has expanded its territory. • Thousands of Palestinians flee to other Arab countries.

7. Palestinian Refugees

8. Jewish Refugees

9. Israel in 1947 and 1949

10. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.

11. Gaza Strip • Israel occupied the Gaza Strip in 1967 • In 2005 Israeli troops pulled out of Gaza.

12. Benjamin Netanyahu • Prime Minister of Israel • Wants Palestine to exist beside Israel but they have to get rid of all their weapons and Jerusalem will belong to Israel only.

13. Jerusalem • A holy city for Christians, Jews and Muslims. • Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Christian) • Wailing or Western Wall (Jewish) • Dome of the Rock (Muslim)

14. Arab-Israeli Conflict • From 1948-2009 there have been 12 different conflicts between the Arabs and Israelis over land. • The most recent happened in December of 2008 between Hamas and Israel.

15. Expansion of Israel

16. The Wall

17. Does Mother Nature Do Anything in a Straight Line?

18. Which one stands out?

19. Who is Hezbollah?

20. Hezbollah • Hezbollah (“Party of God”) is a powerful political and military organization of Shia Muslims in Lebanon. • Get money and weapons from Syria and Iran • Want to destroy Israel • Think Palestine is occupied Muslim land and Israel should not exist. • Iran and Syria have a lot of influence over their actions

21. Who is Hamas? • Hamas is an extremist group of Palestinians • They refuse to recognize Israel as a state. • Since 1993, have killed over 500 people • Operate inside Israel

22. Who is Kach? • An Israeli extremist group • Wants all Arabs out of Israel • Involved in small terrorist activities

23. Religious Differences between Muslims Sunni Shiite • Majority of world’s Muslims are Sunni. • Believe religious ruler should be selected by the people. • Iran has mostly Shiite Muslims. • Believe religious ruler can only be someone in Muhammad’s family. Always fighting for power.

24. Muslim Distribution

25. Iraq • Saddam Hussein becomes president in 1979. • Iraq has problems between the Sunni and Shiite. • Oil discovered in Iraq in 1927

26. Ethnic Groups in Iraq

27. Mass Graves of Saddam’s Victims

28. Oil Fields in Iraq

30. First Persian Gulf War (1990-91) • Saddam invades Kuwait, claiming it is part of Iraq. • The U.S. and other countries attack Iraq and try to make Saddam leave. • Iraqi troops set Kuwaiti oil fields on fire because they were being forced to leave.

31. Second Persian Gulf War (2003-) • Saddam makes United Nations weapons inspectors leave. • U.S. worried Iraq has W.M.D.’s (Weapons of Mass Destruction). • U.S. wants to get rid of Saddam before he attacks Israel or the U.S.. • U.S. invades Iraq in 2003 – capture Saddam the same year.

32. January 30, 2005 Iraqis vote for the first time!

33. Kurds • A nation without a state • Most Kurds live in Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. • All of these countries refuse to give Kurds their own country. • Saddam killed hundreds by dropping chemical weapons on them.

34. Iran • Supreme Leader: Ayatollah Khameini • A theocracy • President: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad • Threaten Israel often with nuclear weapons • Iran’s President denies the Holocaust.

35. Iran-Iraq War (1980-88) Cemetery in Iran • September 1980: Iraq invades Iran to show how powerful their military is. • Iran agrees to peace – scared U.S. will get involved. • In the Iran-Iraq war, the U.S. helped Iraq. Iran lost 500,000 people

36. Pakistan • Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda are possibly hiding out in Pakistan . • President wants to build a fence and set mines between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

37. Afghanistan • Shares a border with Pakistan. • Many terrorists go back and forth between the two countries.

38. Who is Al-Qaeda? • An international terrorist group • Leader is Osama Bin Laden • Responsible for attacks on 9/11 • Believed to be hiding out and regrouping in Pakistan.

39. Who is the Taliban? • A Muslim extremist group in Afghanistan • In power from 1996-2001 • Sheltering Osama Bin Laden • Very strict; do not allow women to be educated • Get money for weapons through drugs

40. 2/3 of the world’s heroin comes from Afghanistan Taliban receives $70-$100 million 60% of Afghanistan’s economy involves opium production. Poppy Fields in Afghanistan Why would a farmer go against his religion to grow something that is turned into drugs? Opium Poppy > Heroin

41. Water • Water is a valuable, non-renewable resource. • The first fight over water rights happened 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq).

42. Irrigation • There is a lot of desert in the Middle East • Have to come up with new ways to grow crops because it’s so hot, the water will sometimes evaporate. • Drip Irrigation

43. Irrigation

44. Conclusion • Everyday in the news you hear about an explosion in one country or fighting in another. • It seems unlikely that peace will come to the Middle East any time soon.