New Tensions Emerge 1991-2003

Question 1

After the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989, what changed in Afghanistan? (3)

(1989 - 96)

Answer 1

• a power vacuum led to a civil war
• the mujahideen collapsed into infighting (between different factions)
• in 1996 the Taliban became the faction with the most control

Question 2

Who was the leader of the Taliban in 1996?

Answer 2

Mohammed Omar

Question 3

How did the Taliban recruit?

What does Taliban mean?

Answer 3

• Mohammed Omar recruited many students from madrassas (Islamic schools)
• student in Pashto

Question 4

Why were the Taliban supported in Afghanistan?

Answer 4

They brought order, not the chaos of Mujaheddin infighting

Question 5

How did the Taliban change Afghanistan’s governance? (2)

Answer 5

• they established an Islamic Emirate
• imposed strict sharia law

Question 6

What is Sharia Law? (2)

Answer 6

• A literal, fundamentalist take on the Quran,
• with extreme punishments for lawbreakers

Question 7

How were women’s rights affected by the implementation of sharia law in Afghanistan?

Detail some changes (3)

Answer 7

Broadly, women’s rights were removed

Women were now:

• forced to wear a burqa
• couldn’t travel without a man’s permission
• forbidden from receiving education

Question 8

How much of Afghanistan did the Taliban control in 1998?

Which countries recognized this

Answer 8

• 90%
• Only recognized by Pakistan, UAE and Saudi Arabia

Question 9

Which ostensibly charitable organization grew out of the Soviet Afghan war?

What were they really doing?

Who was (one of) its founders

Answer 9

• the Afghan Services Bereau / Maktab al-Khidamat (MAB)
• recruiting, training and arming refugees for the Mujaheddin
• Osama Bin Laden

Question 10

How did Osama Bin Laden view western influence?

What particularly annoyed Bin Laden about the US?

Answer 10

That it threatened Islam and the muslim world - westerners were infidels

• in his view:
  1. The US supported the Israeli state - Arab nations unanimously oppose
  2. They did not remove troops from Saudi Arabia after the Gulf War - he saw this as conspiracy to attack Islam
  3. Islamic holy sites like Mecca were becoming diluted - due to Western influence - becoming American colonies

Question 11

What did Bin Laden view as the only defence against ‘American attack on Islam’? (2)

Answer 11

• To establish Sharia law and
• Destroy outside influences

Question 12

At what stage did the MAK become Al-Qaeda?

Answer 12

Some time after 1989

Question 13

When was the Iran-Iraq war?

Who led Iran during war?

Who did the US support?

Answer 13

• Sept 1980 - Aug 1988
• Ayatollah Khameni
• US supported Iraq (lesser of two evils - Hussein opposed Islamist fundamentalism)

Question 14

How much did the Iran-Iraq war cost Iraq?

How did Iraq change?

Answer 14

• $100 bn with a $70 bn deficit
• from oil rich into economic ruin - forced into debt

Question 15

How did the US support Iraq against Iran?

What did Hussein do with these?

Answer 15

• they sent weapons
• they also sent chemicals, which Hussein used to make chemical weapons and use against Kurds in Iraq - the US ignored this (during Iran-Iraq war)

Question 16

Between 1988 and 1990, what did Iraq do to fix their economy?

What did Hussein then do?

How did Kuwait respond?

Answer 16

• Hussein borrowed money from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
• he demanded debt forgiveness
• Kuwait dropped their oil prices in retaliation, (less people bought Iraqi oil - more economic hardship)

Question 17

Why did Iraq invade Kuwait (1st Gulf War)

Answer 17

In retaliation to Kuwait’s drop in oil prices

and

for not allowing debt forgiveness for loans after the Iran-Iraq war

Question 18

When did the 1st Gulf War start?

Who did the US back? Why?

Answer 18

• Aug 1990
• Kuwait - invasion was ‘against US interests’ - oil rich

Question 19

When did Bin Laden issue a ‘fatwa’ against the US?

What is this?

Answer 19

• 1998
• a death sentence, usually a jihad against Jews and crusaders

Question 20

What 4 attacks did Al-Qaeda carry out before 9/11?

Answer 20

• WTC 1993 - car park
• assassination attempt on Clinton - Philippines 1996
• Kenya & Tanzania embassy attacks 1998
• USS Cole attack 2000 - Yemen

Question 21

What were the reasons for 9/11? (4)

Answer 21

• Al-Qaeda wanted to create a sense of fear in the US, no safety - a new age of terror with no warning
• Bin Laden despised the US
• Al-Qaeda perhaps wanted to provoke an American response to radicalize Muslims
• to demonstrate the growth of Al-Qaeda and Jihadist/Islamist militarism

Question 22

Where were the 4 planes flown to on 9/11?

How many victims died?

Answer 22

1.
- WTC x 2
- Pentagon x 1
- White House / Capitol building (failed) x 1

2. 2,977

Question 23

What was George W Bush’s immediate response to 9/11?

What did this entail?

Answer 23

• To declare a ‘War on Terror’
• this would:
  1. To find, kill and destroy terrorist groups
  2. Regime change for govts supporting terrorism
  3. Strengthen weaker states
  4. Improve security home and abroad

Question 24

What did Congress pass after 9/11?

When?

Answer 24

• AUMF - Authorisation for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists
• sept 14th 2001

Question 25

What was the **name of the coalition** which **invaded Afghanistan** in **2001**? Where were they from?

Answer 25

The International Security Assistance Force - ISAF NATO nations - 18

Question 26

**When** did the **ISAF invade Afghanistan**?

Answer 26

October 7th 2001

Question 27

What **govt department** was **created** in the wake of **9/11**?

Answer 27

The Department of Homeland Security

Question 28

What **act** was **passed after the ISAF invaded Afghanistan**? What did it do? When was it passed?

Answer 28

- The **PATRIOT Act** - it gave the govt **increased rights** to **monitor citizen’s communications** - **26th October 2001**

Question 29

At the time of the **ISAF invasion of Afghanistan**, how many **terrorist training camps** were reported?

Answer 29

**Over 120** with *up to 20 000 jihadists*

Question 30

**When** did the **ISAF invade Afghanistan**? Why? What was the **Codename** for the invasion?

Answer 30

- Oct **7th** 2001 - the Taliban delayed handing over Bin Laden and dismantling Al-Qaeda - Operation Enduring Freedom

Question 31

**When** did the **ISAF** *oust* the **Taliban from Kabul**? **Who** did they **install as leader** of Afghanistan?

Answer 31

- December 2001 - Hamid Karzai

Question 32

**How much money** did the **Afghan invasion** cost the **US**? Give timeframes.

Answer 32

**$2.3 trillion** between **2001** and **2021** | The most expensive war in US history

Question 33

**How** did the **US invasion of Afghanistan** *impact international relations*? (**3**)

Answer 33

1. there was **early support** for the coalition **globally** (generally) 2. largely the middle-eastern nations opposed the war, **except**: - **Bahrain** - **UAE** - **Jordan** Who contributed, while **Pakistan complained** about **ISAF actions in their borders** and **Afghanistan** about **civilian casualties** 3. It has been claimed that the **war on terror** has led to **greater recruitment** for **terror groups**

Question 34

What did the west claim Iraq possessed? What was their evidence?

Answer 34

- WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) - specifically chemical weapons - Hussein had previously used chemicals supplied by the US against Kurds in Iraq

Question 35

What was the **name** of the **UN investigative unit** sent to **Iraq**? What did the **Iraqi govt** do which **raised tensions**? **When**?

Answer 35

- UNSCOM - Nov 1997 - Iraq expelled the investigators, which caused suspicion

Question 36

What was the **name** of the **office** established to **find connections** between **Hussein & Al-Qaeda**?

Answer 36

OSP - Office for Special Plans

Question 37

What was the **result** of the **UN search** in **Iraq**? How did the West react to this?

Answer 37

- **No evidence of WMDs** - Bush & Blair refused to accept the findings 1. **sept 2002** *US-UK intelligence committee report WMDs* 2. They decide to go to war without UN consent - Congress & parliament agree

Question 38

**When** did the **US led coalition** *invade **Iraq***? **How many troops** were involved? **When** was **Iraq defeated**?

Answer 38

- **March 20th 2003** with ‘*shock and awe*’ aerial bombardment - 160 000 - 3 weeks later

Question 39

What were the **reasons** for the **invasion of Iraq**? (**6**)

Answer 39

US claims - Saddam **support for Al-Qaeda** - possession of **WMDs** - **regime change** (democratic) - the only one that could be proven Other claims - **oil** reserves in Iraq were lucrative - **Bush** personally wanted to continue his **dad’s work in Iraq** - to **extend US power and influence globally**

Question 40

**When** did the **coalition capture Baghdad** (Iraq) **When** was **Saddam Hussein captured**?

Answer 40

- April **9th** 2003 - December 2003 (executed 2006)

Question 41

After the invasion of Iraq, who led the state? What did this cause?

Answer 41

- A predominantly **Shia** govt (ethnic minority) - sectarian violence began

Question 42

**How** did the **US** cause **further economic hardship in Iraq** (post invasion)

Answer 42

They ensured US firms do govt work - this meant Iraqi firms missed out on contracts

Question 43

Name the **prison** where **US troops** were accused of **torturing detainees** in **Iraq**

Answer 43

Abu Ghraib

Question 44

What was the **impact** of the **Iraq war** *on International relations*? (**8**)

Answer 44

1. Hussein was overthrown and Iraq had democratic elections - **first in 50 years** ``` 2. deaths: - **50 000 military** - **112 000 to 1 million civilians** ``` 3. *terrorism increased in Iraq* - **1003 suicide bombs** from **2003 to 2010** ``` 4. The following refused to support the invasion: - Germany, - France, - Russia - Canada ``` 5. Hundreds of thousands protested the war globally. ``` 6. **2003**, the League of Arab states called for a withdrawal ``` 7. **globally, terrorist attacks have increased**: - **343** *suicide attacks* between **1983-2000** - **2000 since 2004** ``` 8. The **UN’s reputation and authority** has been **undermined** - invasion happened without their sanction