Transcript The War in Afghanistan
The War in Afghanistan
Analyze the Causes and Effects
Afghanistan
What is this land like?
Basics
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Population = 32 million Size = Texas Language = Afghan Persian
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70 different languages Ethnicity = Mixed Pastun 50% Associate with Tribes Literacy Rate = 36% Land = Mountain and Desert Landlocked
Afghan History
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Diverse Nation
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Conquered in past by:
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Persians, Romans, Ottomans, British
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Won Independence from Great Britain in 1919
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1978 Civil War
Afghan History
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1979 Soviet Invasion
w/ USA aid Beat USSR in 89’ 1989 – 1996 – Civil War
Taliban wins Taliban “seekers of knowledge” - govt. in power
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Harsh & repressive government
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Radical Muslims
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Drug Trade (Heroin)
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Extreme Poverty Famine
Taliban Takes Charge of Country
September 11, 2001
How does this relate to Afghanistan?
Questions Page • Which attack alarmed you the most? • Why?
Al-Qaeda
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Claims responsibility for attack on USA Taliban lets Al Qaeda hide out in their county because they are allies.
Al-Qaeda Alliance with Taliban
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1996 Osama bin Laden moves from Sudan to Afghanistan
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Leader of Al-Qaeda
9/11 • Men who Hijacked planes
Why did these people want to attack America? According to Bin Laden, he is concerned with • American foreign policy towards , and American actions in, the Muslim world • US support for Israel in its ongoing theft of Arab land • US support for corrupt and repressive regimes in the Muslim world (Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states). • Post 9/11, the US has added to an already long list of Muslim grievances by occupying Afghanistan and Iraq.
Why did these people want to attack America? According to Bin Laden, he has never said that the attacks were, are, or will be because of American freedoms, the rights of our citizens, or even because of our religious differences.
He has said that the reasons for the attacks of the past as well as those of the future will be because of the way the US and its allies treat the Muslim World.
• The 9/11 Commission Report determined that the animosity towards the United States felt by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the "principal architect" of the 9/11 attacks, stemmed "not from his experiences there as a student, but rather from his violent disagreement with U.S. foreign policy favoring Israel".
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Osama bin Laden
How did the United States respond?
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Tells Taliban to:
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deliver Al-Qaeda leaders to USA
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release all US citizens in jails
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protect foreigners in Afghanistan
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Close terrorist facilities
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Do you feel an attack on a country that harbors terrorists is justifiable?
Operation Enduring Freedom
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Invade Afghanistan (Oct. 7, 2001)
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Mission:
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1) Capture Osama bin Laden
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2) Destroy Al-Qaeda network
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3) Remove Taliban Regime
NATO •
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
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“committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective
(joint)
security.”
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Have given forces to War in Afghanistan (49 countries – now 37)
Americans in Helmand Province 2007
Afghan Man
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Friend or Foe?
Questions
• • • Do you feel the USA and Congress made the right decision to attack the Taliban in 2001?
Question:
Why do you think the US, with the most powerful military in the world, and its allies, have not been able to totally subdue the Taliban?
What are the problems?
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Friend or Foe?
Suicide Bombers IED- Improvised Explosive Devices Taliban Aid from Iran Taliban Aid from Russia Drug Trade Flourishes (92% of World’s Heroin) Famine Never known democracy
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Extreme Islamic Groups
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Mountains and Terrain Border crossing Inadequate amount of US troops Untrained Afghani Troops Legitimate Government?
Civilian Casualties +3,000 Deaths
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Successful or Unsuccessful?
New Government in Afghanistan
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However, it is very unstable Taliban no longer in control
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Yet have quadrupled in size in SE now parts of Pakistan Afghanistan &
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NATO losing control in region Osama bin Laden was found and killed in Pakistan 10 year war – Obama thinking deploying more troops to the region.
Declared a Failed State by U.N.