Iranian Revolution & Iran
This U.S.-backed leader ruled Iran before the 1979 revolution.
Who is the Shah?
What are the 2 major proxy wars we discussed in the Middle East?
The Soviet-Afghan War and the Iran-Iraq War
This country invaded Kuwait in 1990.
What is Iraq?
The terrorist group responsible for the September 11 attacks.
What is Al-Qaeda?
The Arab Spring began in this country.
What is Tunisia?
This religious leader became the most important figure after the revolution.
Who is Ayatollah Khomeini?
Why did the U.S. and USSR avoid direct war?
Risk of large-scale or nuclear conflict.
The U.S.-led military operation to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
What is Operation Desert Storm?
This group attempted to create a caliphate and control territory in Iraq and Syria.
ISIS
This technology helped protests spread quickly across countries.
What is social media?
What type of government replaced the Shah?
What is an Islamic Republic?
This group fought the Soviets in Afghanistan with U.S. support.
Who are the Mujahideen?
The main reason the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001.
To respond to 9/11, hunt down Osama Bin Ladin, and remove the Taliban/Al-Qaeda.
What happened when America left Afghanistan?
The Taliban returned and enforced strict laws against women
The most successful democratic outcome of the Arab Spring.
Tunisia
One major reason many Iranians opposed the Shah.
What is political repression, Western influence, or SAVAK control?
Why did Saddam Hussein invade Iran?
Fear of the Islamic Revolution
After Saddam Hussein was removed in 2003, this problem increased in Iraq.
Instability, a power vacuum, and the rise of ISIS
The PKK was a terrorist organization that fought ISIS for which ethnic group?
The Kurdish
Which two countries experienced civil war or severe instability?
Libya and Syria
How did U.S. involvement before 1979 affect U.S.–Iran relations afterward?
It created long-term anti-U.S. sentiment and distrust, and the US-Iranian Hostage Crisis
Explain how foreign involvement in proxy wars contributed to long-term regional instability in the Middle East.
Outside powers prolonged conflicts, armed groups, and weakened governments. Led to the rise of terrorist organizations.
Why did the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq last several decades?
Insurgencies of ISIS and Taliban, guerrilla warfare, and difficulties with nation-building.
Explain the difference between ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban
Al-Qaeda: Terrorist network which exists within multiple countries
Taliban: Terrorist cell in Afghanistan
ISIS: Terrorist cell/insurgent group in Iraq and Syria
What factor most often determined whether a government survived or fell?
Loyalty of military