The Iraq War
What was the Iraq War?
The Iraq War happened in 2003, when the U.S and some other countries invaded Iraq. They happened to believe that Iraq had hid dangerous weapons so they wanted to remove their leader, Saddam Hussein
What were the 9/11 attacks?
It began on September 11, 2001, when some terroists hijacked four airplanes and crashed them into important buildings in the U.S.
What is the Israel/Palestine conflict about?
It's a long argument over land between the Jewish people and Arabs. Both of the groups believed that the land belonged to them.
What was the Persian Gulf War?
It was a short war that happened in 1990 and lasted until 1991. This all happened due to Iraq invading a small country called, "Kuwait." Thankfully, the U.S and a few nations reached out to help.
Why did the U.S go to war in Afghanistan?
After the 9/11 attacks, the U.S wanted to find the terroists that had planned the event. They were hiding in Afghanistan.
Why did the U.S invade Iraq?
The U.S thought Iraq had weapons of mass destruction that could hurt many.
They also wanted to stop terrorism and bring democracy to Iraq.
Turns out the U.S never had any dangerous weapons.
What buildings got hit during the attacks?
Two planes ended up hitting the twins towers in New York city, one plane hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C, and the fourth plane ended up crashing into a field in Pennsylvania after some of the passengers tried to stop the hijackers.
Where is the land?
It's somewhere in the Middle East, near the Mediterranean Sea. The main places they disagree over are Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
Why did Iraq invade Kuwait?
Becasue Saddam Hussein wanted Kuwait's oil and land.
Who were the terroists?
The group was called, "al-Qaeda," they were being protected by the Taliban, who happened to control Afghanistan at the time.
Who was Saddam Hussein?
Saddam Hussein was the president of Iraq,
he ruled the country terribly for plently of years. He was removed from power during the war and later put on trial for several crimes.
Who was behind the attacks?
A terroist group called, "al-Qaeda," led by a man named, "Osama bin Laden," planned and carried out the attacks
Why did the conflict start?
The conflict started in the 1900s when Jewish people moved to the area, and disagreements grew about who should live there and rule the land.
What did the U.S. do?
The U.S had led a group of countries that sent troops to push Iraq out of Kuwait. It was called, "Operation Desert Storm."
What did the U.S. try to do there?
The U.S. tried to prevent the terrosim, remove Taliban from the power, and help Afghanistan build a new government as well.
When did the Iraq War happen?
The war began somewhere around March, 2023, and lasted for many years.
Why did they attack the U.S?
The terroists were angry at the U.S. for it's actions in the Middle East, so they wanted to scare people and cause damage.
What is life like for the people that live there?
Many live in fear, there have been wars, bombings, and many strict rules. Some of the areas are poor or just blocked off.
How long did the war last?
The fighting lasted for only a few months, and so Iraq was forced to leave Kuwait in 1991.
How long did the war last?
The war lasted for 20 years, making it one of the most longest wars in U.S. history. U.S. troops left in 2021.
What happened after the war?
After the war in Iraq, the country had trouble staying peaceful. There was a bunch of fighting between some groups in the country, and it took a while for the country to even build a new government.
What happened after the tragic event?
The U.S. responded by starting a "War on Terror," increasing airport security, and later going to war in Afghanistan to find those responsible.
Has peace been reached?
Not quite yet, unfortunately.
Many people and countries have tried to help, but the conflict is still going on 'til this day.
What happened to Saddam Hussein?
He stayed in power after the war, but the U.S. thankfully kept a close eye on him and placed restrictions on Iraq.
What is Afghanistan like now?
After the U.S. troops had left, the Taliban took control once again. Life over there is still hard for many people, especially the women and girls.