 By: Ms. Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY  With a little help from Ms. Elizabeth Heavner

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

 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.

 Since the 12 th 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.

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

 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.

Israel in 1947 and 1949

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.

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

 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.

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

 From 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.

Does Mother Nature Do Anything in a Straight Line?

 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

 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

 An Israeli extremist group  Wants all Arabs out of Israel  Involved in small terrorist activities

SunniShiite  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.

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

Mass Graves of Saddam’s Victims

Oil Fields in Iraq

 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.

 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.

January 30, 2005 Iraqis vote for the first time!

 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.

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

 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. Cemetery in Iran Iran lost 500,000 people

 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.

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

 An international terrorist group  Leader is Osama Bin Laden  Responsible for attacks on 9/11  Believed to be hiding out and regrouping in Pakistan.

 A Muslim extremist group in Afghanistan  In power from  Sheltering Osama Bin Laden  Very strict; do not allow women to be educated  Get money for weapons through drugs

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

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

 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

 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.