Post by Rob W. Case on Mar 6, 2007 17:35:41 GMT -6
I feel that the article that you are about to read has been in need for some time. The article that you are about to read is designed to give you a clear vision of why the United States invaded Iraq, and why we are at the point where we are at now. After all, people who are in their 20’s and early 30’s will not remember the events which sparked the conditions that urged the use of force to be made upon Iraq. Most of these events occurred during the infancy/childhood of Generation X and Y’ers.
At the time of this writing the war that once won approval from a majority of Americans now suffers disapproval from a majority of Americans. In the four years we have been in Iraq, it looks as though something is not right. It appears as though we are doing the same thing, over and over, expecting a different result. That is what Mark Twain would describe as the epitome of insanity.
To really understand Iraq, you have to fully understand the conditions of Iran, for Iran, during the time of the Carter administration is where the roots of Iraq takes place. Iran was governed by the Shaw, a government that was pro-American and an ally of the West in its struggle against the Soviet Union. The Shaw also implemented Western type policies in his program called the White Revolution, which included land reform, the extension of voting rights to women, and the elimination of illiteracy. The Shaw combined modernization and Westernization along with his own Imperialistic Dictatorship. The Shaw also, despite the Arab boycott in the 1970’s, supplied Israel with oil. As the United State’s strongest guardian of U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf, the Nixon-Ford administration promised the Shaw that he could purchase whatever weapons in whatever quantities he wanted, despite the Shaw’s dictatorial Imperialism and use of their secret police to spy on and suppress Iranian student protesters.
The Rise of the Militants:
Jimmy Carter’s Role in this:
During the Shaw’s Rule, militants were angry and upset. Religious leaders felt that their authority was diminishing, and students were in disarray. During the mid to late 1970’s, opposition from the people were mounting and the Shaw’s government was collapsing. The only hope for the Shaw to restore order and strength was the United States. In 1976, Jimmy Carter won the election over Gerald Ford causing the political climate to change. Carter’s liberal utopian views prompted him to, in his own words, “reduce the sales of offensive weapons throughout the world…”
On November 4th, 1977, the Shaw was asked what scenarios he feared the most. The Shaw replied, “Growing terrorism, permissive societies, democracy collapsing through lack of law and order. If things continue on their present track, the disintegration of Western societies will occur much sooner than you think under the hammer blows of fascism and communism. Freedom is not something that does not have a breaking point, and your enemies would like you to reach that point.”
The Shaw looked to the United States for help numerous times, hoping to gain the support that the Nixon-Ford administration promised them, but Carter’s liberalism prompted him to demand certain conditions. Carter drew some guidelines that he felt needed to be enacted if the Shaw was to gain support from the U.S. Extremely hesitant to in his mind “promote violence,” the Carter administration was dwindling towards it’s support for the Shaw, whose power was growing weaker and weaker, while the Ayatollah Khomeini, the opposition force was becoming stronger and stronger.
Revolution: Revolution finally broke out. The Shaw’s health was deteriorating because of cancer, so he appealed to the United States for medical attention. As the Ayatollah overthrew the Shaw Government, the Shaw went quietly only to seek medical attention and move to Egypt where he eventually died from cancer.
On November 4th, 1979, a group of fanatic Islamic students invaded the U.S. Embassy (yes, the Shaw allowed the United States to have an Embassy in Iran) in Tehran holding 52 Americans hostage. The Carter administration sought plans to negotiate with the Ayatollah, but they did not budge. Meanwhile, the days, weeks, months, and a year passed and no progress was made. Carter imposed sanctions on Iran as punishment, but it fueled the fire even more.
Iran now hated the United States, and it started with Jimmy Carter. When Carter talked of the Shaw, he said, “The cause of human rights is one that is shared deeply by our people and the leaders of our two nations.” That infuriated the militancy. Carter’s refusal to supply the Shaw with what they needed provided the opportunity for the Ayatollah to take over, and after the takeover, Carter tried to punish the Ayatollah, thus fanning the image that the United States was suppressing the very things that the Ayatollah was fighting for, and his friendliness with the Shaw seemed to have sparked the image that the U.S. endorsed the Shaw’s dictatorial style. Strikes and protests broke out and the Shaw’s forces ended up killing hundreds of people.
The 444 Days:
The Ayatollah’s power was exploiting Carter’s weakness. Each and every day that the hostages were in Iran, it was a blow to the strength and resolve of the U.S. Presidency. As this occurred, the Soviet Union was on the move, also exploiting the weakness resulting from Carter’s liberalism. While Carter was stumped, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and was moving to invade more regions. Former Secretary of State to President Nixon Henry Kissinger stated that the United States was in a “window of vulnerability,” while chaos seemed to be winning abroad and the morale of the American people (some paying high taxes and some being unemployed) was the epitome of disappointment. However, there was hope in sight.
1980: Iran Vs. Iraq
While the Iran-hostage crisis was at its peak, and while the Soviet Union was on the move, Iraq was preparing to attack Iran. Iran and Iraq had frequently argued over border and shipping disputes. Iran and Iraq also represents different sections of Islam. Iran is composed of mostly Shiite Muslims, and Iraq is mostly composed of Sunni Muslims. Both sectors of Islam have been rivals for centuries. Iraq, under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein imposed a secular dictatorship, while the Ayatollah Khomeini sought to erect an Islamic Republic firmly rooted in fundamentalist Islam. Khomeini’s goal was to spread Islamic revolution throughout the mid-east which would require the overthrow of Saddam’s regime in hopes to take over and expand its influence in the Middle East. At the same time, Saddam Hussein’s goal was to overthrow the Ayatollah in Iran, take over, and expand his influence in the Middle East. On September 22nd, 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, and a full-scale war erupted, causing further complications regarding the hostages.
The Election of 1980:
As the United States lost a powerful ally and as the Soviet Union was advancing, a former actor and Governor of California by the name of Ronald Reagan was running for president. Reagan’s hope, optimism, and tough resolve was exactly what the nation needed. His message was clear. The Hostage Crisis in Iran was marked as a disgrace, and Reagan promised to revamp the U.S. Military and restore America’s reputation for promoting peace and safety throughout the world, as well as re-energize the economy and the morale of the American people.
Reagan's Lucky Day
Iranian Hostage Crisis Helped The Great Communicator To Victory
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/01/19/iran/main265499.shtml
To Be Continued…….
At the time of this writing the war that once won approval from a majority of Americans now suffers disapproval from a majority of Americans. In the four years we have been in Iraq, it looks as though something is not right. It appears as though we are doing the same thing, over and over, expecting a different result. That is what Mark Twain would describe as the epitome of insanity.
To really understand Iraq, you have to fully understand the conditions of Iran, for Iran, during the time of the Carter administration is where the roots of Iraq takes place. Iran was governed by the Shaw, a government that was pro-American and an ally of the West in its struggle against the Soviet Union. The Shaw also implemented Western type policies in his program called the White Revolution, which included land reform, the extension of voting rights to women, and the elimination of illiteracy. The Shaw combined modernization and Westernization along with his own Imperialistic Dictatorship. The Shaw also, despite the Arab boycott in the 1970’s, supplied Israel with oil. As the United State’s strongest guardian of U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf, the Nixon-Ford administration promised the Shaw that he could purchase whatever weapons in whatever quantities he wanted, despite the Shaw’s dictatorial Imperialism and use of their secret police to spy on and suppress Iranian student protesters.
The Rise of the Militants:
Jimmy Carter’s Role in this:
During the Shaw’s Rule, militants were angry and upset. Religious leaders felt that their authority was diminishing, and students were in disarray. During the mid to late 1970’s, opposition from the people were mounting and the Shaw’s government was collapsing. The only hope for the Shaw to restore order and strength was the United States. In 1976, Jimmy Carter won the election over Gerald Ford causing the political climate to change. Carter’s liberal utopian views prompted him to, in his own words, “reduce the sales of offensive weapons throughout the world…”
On November 4th, 1977, the Shaw was asked what scenarios he feared the most. The Shaw replied, “Growing terrorism, permissive societies, democracy collapsing through lack of law and order. If things continue on their present track, the disintegration of Western societies will occur much sooner than you think under the hammer blows of fascism and communism. Freedom is not something that does not have a breaking point, and your enemies would like you to reach that point.”
The Shaw looked to the United States for help numerous times, hoping to gain the support that the Nixon-Ford administration promised them, but Carter’s liberalism prompted him to demand certain conditions. Carter drew some guidelines that he felt needed to be enacted if the Shaw was to gain support from the U.S. Extremely hesitant to in his mind “promote violence,” the Carter administration was dwindling towards it’s support for the Shaw, whose power was growing weaker and weaker, while the Ayatollah Khomeini, the opposition force was becoming stronger and stronger.
Revolution: Revolution finally broke out. The Shaw’s health was deteriorating because of cancer, so he appealed to the United States for medical attention. As the Ayatollah overthrew the Shaw Government, the Shaw went quietly only to seek medical attention and move to Egypt where he eventually died from cancer.
On November 4th, 1979, a group of fanatic Islamic students invaded the U.S. Embassy (yes, the Shaw allowed the United States to have an Embassy in Iran) in Tehran holding 52 Americans hostage. The Carter administration sought plans to negotiate with the Ayatollah, but they did not budge. Meanwhile, the days, weeks, months, and a year passed and no progress was made. Carter imposed sanctions on Iran as punishment, but it fueled the fire even more.
Iran now hated the United States, and it started with Jimmy Carter. When Carter talked of the Shaw, he said, “The cause of human rights is one that is shared deeply by our people and the leaders of our two nations.” That infuriated the militancy. Carter’s refusal to supply the Shaw with what they needed provided the opportunity for the Ayatollah to take over, and after the takeover, Carter tried to punish the Ayatollah, thus fanning the image that the United States was suppressing the very things that the Ayatollah was fighting for, and his friendliness with the Shaw seemed to have sparked the image that the U.S. endorsed the Shaw’s dictatorial style. Strikes and protests broke out and the Shaw’s forces ended up killing hundreds of people.
The 444 Days:
The Ayatollah’s power was exploiting Carter’s weakness. Each and every day that the hostages were in Iran, it was a blow to the strength and resolve of the U.S. Presidency. As this occurred, the Soviet Union was on the move, also exploiting the weakness resulting from Carter’s liberalism. While Carter was stumped, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and was moving to invade more regions. Former Secretary of State to President Nixon Henry Kissinger stated that the United States was in a “window of vulnerability,” while chaos seemed to be winning abroad and the morale of the American people (some paying high taxes and some being unemployed) was the epitome of disappointment. However, there was hope in sight.
1980: Iran Vs. Iraq
While the Iran-hostage crisis was at its peak, and while the Soviet Union was on the move, Iraq was preparing to attack Iran. Iran and Iraq had frequently argued over border and shipping disputes. Iran and Iraq also represents different sections of Islam. Iran is composed of mostly Shiite Muslims, and Iraq is mostly composed of Sunni Muslims. Both sectors of Islam have been rivals for centuries. Iraq, under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein imposed a secular dictatorship, while the Ayatollah Khomeini sought to erect an Islamic Republic firmly rooted in fundamentalist Islam. Khomeini’s goal was to spread Islamic revolution throughout the mid-east which would require the overthrow of Saddam’s regime in hopes to take over and expand its influence in the Middle East. At the same time, Saddam Hussein’s goal was to overthrow the Ayatollah in Iran, take over, and expand his influence in the Middle East. On September 22nd, 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, and a full-scale war erupted, causing further complications regarding the hostages.
The Election of 1980:
As the United States lost a powerful ally and as the Soviet Union was advancing, a former actor and Governor of California by the name of Ronald Reagan was running for president. Reagan’s hope, optimism, and tough resolve was exactly what the nation needed. His message was clear. The Hostage Crisis in Iran was marked as a disgrace, and Reagan promised to revamp the U.S. Military and restore America’s reputation for promoting peace and safety throughout the world, as well as re-energize the economy and the morale of the American people.
Reagan's Lucky Day
Iranian Hostage Crisis Helped The Great Communicator To Victory
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/01/19/iran/main265499.shtml
To Be Continued…….