History Soars at Pheonix  

The Modern Middle East

 

Islamic Iran

In 1953 the US and British helped Muhammad Reza Pahlavi become the ______ of Iran.  Although the shah ____________ and modernized Iran, he ruled as a dictator.

 

In the 1970s, opposition to the Shah of Iran was led by the exiled Ayatollah ___________, an Islamic ________________.

 

Islamic Fundamentalism – a return to the traditional beliefs and values of Islam; anti-Western.

 

Due to mounting ______________ the shah fled Iran in 1979.  Khomeini returned to Iran and declared an ___________ republic.

 

The Ayatollah’s new Islamic government was hostile to the West, banning books, music, and movies.  The government required strict adherence to _________, and women were denied __________.

 

Khomeini’s supporters stormed the US embassy and held 52 Americans __________ for over a year.  The hostages were released when Ronald ___________ took office in 1980.

 

In 2005 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president and is pursuing ___________ technology.  Ahmadinejad has also caused tension by vowing to swiftly ___________ Israel.

 

Saddam & Iraq

In 1980 Saddam ___________, dictator of neighboring Iraq, attacked Iran.  The eight year _______________ War was a costly _______________ for both nations. 

 

The US, USSR, West Germany and France gave Saddam ___________, believing him to be the ________ of two evils.  Saddam used poisonous _____ against Iran and Iraqi Kurds.

 

In 1990 Saddam invaded ________ and seized its ___ fields.  When he refused to leave President George Bush led a UN coalition in the ___________ War that quickly liberated Kuwait but left Saddam in power.

 

After the war the UN sent _______________ to make sure Saddam destroyed his weapons of mass destruction (_______). During the 1990s Saddam expelled the inspectors and broke 17 UN _________.  

 

By 2001 European and US ________________ agencies (CIA) were convinced Saddam possessed WMD and supported _____________, which led President George W Bush to seek military action. 

 

Although the ____ did not approve of military action, the US and its allies invaded and quickly toppled Saddam’s __________________ in March 2003.

 

No WMD were found in Iraq, but Saddam was captured and is on trial for crimes against _______. 

 

The US, its allies, and the Iraqis are currently working to establish a ______________ amid a violent _______________.  There have been several successful elections with very high voter _________.

 

Osama & the Taliban

After the Soviets were defeated in Afghanistan the ______, an Islamic fundamentalist regime, took power.  The Taliban was known for its brutal treatment of _________.

 

Osama Bin Laden is the leader of ____________, a Muslim terrorist group.  In 1998 Bin Laden declared _________, or “holy war,” against the US.

 

Bin Laden was upset that “_________” US troops entered the Muslim holy land of Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, killed Iraqi Muslims, and because the US is allied with __________.

 

Bin Laden led terrorist attacks against Americans in __________, two US _____________ in Africa, the USS ________, and the World Trade Center in 1993.  He then moved from Sudan to be with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

 

On September _____, 2001, Bin Laden orchestrated attacks on both World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and the US Capitol.  Planes were ________________ and flown into their targets.  The plane bound for the Capitol crashed in a field.

 

Refusing to give up Bin Laden, the US and its allies defeated the Taliban in several _________.  A _________________ was established, but Bin Laden eludes capture by hiding in mountain ________.