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Iranian Revolution
The Irani people wanted to get rid of their leader Reza Shah Pahlavi, and when he left to America because of his cancer diagnosis, they Iranians break into the US Embassy, where they take US hostages - 66 hostages were taken, however, they were released 8 months later. In addition to these hostages, only 52 were left after 444 days, because of the brutality and torture they faced when begin held captive. Soon after, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini takes over after the invasion of the US Embassy. -
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Soviet Union invades Afghanistan (Uprising of Al-Qaeda)
The soviets invaded Afghanistan to stop from communist growing communities to spread, toppling the presidency of Hafizullah Amin. In addition to this, multiple coups were put in place, along with over 100,000 Soviet troops taking control of major cities. However, in 1989, the Soviets finally withdrew all their troops after they signed an accord with the US, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. -
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Iran-Iraq War
A war broke out between Iran and Iraq, where The Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded Iran under the control of Ayatollah Khomeini so they could gain total access and control over the Shatt al-Arab river, giving them and overbearing amount of oil and being able to weaken the Iranian military. The war ended in a UN ceasefire, killing over 500,000 soldiers and 100,000 citizens of Iran and Iraq. -
Iran-Contra Affair
A circular effect continued through Israel, Iran, and the US. The CIA brought in a surplus and excess of US weapons and sent them to Israel. Then Israel sells those weapons to Iran. Following after, Iran the bought these US arms at a higher price, and this comes all the way back to the CIA, taking that money and create more equipment. This continued on for about many years until it became known to the public and almost became a scandal. -
Pan Am Flight Bombing
Syracuse students, along with 257 other passengers on the plane were flying form New York City to London, when their plane exploded flying over Lockerbie, Scotland. The plane completely broke and collapsed, killing everyone in the plane, along with killing 11 people on the ground and destroying 21 houses. -
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Persian Gulf War
The major operations: Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, were the major leadings of this war. Iraq had accused Kuwait of stealing oil, causing for a war to erupt. Operation Desert Shield was to defend Saudi Arabia from being extended into this war, keeping them safe from the invasions trying to happen. This then led to Operation Desert Storm was an aerial bombing campaign, allowing the US to defeat the fourth largest battle-hardened army, and liberated Kuwait. -
US In Somalia
Somalia was having trouble with their security, their food being lost in warehouses, etc., and so Former President George H.W. Bush sent 28,000 American troops to Somalia to help send them. This was called Operation "Restore Hope," allowing for the troops to help the UN troops also there to be able to distribute the good properly to people who desperately needed them, and provided security through every place in need. -
First Attempt - World Trade Center Bombing
Ramzi Yousef, the brains behind the attempted terrorist attack, planted and exploded a bomb in the garage of the World Trade Center, killing 6 people, 1,000 injured, and a 100 foot crater left in the bottom of the center. Yousef was sentenced to life in prison in the US, along with the FBI finding the other six, one still remained at large. In addition, there were more attacks planned, bombing multiple international flights, and since they were all taken away, it would no longer happen. -
Black Hawkdown/Battle of Mogadishu
While US troops were in Somalia, helping distribute the food sitting in warehouses, Operation Gothic Serpent was put into action to take 24 prisoners, including Muhammad Farah Aydid, whom they did not find, and take them in hostage in helicopters. Some helicopters were shot down by Al Qaeda operatives, with the use of America's own US-made stingers and aircraft guns. 18 US soldiers died, and their bodies were dragged down Somali streets, hanging them on buildings, all live on television. -
100 days of Rwandan Genocide
From April to July of 1994, Hutu nationalists in Kigali Rwanda caused a mass genocide in 100 days, slaughtering between 800,000-1,000,000 Tutsi with machetes. The Tutsi were discriminated against, as the entirety of the genocide was towards them, as the Hutu people were to be the only ones to strive. However, approximately 2,000,000 refugees, mostly Hutu people, fled Rwanda because of the mass killings happening. Even though they were not going to be killed as much as the Tutsi, they still fled. -
Khobar Tower Bombing
In June of 1996, a car filled with explosives was detonated near the Khobar towers in Saudi Arabia, killing 19 Americans and injuring over 400 US military members/citizens. This led to Operation Southern Watch, where Southern Iraq was made a no-fly zone. -
US Embassy Bombings
Suicide bombers parked outside of the two American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, simultaneously bombing them both, killing roughly 200 and wounding over 4,000 people. Later on, after further investigation, it was found that the attacks were linked to Al-Qaeda. -
Foiled Millennium Attacks
On New Years Eve, before the millennium began, Ahmed Hessam, a terrorist maybe tied to Al Qaeda, was arrested before passing the Canadian Border into the US, with white powder/nitroglycerin in his trunk. He was part of one of multiple bombings, the bombing of LAX, bombing of an Indian Airlines flight, four tourist sites in Jordan, and the USS "The Sullivans." To this, in Jordan, Jordanian police stopped four suicide bombings when America found from Hessam where the rest of the bombs were going. -
USS Cole Attack
This attack was the second attempt, the first towards the USS "The Sullivans," where the boat sank before the explosives could get near the ship. However, the bombs and boat were salvaged, and the altered the boat and used everything again but towards the USS Cole. In Yemen, two suicide pilots on a boat detonated explosives into the USS Cole, killing 17 sailors and injuring 40 others. Several suspects were taken in afterwards and were put in US custody. -
9/11
September 11th, 2001, a group, Al-Qaeda, caused four terrorist attacks, hijacking four planes. These planes crashed into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and in an empty field in Pennsylvania. Overall, 2,819 people were killed, including 343 firefighters/paramedics who sacrificed their lives to save others in the disaster. The aftermath: repair began in NYC for the Twin Towers, people united together for peace, Al-Qaeda now became the #1 target for America to shut down. THE WAR ON TERROR BEGINS -
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War on Terror Begins
After 9/11, the United States declares war on the Taliban for harboring terrorists, and does not leave for twenty years. To start, war in Afghanistan began, the US sending airstrikes at Taliban and Al-Qaeda training camps, leading to more conflict in Iraq, the Iraq War. Following the Iraq War, Saddam Hussein was hung in national television for the whole world to see, along with Osama Bin Laden killed by US Special Forces inside of a walled compound in Pakistan, and war in Afghanistan ends. -
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Iraq War
In the beginning of the war, the United States, with Australia, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland, and Great Britain launched Operation Iraqi Freedom. Then less than a month later, the end of major combat operations came, however it did not end. Soon after, Saddam Hussein was captured, sentenced to death, and then hung on live television. Towards the end, the US pulled out completely from Iraq, killing 4,400 Americans and over 100,000 Iraqis. -
Death of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein was killed in 2006 because of his brutality towards his country and opposing towards other kinds he found hatred towards. He was hung on live television for everyone to visually see his death and know he had died. -
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Arab Spring
The Arab Spring was an uprising of protests for civilians who wanted their rights back. This all first started in Tunisia and Egypt, where people protested against the government. The Arab Spring awoke other citizens of different countries, moving into Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, Libya, etc., causing for multiple revolutions to occur. Social media helped spread these movements people were protesting about, everyone sparking an energy to become new, and the governments did not appreciate it. -
Yemen Crisis (2011-2012)
Yemen had the worst humanitarian crisis, being the poorest country in the Middle East. When protests began, President Ali Abdullah Saleh's base of protection became damaged, bombs and airstrikes constantly occurring, damaging everything. The president left since he was injured by a bomb strike, and when he came back, he could not handle the pain going through Yemen, and he passed it along to the Vice President. Yemen continued to get worse, and soon, this led to the Yemen Civil War. -
Syrian Crisis/War (2011-Present)
In Syria, civilians inspired by the Arab Spring, the Syrian people protested through streets to promote their want of President Bashar al-Assad's resignation. Environments in Syria became worse, the government began fighting rebels, using chemicals weapons, etc. Overall, 12,000 children were killed, over 500,000 in general killed (over 10 years), and 14,000 were murdered by torture. Millions of refugee camps were set up on the border of Turkey because of the brutality coming from the government. -
Death of Osama Bin Laden
In May of 2011, Osama Bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces, specifically US Navy SEALS, who found Bin Laden in a walled compound hidden in plain sight, harbored in Abbottabad, Pakistan. -
Yemen War (2014-Present)
Starting in 2014 in Yemen, the Houthis invaded and took over the government, causing for a civil war to occur through rebellion of all the different Yemeni: The Houthis, the Sunnis, the Shitte, etc. This war is now still continuing and has no bounds of ending yet. -
Saudi Arabian Women's Rights
Saudi Arabian Women will be allowed to have voting rights and participate in elections for their communities in 2015. Ever since the Gulf War, many rules have changed positively over time for women. -
Saudi Arabian Women's Rights
Women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to drive by themselves in the country as the ban had finally been lifted, due to many rules joining into government after deliberation. -
Death of Jamal Khashoggi
On October 2, Khashoggi was going to the Saudi consulate to get his divorce papers so he could marry his Turkish fiancé. However, when he entered the building, he was never seen coming out from it. It was then suspected that he was taken against his will and maybe even killed by the Saudis, however no one knows for sure.