CONFLICTS AND EVENTS FROM 2001 TO PRESENT DAY
Iraq War
After 9-11 in 2001 the United States believed that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction where after the Persian Gulf War he wan't allowed to own any. In 2003 the U.S. invaded Iraq bringing Hussein out of power. Many groups and organizations in the Middle East stated targeting coalition forces. Iraq then formed a new government making it an Islamic Federal Democracy, however violence still continues.
Sa'dah insurgency in Yemen
Began June of 2004 with a rebellion led by the head of the Shi'a Zaidiyyah sect. The Yemeni government claims that the Shiite rebels were seeking to overthrow the government but the rebels deny this and say that they are only trying to protect themselves from government persecution and discrimination. From June to August 2oo4, government troops battled the rebels killing between 80 to more then 600. After the death of the leader , his younger brother assumed leadership of the rebellion. On May 21, 2005, the government released estimates on the cost of war. 552 deaths, 2,708 injures, and over $270 million in economic damages. Negotiations between the rebels and government led to the cease-fire in the north, and in March,2010 President Ali Abdullah Saleh declared that the war was over.
Cedar Revolution
The Cedar Revolution was triggered by the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005. The main goal of the revolution was to withdrawal the Syrian military from Lebanon. They also wanted to return the former Prime minister who was sent t exile in 1991. On February 21, 2005, tens of thousands of Lebanese protesters held a rally at the assassination site calling for the end of the Syrian occupation and blaming Syria for the murder of the Prime Minister. After weeks of protesting the Syrian troops completely withdrew from Lebanon on April 27, 2005.
Saddam Hussein executed for crimes against humanity
Saddam Hussein was executed on December 29, 2006 for the massacre of 148 men in Dujail, Iraq, in 1982. Following Saddam's orders, Iraqi security gunned down and tortured the villagers in retaliation for the failed assassination attempt against him.
Algeria-Black Spring
In April of 2001 a young Kabyle student was arrested because the government claimed that he lied about his real name and that he was a 26 year old criminal. This provoked large-scale riots in the region that lasted for months. After a while the government finally came out saying that he didn't lie about his name and that he was a normal high school student, but the riots did not stop. As of April 2001 (few days after the beginning of the black spring) there were 43 young Kabyles killed. In July there were 267 shot and 50 died. In April of 2002, the Algerian Human Rights League reported 90 killed, 5000 wounded in which 200 have become permanently disabled, and thousands of arrests, bad treatment, and torture. In the end president Abdelaziz Bouteflika agreed to some of the Kabyle demands and made the Berber language a "national language."
Arab Spring
Arab Springs is a revolutionary waive where there were many violent and nonviolent protest that began on December 18, 2010. During the Arab spring major protests have broken out in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, and Sudan while rulers have been forced out of power in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. A major slogan for the Arab Spring that many protesters use is "the people want to bring down the regime". Arab Springs is said to have started because of dissatisfaction and distrust in the government. This dissatisfaction come from absolute monarch,political corruption, human rights violations, economic declines, unemployment which leads to poverty and uneducated youth. The effects of the Arab Spring is that new governments are formed such as in Egypt.
dark blue- Government overthrown red- Civil war light blue- Protests and governmental changes
blue- Sustained civil disorder and governmental changes (Bahrain)
orange- Major protests tan- Minor protests grey- Related crises outside the Arab world
blue- Sustained civil disorder and governmental changes (Bahrain)
orange- Major protests tan- Minor protests grey- Related crises outside the Arab world
Syria Genocide
Since the beginning of March 2011, the stability of the Syrian Arab Republic has degenerated at an alarming rate. thousands of massacres and mass atrocities against pro-democracy protesters. Protesters get violent as the former Syrian troops formed the "Free Syrian Army" which the Syrian government continues to call a "Terrorist" organization. What began as a violet protest turns quickly into a civil war. Whole cities have been shelled by Syrian tanks and mortars, investigations have led several countries to accuse the government forces of using chemical weapons against civilians. With a death toll over 70,000, the war rages on, threatening the stability of the region.