By

Vikram Chandrashekhar

Prabhasa R

Sriram Kalyanaraman

Role of U. S. in Foreign Wars

Iraq Afghanistan East Timor Venezuela Philippines Vietnam

Iran – Iraq War (Sep ’80-Aug ’88)

US announces neutrality in the conflict

Recognizes number of advantages to be gained by prolongation of the war

Supports & “Condemns” Iraq

Pursues two-track policy for Iran too

TIMELINE

Reasons for US two-track policy

US wanted to control, to the greatest extent possible, the oil resources in the Middle East

Prevent oil access to the Soviet in the Gulf

Profit from the Arms trade with Iran and Iraq

Attempt to solve the hostage crisis in Iran by secret deals

Siding with Iraq : Attempt to oust the Khomeini regime

US policy during Gulf War A week before the war broke

out, US ambassador April Glaspie met Hussein and told him:

“We have no opinion on your Arab - Arab conflicts, such as your dispute with Kuwait. Secretary (of State James) Baker has directed me to emphasize the instruction, that the Kuwait issue is not associated with America.”

This is seen by most analysts as America’s way of giving Saddam a nod and a wink for the Kuwait invasion

TIMELINE Reasons for Iraq invasion

US changes its position abruptly, and condemns Iraqi invasion

Invasion provides US an easy excuse for war against Iraq

US launches offensive, defeats Iraq and leaves it crippled

The alliance with Iraq is reversed and the demonisation of Saddam Hussein and all things Iraqi begins…

US policy during Gulf War

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Iraq is in breach of several UN resolutions

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Saddam Hussein is a tyrant who must be removed

Iraq has a history of employing WMDs on neighbours

Bush : “ It’s not about oil… ”

Reasons stated by USA for the invasion

True Lies…

Cruel Intentions…

To secure & increase oil flow from the Middle East

To increase US dominance in the area

Preserve Dollar hegemony over the global oil market

Preserving Dollar supremacy over the Euro

US begins covert operations in the Afghanistan War

US supports Islamic factions

Back-firing of US policy

September 9/11

War on Terrorism –

“Operation Enduring Freedom”

TIMELINE

1980s: US helps create, nurture Taliban

US begins supplying arms to rebels around mid ’79 to provoke Soviet invasion

Aim was to trap the Soviets in a long and costly war, designed to drain their resources.. ‘serve them a Vietnam’

With support of Zia-Ul-Haq, US begins recruiting and training both Mujahideen fighters from the Afghan refugees and Islamic mercenaries

US channeled around $6 billion to the Afghan rebels

CIA became the grand coordinator

One of the first non-Afghan volunteers to join the ranks of the mujahideen was Osama bin Laden

Bin Laden recruited about 4,000 volunteers and worked closely with the CIA

In ’88, with U.S. knowledge, bin Laden created Al Qaeeda, a conglomerate of Islamic terrorist cells spread across at least 26 countries

In ’94, a new group, the Taliban (Pashtun for "students"), emerged. Its members came from madrassas set up by the ISI, funded by the U.S.

The Taliban swept across most of the exhausted country finally capturing Kabul 1996, all this with the full support of U.S.

Osama bin Laden and the Taliban

Tacit U.S. support for Taliban continues until ’98, when Washington blames Bin Laden for the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Kenya

Taliban's refusal to extradite bin Laden- not its atrocious human rights record- led to UN-imposed sanctions

Following 9/11, US launches war against its former allies, overthrows the Taliban and establishes a puppet “democracy” in Afghanistan

US Policy in Indonesia 1948 : US accepts non-Leftist

Sukarno as Indonesian President

US opposes Sukarno’s neutralism in Cold War, attempts to remove him but unsuccessful

United States shifted its strategy to building up the Indonesian military Sukarno

TIMELINE

1965 : Military coup deposes Sukarno, Gen. Suharto takes over at the cost of the lives of lakhs of “communists”

CIA provides lists of Communist Party members, who are slaughtered

1975 : US supports East Timor occupation, provides nearly 90% of Indonesian weaponry (despite US laws banning this)

US also lends diplomatic support, ensures UN takes no action

US increases military aid to Indonesia

US Policy in Indonesia

Gen. Suharto

Congress began to shift the direction of US policy. After the Dili massacre, 52 Senators wrote to President Bush, calling for active US support for the implementation of the UN resolutions

In October ’92, Congress voted to cut off Indonesia's IMET military training aid despite opposition by the Bush Govt, Pentagon, and prominent US corporations.

In March ’93, under Congress pressure, US reversed its pro-Jakarta stance, co-sponsored a successful resolution at the UNHRC criticizing Indonesian abuses in East Timor.

In July ’93, again under Congress pressure, the State Department blocked transfer of US F-5 fighter planes from the Govt of Jordan to Indonesia, citing human rights as one of the reasons.

Policy Shift : Role of Congress

Philippines

US Presence in Philippines Till ’92, US troops were deployed in a big way

Clarks Airbase closes due to volcanic outburst of Mt. Pinatubo

Subic Naval Base vacated in Sep ’92, after Senate voting on end of US bases

Despite economic benefits of US presence, there was public resentment due to indignity

US troops now present for anti-ASG operations

Abu Sayyaf Group

Militant organisation seeking separate Islamic state for Muslim minority

US suspects Al-Qaeeda links

Most victims are Filipinos

Earns resources primarily from kidnappings, extortions etc

US has used this pretext to increase military presence, despite anti-US feelings in the Muslim community

ASG leader Khadafi Janjalani, centre, with

Philippine militants

Venezuela

Hugo Chavez

Gen. Romero Lucas

Pedro Carmona

Otto Reich Elliot Abrams

TIMELINE

How US supported the coup Chavez was trying to re-negotiate the 60-yr agreement with US &

UK oil companies which charges them just 1% in royalties, and hands out huge tax breaks, threatening US economic interests

For several months, the coup plotters – Pedro Carmona & Gen. Lucas - had been making secret trips to the White House to meet with Abrams and Reich

US provided financial support to opposition

US Navy provided signals intelligence and communications jamming support. Additional USN vessels stood by in the event the coup, thus requiring evacuation of US citizens in Venezuela

Vietnam

Prevent the spread of Communism

If South Vietnam fell to Communism,the Pacific Islands and even Australia would be at risk

The US prevented the elections that were promised under the Geneva conference because it knew that the Communists would win

This led the US to fight the Vietnam War, thus committing some of the worst atrocities on mankind that history has ever witnessed.

Why did USA fight the war?

Repercussions of US-sponsored Wars

Humanitarian repercussions : thousands dead and wounded

Reduced Quality of life

Postwar chaos and riots

Widespread dissatisfaction with US-led government

War costs are paid by victims of war

Reconstruction highly profitable for US companies

THANK YOU

Advantages of Prolongation

Need for arms, money would make Baghdad dependent on Egypt and other conservative Gulf states, thus improving ties with Cairo and other Arab states

Iran, which used US supplied weapons would require military equipment

Demands of war might make both nations willing to improve ties with US

Dislocations of war would give US greater ability to carry out covert operations in Iran or Iraq

Turmoil in Gulf might make other states more susceptible to US pressure for military co-operation

BACK

US supports Iraq throughout the Iran-Iraq War

US approves sale to Iraq of 5 Boeing Jetliners

Removes Iraq from its list of “nations supporting terrorism”

Washington extends $400 million credit guarantee for US exports to Iraq

CIA establishes direct Washington-Baghdad link to provide military intelligence

US “condemns” Iraq’s use of chemical weapons but doesn’t support any Council action against Iraq

US shoots down an Iranian passenger plane in the Persian Gulf : Iran sues US in World

Court, receives $131.8 million in 1996.

BACK

Two-Track policy towards Iran

Washington tries to instigate a coup in Iran US provides support to Iranian paramilitary groups Begins broadcasts into Iran (costing $30000 pm) calling

for Khomeini’s overthrow CIA broadcasts message from the overthrown Shah’s son,

to cause instability and chaos

US tries to establish ties with Iranian mullahs Supplies arms to Iran through Israel US passes military intelligence on border threats

BACK

September, 1980 : Iraq invades Iran Calling for peace, UN passes Resolution 479,

rejected by Iran

December, 1986 : Following exposure of its double strategies, US sides with Iraq

August, 1987 : US deploys American Armada : an aircraft carrier, a battleship,

six cruisers, three destroyers, seven frigates, and numerous supporting naval vessels

August, 1988 : War comes to an end : Total casualties around 1 million

Iran – Iraq War : Timeline

BACK

GULF WAR : TIMELINE August, 1990 :

Iraq invades Kuwait, seizes control US, UN demand immediate withdrawal

of Iraqi troops UN Coalition begins deploying troops

January, 1991 : Intense diplomacy between US, Iraq fails Operation Desert Storm : Allied Forces

begin bombing of Iraq

March, 1991 Iraq accepts terms of cease-fire and war

ends

Bush administration meeting to review the Kuwait invasion

BACK

Iraq had long considered Kuwait to be a part of itself

With Iraq’s unsuccessful invasion of Iran, it sought easier conquests against its weak southern neighbors.

Iraq constantly claimed that Kuwaiti oil rigs were illegally tapping into Iraqi oil fields.

Iraq claimed that Kuwaiti rigs were stealing oil from the Rumaila oil fields, one of Iraq’s richest.

Relations between Iraq and Kuwait deteriorated after the war

Gulf War : Reasons for Iraq Invasion

BACK

Afghanistan : TIMELINE 1979 : Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, removes Amin

1980 : Soviet establishes puppet regime US fuels anti-Soviet resistance by providing arms and money

1986 : US begins supplying Mujahideen Stinger missiles, enabling them to shoot Soviet helicopters

1988 : Soviet Union begins pulling out troops

1996 : Taliban seize control of Kabul, introduce hardline Islamism

2001 : Following 9/11, US invade Afghanistan, take out Taliban

BACK

CIA : Coordinating In Afghanistan

CIA supplied :

Assault rifles, grenade launchers, mines and SA-7 light antiaircraft weapons, tons of C-4 explosives, long-range sniper rifles, anti-tank missiles

Extensive satellite reconnaissance data of Soviet targets, military plans, Communications devices, targeting devices directly links to US-Navy satellites

BACK

East Timor : TIMELINE 6 December, 1975

President Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger consult with President Suharto of Indonesia, after which US announces that it “understands Indonesia's position on the question of East Timor”

7 December, 1975 Indonesia invades East Timor

12 November, 1991 Indonesian troops armed with

American-made M-16 rifles gun down more than 270 Timorese civilians, in Dili, at the Santa Cruz Cemetery

BACK

VENEZUELA : TIMELINE 1989 - Carlos Andres Perez (AD) elected president against the

background of economic depression

1992 - 120 people killed in two attempted coups, the led by future president Colonel Hugo Chavez and his supporters

1998 – Chavez elected President

April 12, 2002 - Armed forces head announces Chavez has resigned. Chavez taken into custody

April 14, 2002 – Chavez returns to power after failure of interim govt.

BACK

1980-88 : Iran – Iraq War

1990-91 : Gulf War

2003 : Invasion of Iraq -

“ Operation Iraqi Freedom ”