Hey! So I hear that you need a little help understanding the Carter and Bush Doctrine. No problem! I think I can help!

Hey! So I hear that you need a little help understanding the Carter and Bush Doctrine. No problem! I think I can help!

So, let’s start with the Carter Doctrine – named of course after President Jimmy Carter who was President after Gerald (Jerry’s real name) Ford who became President after Richard Nixon who would have been impeached for the whole “Watergate Scandal” (Oh, who doesn’t love a

scandal?), but resigned before he could be.

Jimmy C. entered office in 1976 with high hopes. For a time, Americans were optimistic about promoting democracy and peace around the globe. In 1977, Carter brought the Egyptian President and the Israeli Prime Minister (there had been a series of wars between these two countries) to his Maryland retreat, Camp David. There, the leaders signed the Camp David Accords in 1978.

There’s my boy Jimmy!

Tensions and conflict in the Middle East, however, quickly challenged Jimmy’s optimism. Many (not all) Arabs and Muslims resented American support for Israel and saw American culture and Western values as threats to their own beliefs.

In 1979, Jimmy faced an international crisis – he allowed exiled ruler of Iran to enter the U.S. for medical treatment. Angry revolutionaries in Iran seized the American embassy in Iran and took 66 Americans hostages.

In response to the Iran Hostage Crisis and a Soviet “invasion” or “intervention” of/into Afghan affairs, Carter issued what would become known as the…(wait for it) CARTER DOCTRINE!!!!

So what did this Carter Doctrine say? Well, Carter basically said that any attempt by an outside force (mostly talking about the Soviets) to take control of the Persian Gulf Region (when I say Persian Gulf, you say “oil” – Persian Gulf…) would would be met with the military might of the U.S. (sounds like bullying to me).

So, 11 years later when Iraq’s brutal dictator, Saddam Hussein sent troops to invade neighboring Kuwait – one of the richest oil-producing nations in the Persian Gulf region, the U.S. President at the time George W. Bush Sr., fearing that the invasion was the start of an Iraqi plan to seize Middle Eastern oil, sent troops to Saudi Arabia.

After Iraq refused to exit Kuwait, the U.S. began launching a series of air attacks and so began the PERSIAN GULF WAR – a war that lasted only 6 weeks (yes, you heard that right) and ended in a victory for the U.S.

As the United States became more involved in the Middle East (a very diverse region by the way – inhabited by people who speak a number of languages and practice many different religions), some people in the region grew resentful of America’s power and influence.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the United States. What is terrorism? Good question. There is still no consensus on how to define this term. I believe terrorism is the use of violence, often against civilian targets, to force political or social change. Terrorism has a long history. In the United States, for example, the KKK used terror tactics to keep African Americans from voting during Reconstruction.

President George W. Bush (Jr.) expressed the nation’s outrage. In a speech he made to Congress, Bush promised to “hunt down and punish those responsible.” Bush believed that in order to protect America, the U.S. needed to be proactive. If the U.S. believed that a nation posed a possible threat to its security, it had the right to attack before such a threat materialized (came to be). This idea, known as preemptive war is pretty much the main point of the Bush Doctrine.

“I can hear you, the rest of the world can hear you

and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us

soon.”

“I can hear you, the rest of the world can hear you

and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us

soon.”

But Bush didn’t stop there. No, he decided to create the fancy Office of Homeland Security to coordinate the country’s counterterrorism efforts. And, in December 2001, Bush signed the infamous PATRIOT ACT – granting authorities a lot of power to investigate people suspected as having terrorist ties.

A suspected in the September 11 attacks soon emerged. His name was Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden took refuge in Afghanistan. There, he was protected by the Taliban. After the Taliban refused to give up Bin Laden, U.S. troops attacked – toppling the Taliban without capturing Bin Laden.

Bush next targeted Iraq as a threat – accusing Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein (remember him from the Persian Gulf War?) of having ties with Bin Laden and developing weapons of mass destruction. In 2003, the U.S. led a group of about 30 nations in an attack on Iraq – smashing Iraq’s defenses in just six weeks!

Many Americans criticized Bush’s actions – feeling that Iraq had not posed an immediate threat. But, remember, Bush wanted to be proactive (preemptive war). The situation in Iraq was growing worse every day. Nevertheless, the U.S. did not leave Iraq until 2011. Almost 4,500 Americans dead in the Iraq War.

Well, I hope you better understand the Carter Doctrine, the Persian Gulf War, the Bush Doctrine, the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War! Wow! I covered a lot of topics. Good luck on the test! You will do great!

And, yes! Hillary is my wife!

And, yes! Hillary is my wife!

Hey Bill! I’m working.. What

you doing?

Hey Bill! I’m working.. What

you doing?