Page 1 of 6

Ch 22 Lesson 1

It matters because…

In today’s world, problems in one part of the world can affect people all over the
globe. Terrorism, civil war, and ethnic conflict are some of the most difficult political
challenges of the modern world.

The United Nations

What are the structure and goals of the United Nations?
Today, the United Nations (UN) is one of the most visible symbols of globalism. The UN was
founded in 1945 at the end of World War II. Two of the UN’s goals are peace and human
dignity. In the Preamble to the United Nations Charter of June 26, 1945 its members
pledged:
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war . . . to reaffirm faith in
fundamental human rights. . . and to promote social progress and better
standards of life in larger freedom.

—from the Preamble to the United Nations Charter, June 26, 1945

The General Assembly of the United Nations is made of representatives from all member
nations. It has the power to discuss any important question and to recommend action. The
Security Council advises the General Assembly and passes resolutions that require the
organization to act. Five nations have permanent seats on the Security Council: the United
States, Russia, Great Britain, France, and China. Ten other members are chosen by the
General Assembly and serve for limited terms. Because each permanent member can veto a
decision, deliberations can often end in stalemate. The UN Secretariat, an administrative
body, is headed by the secretary-general. The International Court of Justice (or World Court)
is the judicial body of the UN.
UN programs and specialized agencies work to address economic and social problems and
to organize conferences on important issues such as women’s rights and the environment.
UN peacekeeping forces 1 settle conflicts and supervise truces in “hot spots” around the
globe.
Contrasting How do the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council differ?

1
Peacekeeping forces – military forces drawn from neutral members of the United Nations to settle conflicts
and supervise truces.

Grade 10 American History X Kaumeya Language Schools 4th Quarter – 2nd Semester
 Page 2 of 6

International Security
What international security issues confront the post-Cold War world?
Despite the efforts of the United Nations, numerous challenges remain in the effort to
provide security in today’s world.
“Terrorism is “any action . . . that is intended to cause death or serious bodily
harm to civilians or non-combatants, when the purpose of such an act, by its
nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or compel a Government or an
international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act.””

UN High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, A More Secure World: Our Shared
Responsibility, December 2004

DBQ Summarizing Explain the UN’s definition of terrorism in your own words.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Modern technology has led to frightening methods of mass destruction: nuclear, biological,
and chemical 2 weapons. The end of the Cold War reduced the risk of nuclear conflict
between the United States and the Soviet Union. However, nuclear weapons still exist and
nuclear conflicts remain possible.
The UN established the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1957. This agency is
a safeguard system against nuclear proliferation 3, or the spread of nuclear weapons
production technology and knowledge to nations without that capability. Most all countries
are parties to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) which limits the development of
nuclear weapons to the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China. The
only countries that are not members of the NPT are India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea.
India and Pakistan have exploded nuclear devices underground, and North Korea has
performed nuclear tests. Israel has never publicly confirmed that it has developed nuclear
weapons though it is widely believed to have done so.
Iran violated the NPT and was subject to international sanctions for years. In 2015 the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed limiting Iran’s nuclear development in exchange
for an easement of international sanctions.
Since the 1990s, there has also been an increased awareness of the threat from biological
and chemical weapons. Bio warfare, the use of disease and poison against civilians and
soldiers in wartime, is not new. For example, chemical weapons were used extensively in
World War I and during the Iran- Iraq war in the 1980s. Governments have agreed to limit
the research, production, and use of weapons of mass destruction, but these agreements
are difficult to enforce. Furthermore, these measures are unable to prevent terrorists from
practicing bioterrorism 4, the use of biological and chemical weapons in terrorist attacks.

2
Chemical (weapons) – used in or produced by chemicals.
3
Nuclear proliferation – the spread of nuclear weapons production technology and knowledge to nations
without that capability.
4
Bioterrorism – the use of biological and chemical weapons in terrorist attacks.

Grade 10 American History X Kaumeya Language Schools 4th Quarter – 2nd Semester
 Page 3 of 6

The Challenge of Terrorism

Acts of terror have become a regular feature of modern society. Terrorists often kill civilians
and take hostages to achieve their political goals. Radical Islamic fundamentalism has had
an impact on many terrorists, including inspiring al-Qaeda and Palestinian terrorists to attack
the West or Israel. Beginning in the late 1970s and 1980s, many countries placed their
concern about terrorism at the top of foreign policy agendas. Terrorist acts have received
considerable media attention. When Palestinian terrorists kidnapped and killed 11 Israeli
athletes at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972, hundreds of millions of people watched the
drama 5 unfold on television.
Some terrorists are militant nationalists who want separatist states. The Irish Republican
Army (IRA), for example, wants to unite Northern Ireland with the Irish Republic. IRA leaders
now seem more willing to open normal relations with the police of Northern Ireland after
decades of violence. The group Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) employs violence as a
tool to free the Basque region in the western Pyrenees from Spanish control.
A radical Communist guerrilla group in Peru, known as Shining Path, also used terrorist
violence. Aiming to create a classless society, Shining Path killed mayors, missionaries,
priests, and peasants across Peru.
One of the most destructive acts of terrorism occurred on September 11, 2001. Al-Qaeda
terrorists directed by Osama bin Laden hijacked four commercial jets in Boston, Newark, and
Washington, D.C., flying two into the World Trade Center and one into the Pentagon. Almost
3,000 people were killed. President George W. Bush vowed to wage war on terrorism. This
process began in Afghanistan in October 2001. President Barack Obama announced a
major victory against al-Qaeda in 2011, when U.S. forces killed bin Laden at his hideout in
Pakistan.
Worldwide, one of the most noticeable changes in public policies since September 11, 2001,
has been increased security at airports. Many European and Asian governments have also
begun working together more closely in their intelligence and police activities to track down
terrorists.
Despite security upgrades and more international cooperation, terrorist incidents have
continued worldwide since September 11, 2001. For example, in July 2005, during the
London morning commute, four suicide bombers detonated bombs at three subway stations
and on one bus. More than 700 people were injured and 56 people were killed.
In 2015 alone there have been more than 20 terrorist attacks in which 50 people or more
have been killed. The deadliest occurred at the hands of Boko Haram militants in Nigeria in
January 2015. More than 2000 civilians were killed in Baga, Nigeria. In November 2015, 130
people lost their lives from terrorist attacks in Paris at the hands of members the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State or ISIS.

Fighting the Islamic State

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) began as a splinter group of al-Qaeda. It
formed and gained strength after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011. More
extreme than al Qaeda, ISIL has ignored international borders and has rapidly seized control
of large areas of northern Iraq and eastern Syria. ISIL has brutally targeted its religious
enemies and engaged in public executions. Refugees have fled from ISIL-controlled areas in
large numbers.
In June 2014, ISIL advanced further into Iraq, displacing over 1 million Iraqi citizens. The
United States increased its advisory troops in Iraq to 800, and in August 2014, U.S.

5
Drama – state of intense conflict.

Grade 10 American History X Kaumeya Language Schools 4th Quarter – 2nd Semester
 Page 4 of 6

President Obama authorized targeted airstrikes within Iraq. Also in August and September,
ISIL released public videos of the execution of captured American and British journalists.
Obama pledged to increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq to over 1,000 and to continue
air and drone strikes against ISIL-controlled areas.
In 2015 ISIL stepped up its attacks outside Iraq and Syria. In November 2015, ISIL downed
a Russian passenger jet, conducted deadly attacks in Beirut, Lebanon, and claimed
responsibility for a deadly attack in Paris.

Challenges in the Middle East

The war on terrorism spread to the Middle East when the United States attacked Iraq in
March 2003. President Bush claimed that Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, had chemical and
biological weapons of mass destruction and that Saddam had close ties to al-Qaeda. Both
claims turned out to be inaccurate and the United States soon became bogged down in a
war in which Hussein’s supporters, foreign terrorists, and Islamic militants all battled the
American-led forces.
By 2006, Iraq seemed to be descending into a widespread civil war, especially between the
Shia, who controlled southern Iraq, and the Sunni, who controlled central Iraq. An American
troop surge in 2007 helped stabilize conditions within a year. The U.S. and Iraqi
governments then agreed to a complete withdrawal of American troops by 2011. The
withdrawal of ground troops did occur in 2011, but in 2014 the U.S. returned with air support
to Iraq, to combat ISIL.
Much of the terrorism in the Middle East is aimed against the West. One reason Middle
Eastern terrorists have targeted Westerners can be traced to the beginning of the U.N.
Mandate system which began after World War I. This led to Western investment in the
Middle East oil industry, which began in the 1920s. This industry brought wealth to ruling
families in some Middle Eastern kingdoms, but most citizens remained very poor. They often
blamed the West, especially the United States, for supporting the ruling families.
The oil business increased Middle Eastern contact with the West. Some Muslims feared that
this contact would weaken their religion and their way of life. Some Muslims began
organizing to overthrow their pro-Western governments. Muslims who support these
movements are called fundamentalist militants. They promote their own vision of what a pure
Islamic society should be. While most Muslims do not share this vision and themselves are
victims of terror, these ideas have brought great regional instability and violence worldwide.
Determining Cause and Effect How have governments responded to terrorism since
September 11, 2001?

Civil War and Ethnic Conflict

How have civil war, ethnic conflict, and genocide affected some nations in the post-
Cold War period, and how have governments and nongovernmental organizations
responded to them?
Ethnic and religious conflicts, which often lead to civil war, have plagued many developing
nations and some developed nations in Europe.

Europe
In Northern Ireland, Protestants and Catholics have frequently clashed. The Serbs used
ethnic cleansing in the 1990s to kill Bosnian Muslims during the war in Bosnia. After Cyprus

Grade 10 American History X Kaumeya Language Schools 4th Quarter – 2nd Semester
 Page 5 of 6

achieved independence, fighting between Greek and Turkish Cypriots led to a division of the
island.
A crisis in Ukraine also led to conflict. In December 2013, many Ukrainians protested against
Russia’s role in Ukrainian affairs. Pro-Russian protestors began their own demonstrations in
the southern Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, where 60 percent of the population is ethnically
Russian. In late February 2014, the Russian military invaded Crimea amid international
condemnation. Following the invasion, Crimea overwhelmingly voted to leave Ukraine and to
join Russia, but few countries have recognized the legitimacy of that election or Russia’s
claims.

Africa
Within many African nations, warring ethnic groups undermined the concept of nationhood.
This is not surprising because the colonial powers had arbitrarily 6 drawn the boundaries of
African nations. Virtually all of these states included widely different ethnic, linguistic, and
territorial groups. In Central Africa, fighting between the Hutu and the Tutsi created unstable
governments.
In Rwanda, brutal civil war broke out in 1994, as Hutu militias began a campaign of genocide
against Tutsis, killing at least 500,000. As thousands of Rwandan refugees died in camps,
the United States began a relief operation in conjunction with the UN. In 1997 a UN-
sponsored war crimes tribunal began in Tanzania. In 1998 the tribunal sentenced the former
Rwandan prime minister to life imprisonment for genocide.
Ethnic violence also plagued Sudan, Africa’s largest nation. In the western province of
Darfur, Arab militias attacked African ethnic groups with the support of the Arab-led
government. Entire villages were burned, more than 200,000 people died, and more than 2
million fled their homes. The UN took over a struggling peacekeeping operation from the
African Union at the end of 2007. In 2008 the International Criminal Court issued an arrest
warrant for the sitting Sudanese president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, for genocide, war
crimes, and crimes against humanity. In a 2011 referendum, southern Sudan voted to
become independent from the north. The country of South Sudan was founded July 9, 2011.

Asia
Several areas in Asia and Southeast Asia experienced ethnic and religious conflict, including
Tibet, East Timor, and Sri Lanka. Tibet seeks independence from the Chinese government
that has suppressed dissent among ethnic minorities. The Dalai Lama led the government of
Tibet in exile from India since 1959 but stepped down in 2011.
In Sri Lanka, there has been tension and violence since 1983 between the majority
Sinhalese (who are mostly Buddhist) who lead the government and the minority Tamils (who
are mostly Hindu). The Tamil Tigers are a terrorist group that has committed violence in the
country. A 2002 ceasefire halted the violence temporarily, but it ended with renewed
violence in 2008. The military conflict ended in 2010.
Explaining How did governments and international organizations respond to the conflicts in
Rwanda and Darfur?

6
Arbitrarily – (adverb form of arbitrary) at one’s discretion; randomly.

Grade 10 American History X Kaumeya Language Schools 4th Quarter – 2nd Semester
 Page 6 of 6

New Democracies
Where have new democracies emerged in the late twentieth and early twenty-first
centuries?
Some conflicts that stem from regional, ethnic, and religious differences in the 1990s and
2000s have led to the creation of new countries with fledgling democracies. Several states of
the former Yugoslavia and East Timor became independent democratic states in recent
years.
In 1999 the people of East Timor voted to become free of Indonesian rule, which was
followed by violence between Christians and Muslims on the island. Nearly 10,000 died from
the conflict. In 2002 East Timor (Timor-Leste) was internationally recognized as an
independent country. In 2007, with the help of the UN, East Timor held mostly peaceful
democratic elections.
In recent years, democracy has also begun to flourish in Latin America. With the debt crisis
in Latin America in the 1980s came a movement toward democracy as people realized that
military power without popular consent could not maintain a strong state.
Describing How did East Timor become an independent country?

Reviewing Vocabulary
1. Making Inferences Why have countries sought to stop nuclear proliferation and the
use of chemical and biological weapons?

Using Your Notes

2. Comparing Use your notes to compare the political challenges faced in Africa, Asia,
and Latin America.

Answering the Guiding Questions

3. Identifying What are the structure and goals of the United Nations?

4. Drawing Conclusions What international security issues confront the post-Cold

War world?

5. Assessing How have civil war, ethnic conflict, and genocide affected some nations
in the post-Cold War period, and how have governments and nongovernmental
organizations responded to them?

6. Stating Where have new democracies emerged in the late twentieth and early
twenty-first centuries?

Writing Activity
7. Argument Research a place where the United Nations has deployed peacekeeping
forces, and write an essay on whether or not those forces have been effective at
promoting the UN’s goals.

Grade 10 American History X Kaumeya Language Schools 4th Quarter – 2nd Semester