TLDR;
This YouTube video compilation by Johnny Harris explores the complex history and geopolitics of the Middle East, focusing on the role of the United States and other global powers in shaping the region. It examines key conflicts, political strategies, and the motivations behind various actors, providing context to current events.
- The U.S.'s involvement in the Middle East began with oil interests and expanded to counter Soviet influence and support Israel, leading to complex alliances and backlashes.
- The Iran-Iraq War defined the region's fault lines, setting the stage for ongoing conflicts and shaping Iran's hostile relationship with the world.
- The U.S. invasion of Iraq was based on manufactured intelligence and a campaign to sell the war to the public, highlighting the manipulation of power and the devastating consequences of false narratives.
- The Kurds, a stateless people, have been used as pawns by various powers, their aspirations for independence repeatedly thwarted.
- Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy of dividing and conquering the Palestinians, relying on Hamas to undermine peace efforts, ultimately backfired, leading to increased violence.
- Hezbollah's rise in Lebanon reflects the complex interplay of regional powers and the group's transformation from a resistance movement to a political and military force.
- The war in Yemen exemplifies proxy conflicts, with Saudi Arabia and Iran using the country as a battlefield, resulting in a humanitarian crisis.
- Djibouti's strategic location at the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait makes it a crucial hub for global trade and military presence, balancing competing interests of major powers.
- Saudi Arabia's Neom project represents an attempt to diversify its economy beyond oil, but also raises questions about human rights and cultural preservation.
How The U.S. Stole the Middle East [0:00]
The Middle East, the birthplace of civilisation, has been repeatedly carved up by empires, most recently by European powers who disregarded existing languages, ethnicities and regional identities. In the 1930s, the U.S., a rising superpower, shifted its focus eastward, seeking oil to fuel its growing power. The U.S. presence began with a small dot in Saudi Arabia, expanding into a network of alliances, covert operations, military bases and full-scale wars.
A California-based company secured permission to explore Saudi Arabia for oil, striking it rich in 1938. American oil executives and workers flocked to the region, establishing American-style cities with practices forbidden in Saudi Arabia, causing discontent among Saudis. The U.S. government then proposed building a military base to protect oil interests, which the Saudi royals reluctantly agreed to, with the stipulation that no U.S. flags be displayed. The construction was undertaken by Mohammed bin Laden's company, a detail that would later become significant.
As the U.S.-Saudi oil bromance flourished, other Middle Eastern countries criticised Saudi Arabia's alliance with America. In the 1950s and 60s, the U.S. sought to prevent the Soviet Union from gaining influence in the region. The U.S. worked with the British to overthrow Iran's democratically elected leader, installing a dictator friendly to the U.S. The U.S. also began funding Israel, leading to a backlash from oil-producing countries.
In the 1970s, Mohammed bin Laden's son, Osama, became critical of American presence in the Middle East. He went to Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union, with the U.S. secretly supporting the rebel fighters. After the Soviets were defeated, Osama returned to Saudi Arabia and formed Al-Qaeda, aiming to protect Islam by violently striking back against superpowers in the Middle East. The Saudi government, focused on its wealth, tried to dissuade him.
In 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, Osama offered his fighters to defend Saudi Arabia, but the Saudis instead sought help from the U.S. Dick Cheney flew to Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. launched a massive military operation to crush Saddam Hussein. The U.S. set up numerous bases in Saudi Arabia but did not leave, angering many Saudis, including Osama bin Laden. Osama doubled down on his mission, carrying out attacks against the U.S. worldwide and planning the 9/11 attacks.
The Iran-Iraq War, Mapped [22:28]
In 1980, the Iran-Iraq War began, a conflict that fractured the Middle East and set the stage for future conflicts. In 1979, Iran underwent a revolution, overthrowing the U.S.-backed Shah and establishing an Islamic republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini sought to export the revolution to neighbouring Arab countries, alarming Sunni leaders like Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
Saddam saw an opportunity to reclaim control of a disputed waterway and potentially unify the Arab world under his leadership. In September 1980, he invaded Iran, initiating a war that would last eight years. Israel secretly sold supplies to Iran to keep both adversaries weak. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait funded Iraq's war efforts to weaken Iran and its revolution. China sold weapons to both sides, becoming Iran's top supplier.
By 1981, the war reached a stalemate. Global powers attempted to negotiate a ceasefire, but Khomeini refused, seeing the war as useful for unifying the country and keeping the military occupied. Iran launched an offensive, pushing into Iraq. Saddam turned to the U.S. and the Soviet Union for support, who both backed Iraq to maintain the status quo and weaken Iran.
In 1982, Iran focused on capturing Basra, leading to trench warfare reminiscent of World War I. Saddam used chemical weapons against Kurds and Iranians, with the U.S. largely turning a blind eye. In 1984, the "oil war" began, with Iraq and Iran attacking each other's oil tankers, disrupting global oil supplies. The U.S. sent naval forces to protect U.S. ships.
In 1985, Saddam escalated by launching missile attacks on Iranian cities, leading to retaliatory strikes on Iraqi cities. In 1988, Iraq attacked the Kurdish town of Halabja with chemical weapons, killing thousands. The U.S. continued to support Saddam, downplaying his war crimes. In July 1988, a U.S. ship shot down an Iranian passenger jet, killing 290 civilians, further straining relations.
Finally, both sides accepted a ceasefire, with borders unchanged. The war defined Iran's hostile relationship with the world, particularly the U.S., and led some Iranian leaders to believe that nuclear weapons were necessary for defence. Saddam's Iraq emerged battered and humiliated, leading to his invasion of Kuwait, which prompted U.S. intervention and his eventual downfall.
How to Sell a War to the American People [42:01]
In the summer of 2002, Richard Dearlove, the head of MI6, met with CIA Director George Tenet, revealing that the U.S. was planning to invade Iraq regardless of the facts. This was documented in the Downing Street memo, which exposed how the Bush administration was manipulating intelligence to justify the invasion.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz created a memo for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in the fall of 2001, just weeks after 9/11, outlining plans to topple Saddam Hussein's government. Rumsfeld noted the need to "build momentum" and "decapitate" the Iraqi government. The Bush administration sought to tie Saddam Hussein to 9/11 or weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and needed to sell the war to the public.
President Bush declared Iraq part of an "axis of evil" and claimed Iraq possessed WMDs and harboured terrorists. The Downing Street memo revealed that the U.S. was "fixing intelligence" to fit a pre-determined decision to invade Iraq. The U.S. government wasn't planning to work with the UN, and Bush's people weren't really thinking much about the aftermath of such an invasion.
The Bush administration focused on two main points to sell the war: Iraq's possession of WMDs and its links to 9/11. They ramped up their influence campaign, making statements with absolute certainty, despite knowing the evidence was thin. A National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) was requested by Senate leaders to help Congress make informed decisions.
The CIA rushed to produce a report that supported the Bush administration's claims, but it was deeply flawed and based on old intelligence. In October 2002, Congress gave the green light for war based on this report and public speeches. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 1441, giving Iraq a final opportunity to comply with weapons inspections.
UN weapons inspectors, led by Hans Blix, found no WMDs, but the Bush administration used minor discrepancies to justify their invasion. Secretary of State Colin Powell presented photos and tapes at the UN, claiming they proved Iraq was hiding weapons. The Bush administration abandoned the UN process and invaded Iraq in March 2003.
The war resulted in the deaths of an estimated half a million Iraqis, and no WMDs were ever found. Colin Powell later expressed regret for his role in selling the war. The story reveals how leaders can manipulate facts and deceive the public to lead a society into an unprovoked war.
Why This Country Was Erased From History [59:50]
The Kurds, an ethnic group living in the Zagros Mountains, have a long history of resisting invaders and defending their cultural identity. After World War I, the European powers carved up the Ottoman Empire, dividing Kurdish territory among several new countries.
Throughout the 20th century, Kurds in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey fought for an independent Kurdish state, facing repression and violence. In Turkey, the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) emerged as a major resistance movement, using violence against the Turkish government, leading to its designation as a terrorist group by Turkey and Western powers.
Regimes in the region began using the Kurds as a tool or weapon. The Soviet Union supported Kurds in Iran to gain land and access to oil. Syria allowed the PKK to operate within its borders to hurt Turkey. Iran and Iraq both funded Kurdish groups in each other's countries to spark uprisings. Saddam Hussein launched a genocidal chemical attack against Kurds in Iraq.
In the 1990s, the U.S. rallied Kurds to overthrow Saddam Hussein, but then failed to support them, allowing Saddam to crush the coup. In 2003, the Kurds joined the U.S. in fighting against Saddam, hoping for independence, but the U.S. did not support their independence vote. In Syria, the U.S. partnered with Kurdish militias to fight ISIS, but then abandoned them, allowing Turkey to invade and attack Kurdish forces.
Today, Kurdish groups in the region vary widely, each with different values and visions for the future. They continue to face conflict and oppression, highlighting how their willingness to fight has been both a threat to regional governments and a pawn in geopolitical objectives.
How Benjamin Netanyahu Relies on Hamas [1:14:32]
In 2007, an Israeli official stated that Israel would be happy if Hamas took over Gaza, as it would allow Israel to treat Gaza like a hostile country. This reflects a strategy used by right-wing factions within the Israeli government to undermine Palestinian statehood.
For 2,000 years, Jewish people have faced persecution, leading to the Zionist movement calling for a Jewish state. Palestine was chosen as the location, but it was already inhabited by Palestinian Arabs. In 1947, the UN proposed dividing Palestine into two states, leading to conflict and displacement.
In 1967, Israel gained control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, leading to the first Palestinian uprising (Intifada). The Oslo Accords in the 1990s established a Palestinian government authority, but hardliners on both sides used violence to derail the peace process. Benjamin Netanyahu, a key figure, opposed giving land to the Palestinians.
Netanyahu sabotaged the peace accords, claiming the occupation was necessary for Israeli security. The second Intifada led to more violence, and Israel reverted to full-blown occupation. In 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza, and in 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian elections, leading to a split between Hamas-controlled Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
Netanyahu, elected as Prime Minister in 2009, pursued a strategy of dividing and conquering the Palestinian people, making life difficult for them and undermining their government. He supported Hamas by allowing cash transfers into Gaza, legitimizing their rule and weakening the Palestinian cause. This division allowed Netanyahu to continue settlement expansion in the West Bank, making a Palestinian state less feasible.
The October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas exposed the failure of Netanyahu's strategy to provide security for the Jewish people. While Hamas is responsible for the terror, those who used Hamas as a pawn to divide and conquer also bear responsibility. The Israeli project, in its current form, produces the opposite of security for the Jewish people.
The Rise of Hezbollah, Mapped [1:36:45]
Hezbollah, a major armed group in the world, has been a key player in the conflict between Israel and Lebanon. The story of Hezbollah began with the breakup of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of Lebanon, which included a significant Shia Muslim population in the south.
The creation of Israel in 1948 led to an influx of Palestinian refugees into Lebanon, further marginalizing the Shia Muslims. In the 1970s, the Lebanese Civil War broke out, drawing in regional powers like Syria and Israel. In 1982, Iran, following its Islamic revolution, found a perfect match in southern Lebanon with the Hezbollah, a Shia militia.
Iran provided Hezbollah with money, weapons, and training, and Hezbollah pledged loyalty to the Iranian Revolution. In 1983, Hezbollah launched terrorist attacks against U.S. and French barracks in Beirut. In 1989, a peace agreement banned all militias except Hezbollah, which was allowed to resist the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah developed into a political party and a defender of southern Lebanon. In 2005, the assassination of Lebanon's prime minister was blamed on Hezbollah, leading to Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon. Hezbollah continued to attack Israel, leading to a brief war. In 2011, Hezbollah became involved in the Syrian civil war, damaging its reputation.
On October 7, 2023, Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel, supporting Hamas and threatening Israel with a war on two fronts. Israel responded with attacks that killed Hezbollah's top leaders. Hezbollah's role as a proxy for Iran has made it a key player in the region's conflicts.
The War in Yemen, Mapped [1:48:35]
Yemen, a country unified in 1990, has been plagued by internal divisions and external interference. In the 1990s, the Houthis, a Zaidi Shiite group, formed in northern Yemen, seeking to restore Islamic values and resist foreign influence. After 9/11, the U.S. launched a war on terror, and Yemen's president cooperated, leading to Houthi criticism and radicalization.
In 2004, the Houthis launched an armed rebellion, and their leader, Al Houthi, was killed. The conflict escalated, drawing in Saudi Arabia, which intervened to protect its border. Iran began secretly sending weapons to the Houthis. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) also emerged, further complicating the conflict.
During the Arab Spring in 2011, Yemenis rose up against President Saleh. Saudi Arabia intervened, leading to Saleh's removal, but the Houthis continued to gain power, taking over the capital city of Sanaa in 2014. In 2015, Saudi Arabia, with support from regional countries and the U.S., launched a military intervention to remove the Houthis from power.
The war led to a humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and dependent on aid. The Houthis continued to attack Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones. In 2017, President Saleh was killed after breaking his alliance with the Houthis. The UAE began backing a separatist movement in southern Yemen, further fragmenting the country.
By 2019, the war had reached maximum complexity, with multiple factions vying for control. In 2022, a UN-brokered ceasefire brought a temporary halt to the fighting. In 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic relations, but the Houthis continued to launch attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, prompting U.S. and UK intervention.
The conflict in Yemen exemplifies proxy wars, where geopolitical rivals use their neighbours as battlefields, leading to tremendous human suffering.
The most important country you’ve never heard about, Mapped [2:08:05]
Djibouti, a small country located at the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a vital choke point in the Red Sea, has become a strategic location for global powers. The strait is a key route for internet cables, oil shipments, and container ships. Djibouti's location makes it a beacon of stability in a region surrounded by unstable situations.
In the 1800s, the opening of the Suez Canal made the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait a key base for projecting power and refueling on their way to carve up and plunder Asia. The British, Italians, and French all sought to control parts of the coastline. In 1977, Djibouti gained independence from France, but it faced economic challenges and civil war.
After 9/11, the U.S. established its only permanent military base in Africa in Djibouti, making it a key jumping-off point for the war on terror. The world's addiction to fossil fuels and China's rise as a manufacturing superpower have made the choke point more vital than ever.
Djibouti has become the only place on earth where the United States and China have military bases right next to each other. While the bases have brought economic benefits to Djibouti, they have also propped up an undemocratic regime accused of human rights abuses.
Djibouti has had to navigate conflicts between other countries, such as the UAE and Qatar, and has played the big powers off each other to its advantage. As global rivalries heat up, Djibouti's role is going to become more complex, and it will need to continue to embody positive-sum thinking to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Why Saudi Arabia is Building a $1 Trillion City in the Desert [2:31:48]
Saudi Arabia is investing vast oil wealth into Neom, a trillion-dollar futuristic city being built in the desert. The project aims to diversify the Saudi economy beyond oil, which is predicted to decline in demand. Neom includes various projects, such as Oxagon, Sindalah, Magna, and The Line, a 170-kilometer-long city run on renewable energy and artificial intelligence.
The construction of Neom involves massive earthmoving and infrastructure development. The project aims to attract tourists, investors, and residents from around the world. However, the construction has also led to the forced relocation of local communities, with some protesting and facing severe consequences.
The project represents Saudi Arabia's attempt to transform itself into a modern, powerful country beyond oil. The kingdom is investing in new economies, industries, and technologies, such as tourism, manufacturing, and renewable energy. However, the project also raises concerns about human rights and the preservation of Bedouin culture.
Neom is pitching the world on an impossible-sounding vision, hoping to attract investment and make some version of it a reality. While some see the benefits of the project, others are less certain about its effects on the region. The scale and riskiness of these projects speak to the scale of Saudi Arabia's challenge to secure its future beyond oil.
