Obama

Globalization

growth to a global or worldwide scale

Syria 2011

After President Obama completed the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011, another problem in the Middle East drew the U.S. back once again. A splinter group of al-Qaeda known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), or the Islamic State, assembled an army and set out to create a new Muslim state ruled by Sunni Muslims and guided by sharia law. ISIS ignored international borders, and its forces rapidly seized control of large areas of northern Iraq and eastern Syria. ISIS targeted Christians, non-Sunni Muslims, and various religious minorities. Its forces destroyed churches and Shia Muslim shrines and committed brutal public executions. Large numbers of refugees fled from ISIS-controlled areas.

Arab Spring 2011

In 2011, popular unrest in the Middle East led to a series of revolutions against oppressive governments. The movement, known as the "Arab Spring," overthrew dictators in Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. Since American troops were engaged in combat in Afghanistan, Obama was reluctant to provide American military support to the rebels in these nations. Instead, he relied on other NATO nations to provide the air support that helped rebels remove Muammar Qaddafi from power in Libya. Overthrowing dictators caused widespread political instability that posed serious problems for U.S. policy in the Middle East. Some of the governments that fell had been security partners with the U.S. There was a risk that religious extremists might gain power, which would complicate relations with the U.S., make compromise with Israel more difficult, and jeopardize the supply of oil and other commerce from the Middle East. Another unsettling danger was the possibility that Iran had the capability to develop nuclear weapons.

Libya 2011

When the Libyan civil war broke out in 2011, the United States took part in a military intervention in the conflict, aiding anti-Gaddafi rebels with air strikes against the Libyan Army. October 20th Gaddafi is captured and killed.