The following is extremely simplified. You might also want to learn about 20th century treaties because I think those are critical to understanding the conflicts in east Asia.
Vietnam/Cambodia: proxy war between USSR and the US. Conflict originated from colonialism (see: French Indochina). Japan occupied the region towards the end of WW2 and when they surrendered the Việt Minh (communist) declared independence and opposed the return to French rule. France was like, hell naw and you get the First Indochina war. That ended with the country split into north and south (at the 17th parallel).The French, the USSR and China supported the split and convinced the North Vietnamese to accept. The US and the South Koreans did not agree. France left the conflict at this point and I guess that is why the Vietnam war was a new war 🤷♀️
Korea: Korea had been occupied by Japan since 1910. When the USSR and US defeated Japan they just kind of split the country in half, each responsible for administering a side until things settled down and they could have elections. As far as I understand there was no intent to colonize the old fashioned way, but this was also a proxy war so…
Desert storm: the popular answer is going to be oil but I think it’s important to understand the impact the cold war had on this part of Asia too. I am way less familiar with these wars but the wiki article on the Cold War in Asia looks pretty promising.
Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory: This was bombed because of suspected ties to al-Qaeda. The US was in conflict with al-Qaeda at the time in retaliation for the embassy bombings. Again, this is all linked back to the Soviet-Afghan war.
Afghanistan the first time (?): do you mean 2001? The US decided the al-Qaeda was behind the attacks and that the Taliban was helping them. The Taliban was the government of Afghanistan. The US attacked them because they did not hand over bin Laden.
Iraq the second time: Oil. The Gulf war was never resolved. Regime change was the stated policy of the US since 1998. Bombing happened right after that (with the UK helping), but 9/11 gave them to excuse they needed to actually invade.
Iran: we’ve come full circle to the proxy wars again. Maybe that’s a stretch but there is a shift in who the “world powers” are and I think that’s raising the stakes in a conflict that is otherwise probably mostly about oil. Way back in the 1950s the Iranian government nationalized the oil industry so the US/UK supported a coup d’état which gave the shah (hereditary ruler) more power. The Iranian revolution replaced the shah with the Islamic Republic. Iran and the US have been in indirect conflict in the region since then basically. There are pro and anti Western groups in the middle east and it comes down to access to oil. Why now? Israel asked. Iran and Israel are enemies and the US has interest in regime change.
cattywampas@lemmy.world 1 day ago
None of those were arbitrary. They all had very real reasons behind them. I’m not defending any of them, but they weren’t chosen at random.
Patnou@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Care to defend how they were arbitrary?
cattywampas@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Vietnam and Korea were proxy wars against communist powers as the US was trying to prevent the spread of communism during the Cold War. The Gulf War/Desert Storm was a war against Iraq in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. The pharmaceutical factory strike was a response to attacks on US embassies in the region, along with the likely bad intelligence that the factory was being used to manufacture chemical weapons for al-Qaeda. Afghanistan and Iraq were part of the Global War on Terror as a response to 9/11 and to depose anti-American and anti-Western regimes. Iran this time around is again allegedly to prevent them from gaining nuclear capabilities. The bombing of Cambodia was part of the Vietnam war.
It should be noted that these were more or less the official reasons, along with a healthy dose of American imperialism, wanting to spread American ideology, gaining access to fossil fuels or other resources, or distracting from unpopular domestic issues.
So there were always reasons for these conflicts, whether justified or not, whether public or ulterior.
Patnou@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Give me a couple hours have to go for a monthly check up. But good knowledge bomb. Will have a reply when I get back
Patnou@lemmy.world 22 hours ago
Alright bear with me I am on my phone so maybe answering this in parts while I am waiting for my doc. If you don’t mind I’ll take your first sentence. That was a belief, let me say that again BELIEF, It is kind of like saying every friendly country to your country is my enemy. Now you want to use communism, which is fine. But that is an Idea War. So lets Blame the whole WW2 on one person Hitler. But communism is always blamed on Russia. Which if you boil it down is back to one man Marx and Engels well thats two. I is the equivalent of saying your a Muslim so I am suspect on the way you believe. Communism is a belief and no one yet has won an idea war. Second sentence. Gulf War/Desert storm. That was just fighting someones else’s war. But this time it’s over a substance. I whole wholeheartedly agree. Was it just in anyway shape or form…NO. This is like your the teacher on the playground and break up a fight between to boys. You will not end the conflict because the boys will go else where and continue it one day. As for the substance OIL is just the flavor of the century, those who are smart invest in other tech. but say la V. Ok 3rd sentence…oh just saying my doctor is taking long and this is pretty good on a phone. Again the stuff in Kenya and Tanzania which bad intel is no excuse for auto implementing an attack that killed people who just disagree with the US. Would it have been that bad if we got our bases out of the Middle East? Now this is just leads us into the brink of paranoia like communism. But to believe that at the time we could not have hired at least one single person to walk up to said factory and investigate? There is a movie with Chris Lee that shows Iraq was buying aluminum rods or whatever to build a long range weapons program. Which is a belief with no back up. Except that woman who testified it was false of chemical weapons. Look up people like Valerie Pame and others. Plus Saddam last words while he was in his cell. Told a US Serviceman that it was bullshit. And they did it to keep Iran at bay. And said we The US should watch out for Iran. Damn still going on my phone. Because they were the real threat in the Middle East. Not going to acknowledge the Global War on Terrorism because I did not stand in front of a banner that said MISSION COMPLETE. Ever been to Cambodia? That place is fucked beyond belief, kind of seeing a pattern here?, by Kissinger. Just on the belief the Viet Cong were operating there. Also don’t forget Laos. All in part of a theory/threat of some sorts that if he showed he was a “Madman” they wouldn’t do shit and back off. This was Nixon BTW.
ccunning@lemmy.world 1 day ago
🤨
Patnou@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Sorry meant were not arbitrary.