Cold War vocab (simplified) 

Mikhail Gorbachev

Last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, known for reforms called glasnost and perestroika.

Glasnost

Meaning 'openness,' this policy allowed freedom of speech and less censorship in the Soviet Union.

Perestroika

Meaning 'restructuring,' this was an economic reform to give more control to businesses and local governments in the Soviet Union.

Secessionists

People in former Soviet republics like Ukraine and Latvia who wanted independence from the USSR.

Commonwealth of Independent republics

A group formed by Russia and 11 former Soviet republics after the USSR broke up to maintain loose connections.

Sayyid Qutb

egyptian founder of islamic fundalism

Islamic Fundamentalism

The belief that every rule in the Quran should be followed exactly, often associated with extremist behavior.

Ayatollah Khomeni

Religious leader who led the 1979 revolution in Iran, establishing an Islamic theocracy.

Mullah Omar

Leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan who enforced Islamic law and protected Osama bin Laden.

Taliban

 islamic fundamentalist government of afghanistan

Shariq

Islamic religious law derived from the Quran, governing aspects of daily life under the Taliban.

Mujahideen

 islamic guerilla fights vs. soviets in afghanistan 79-92 

Osama bin Laden

Founder of al-Qaeda and planner of the 9/11 attacks, killed by U.S. forces.

Ramzi Yousef

Al-Qaeda terrorist who planned the first bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993.

Jihad

“holy war,” use of violence against the enemies of Islam

U.S.S. Cole

A Navy ship attacked by al-Qaeda in 2000, resulting in the death of seventeen American sailors.

Saddam Hussein

former president of iraq

Ayman al-Zawhiri

current leader of al-Qaeda

Afghanistan

Country associated with terms like Mullah Omar, Taliban, Mujahideen, Sharia, and al-Qaeda.

Yemen

Site of the U.S.S. Cole bombing.

Iraq

Country ruled by Saddam Hussein.

Egypt

Country where Sayyid Qutb originated and Islamic fundamentalism began.

Iran

Country led by Ayatollah Khomeini after the Islamic Revolution.