Study Notes on Afghanistan, SALT, and U.S. Foreign Policy in the Late 20th Century

Current Situation: Afghan women are depicted wearing a burka, which covers their entire body and face, allowing only a small screen to see through.
- Conditions in Afghanistan: The climate is typically hot, making life in a burka particularly challenging.
Religious Government Influence: The strict dress code and treatment of women stem from the religious government that rose to power following the Soviet Afghan War.
- Historical Context: This regime was supported by the United States, starting with President Carter's administration and continuing through Reagan's, via the arming and training of the Mujahideen.

US Involvement: The U.S. secretly supported Mujahideen forces against the Soviets in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.
- CIA Operations: This was one of the largest CIA operations in history, highlighting a complex relationship with respect to foreign policy and local governance outcomes.
Shift in Women's Rights: This was viewed as a significant regression in women's rights in Afghanistan, indicating a failed foreign intervention with long-term negative effects.

Background on SALT: The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) were negotiations aimed at curtailing the arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
US Withdrawal: The U.S. withdrew from the SALT treaty in 1979 due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, reversing prior advancements in diplomatic relations.
Impact: This withdrawal represented a significant low point in U.S.-Soviet relations in the 1980s.

Overview: The Camp David Accords were a crucial peace agreement established in 1979 between Egypt and Israel.
- Facilitating Leaders: The talks were mediated by President Jimmy Carter between Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt.
Significance of the Peace Agreement:
- Egypt recognized Israel's right to exist, a significant acknowledgment given the history of conflict since Israel's establishment in 1948.
- In exchange, Israel agreed to return the Sinai Peninsula, which it had occupied since the Six Day War in 1967.
Temporary Nature of Peace:
- Sadat was assassinated by Islamic extremists shortly after the accords, exploring the volatile nature of peace in the region.

Resistant Elements: The agreement, although hailed as a significant breakthrough, faced resistance within both countries post-agreement, illustrating ongoing conflicts in the region.
- Context of the Middle Eastern Conflicts: Ongoing tensions and multiple wars continued to shape attitudes toward Israel and their recognition in the Arab world.
US Interests: The U.S. had a strategic interest in stabilizing peace in the Middle East.

Background: The U.S. influenced Iran's political landscape by orchestrating a coup in 1953 that replaced an elected leader with the Shah, who ruled as a dictator with U.S. support.
- Shah's Modernization Efforts: His regime pushed modernization that faced backlash from rural populations resistant to Western influence and oppression.
Fall of the Shah: Widespread unrest culminated in the 1979 revolution led primarily by Ayatollah Khomeini, resulting in the Shah’s ousting and the establishment of an Islamic Republic.
Hostage Crisis: The Shah attempted to seek refuge in the U.S. for treatment, leading to the storming of the U.S. embassy in Tehran and 52 American hostages taken.
- Carter's Response: The U.S. imposed sanctions, froze Iranian assets, and failed failed rescue operations, which damaged Carter's presidency significantly.

Public Sentiment: Growing frustration among the American public as a result of the hostage crisis, economic downturn, and perceived failures in international and domestic policies, leading to a loss of confidence.
Carter's Crisis of Confidence Speech: Carter’s acknowledgment of a national crisis stemming from economic factors received backlash from the public for seeming out of touch with their struggles.
Transition to Reagan Administration: Reagan capitalized on the discontent by presenting himself as a figure of renewal for American confidence during the election campaign of 1980.