The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Conflicts, 2E

by Steven D. Strauss

Overview

Cold hard facts on the world’s hot spots.

Now readers can make sense of the daily headlines with an examination of the sides and issues of evolving conflicts. This updated edition provides coverage of all of the hot conflict spots in our world today, background and history, new and added coverage of the war on terror, and up-to-date coverage on the Middle East, including Iraq.

•  As Iraq continues to dominate the news, there is, unfortunately, no shortage of other trouble spots—this guide looks at conflicts around the globe.
•  An accurate reference source for high school and college students, and a great overview for people who want more in-depth understanding of daily events.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440696763
Publisher:	DK
Publication date:	05/02/2006
Series:	COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE Series
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Steven D. Strauss is a nationally recognized political analyst, lawyer, and writer. He is also a weekly columnist for USAToday.com and a frequent commentator and media guest who has been featured on CNN, The O'Reilly Factor, MSNBC, Court TV, the BBC, and ABC News.

Table of Contents

I. THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA.

1. The World at War.

It's a Small World After All. War Today. War—What Is It Good For? All We Are Saying.

2. East Is East and West Is West.

Islam. Afghanistan Ho! Fatwa This! Understanding bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. The Embassy and Cole Bombings. Never the Twain Shall Meet?

3. The Middle East Mess.

A Long Time Ago, in a Land Far, Far Away. Enter the Muslims. Zionism. Birth of a Nation. The Suez War. The Six-Day War. The Yom Kippur War. Peace in Our Time. The Campaign in Lebanon. The Intifada. Onto Oslo.

4. A Wreck Called Iraq.

Don't Know Much About History. The Rise of Islam. The Times, They Are A-Changin'. The Iran-Iraq War. The Mother of All Battles. Iraq Since the Persian Gulf War.

5. Never-Never Land: Kurdistan.

The Kurds of Kurdistan. Should They Stay or Should They Go? The Birth of Modern Conflict. The Kurds of Iraq. Iran and the Kurds. What's Gone Wrong? Is There a Solution?

6. Hotspots in Northern Africa.

A Sudan Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand. The Civil War Era. Egypt's Troubles. The Nasser Years. Sadat Takes Over. The Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism. Algeria Has Its Own Problems.

II. CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA.

7. DeathAround the Horn.

Ethiopia. Eritrea Fights for Freedom. Somalia.

8. Insanity in West Africa.

Take, Rattle, and Roll. Sierra Leone: Making Kosovo Look Good. Liberia. Senegal. Nigeria.

9. Struggles in Central Africa.

The Neverending Angolan Civil War. Genocide in Rwanda. Burundi. The Democratic Republic of Congo.

III. ASIA AND THE PACIFIC.

10. All in the Family: North and South Korea.

The Korean Conundrum. The Korean War. Subsequent Skirmishes. Are Things Getting Warmer or Colder? New Blood. Summit.

11. Enter the Dragon: China.

Who Lost China? China and Taiwan. China and Tibet. The Xinjiang Province. China and Russia. China and the United States. The Old Guard Versus the New Guard.

12. Cain and Abel: India and Pakistan.

The Indian Subcontinent. Pakistan Versus India. Act Two. In Concert with Bangladesh. Sikhing Freedom. Nuclear Roulette. What Does the Future Hold?

13. Religious and Ethnic Animosity in Indonesia.

The End of Colonialism and the Rise of a Dictator. East Timor Struggles for Independence. Papua, A.K.A. Irian Jaya. The Spice Islands, A.K.A. the Moluccas. Sulawesi. Aceh. Osama and Indonesia.

14. More Asian Atrocities.

The Spratly Islands. The Diaoyutai Dispute. The Philippines. Burma's Close Shave with Democracy. Trouble in Paradise.

IV. EUROPE.

15. The Balkan Mess.

Break Out Your Scorecard. The Great Dictator. The Croatian War. The Siege on Sarajevo. The Dayton Accords. Kosovo. Thankfully, the End.

16. The Russian Bear.

Russian History 101. Chechnya. More Crisis in the Caucasus. Russia and the West.

17. Northern Ireland Imbroglio.

The Roots of the Problem. The Troubles. The Good Friday Peace Accords.

18. Smoldering European Conflicts.

Basque—in the Shadow of Terrorism. Armenia Versus Azerbaijan. Cyprus on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

V. SOUTH AMERICA AND LATIN AMERICA.

19. Colombia in Conflict.

A Conflicted History. Guerrilla War. Drugs and Money. Peace Efforts.

20. Hatred in Haiti.

Haiti's History. The Duvalier Era: 1957-1986. Election Time. The Return of Aristide.

21. More Latin and South American Standoffs.

Castro's Cuba. Peru's Problems. Coup of a Kind.

VI. NORTH AMERICA.

22. Life in These United States.

A Star Is Born. Fighting the Good Fight. The Fifty-Third Hostage. War by Proxy. The Once and Future King? A Shameful History.

23. Problems for America's Neighbors.

Viva Mexico! Stand Up for Your Rights. Oh Canada!

24. Give Peace a Chance.

Change Is in the Air. The United Nations. International Humanitarian Law. Going for the Gold. A Noble Prize. Nongovernmental Organizations. Peace in Our Time.

Appendix A. Organizations.
Appendix B. For More Information.
Appendix C. Glossary.
Index.