GEMUN 2015
Security Council
Question of Middle East
Deputy President: Saud M. AlDughaither
Index
I. Definition of Key Terms
II. Introduction
III. Background Information
IV. UN involvement
V. Useful Links
I. Definition of Key Terms:
1) ISIS/ISIL: A group that grew out of Al Qaeda in Iraq, merging with several smaller groups to form The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, also known as the Islamic State, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and Ad-Dawlah Al-Islamiyya Fil’Araq wa-Sham (Daesh). These names and acronyms are used interchangeably.
2) Free Syrian Army: A loose collective of fairly secular opposition groups fighting the Assad regime.
3) Hezbollah: (Roughly translated to “Party of God”). A Shiite Muslim political and militant group operating in Lebanon that is considered a terrorist group by the US and EU. With significant support from Iran and Syria, Hezbollah maintains a large military arsenal, political organization, and social services network in Lebanon.
4) Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world's longest standing conflicts. It is claimed that resolving this conflict is key to resolving all other conflicts in the Middle East.
II. Introduction
The Middle East, also know as the Near East, is a region located in Western Asia and Egypt. The Middle East is considered the cradle of civilization, with ancient civilizations such as Sumeria, Babylon, and Ancient pharoanic Egypt flourishing there. The Middle East is also the birthplace of the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Middle East within the purple border
Since ancient times, the Middle East has never been at rest; it has always been at conflict. In modern times, many issues and conflict haunts the Middle East, such as the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.
This study guide will cover three of the main issues and conflicts in the Middle East: the civil war in Syria, the rise of ISIS, and the Palestinian-Conflict.
III. Background:
1) Palestinian-Israeli Conflict:
One of the world longest standing issues, this conflict traces its roots back during the early twentieth century. After World War II, the newly formed United Nations recommended the partition of Palestine into two states (Palestine and Israel) and the internationalization of Jerusalem with the minority Jewish immigrant populace receiving the majority of the land. The State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14 1948, but the Arab states rejected the partition of Palestine and the existence of Israel. The armies of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Trans-Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Egypt attacked but were defeated by the Israeli army. After this war, several wars took place, chiefly the war of 1967 and the war of 1973 with Israeli victory and defeat, respectively.
2) The rise of ISIS:
ISIS traces its roots back to 2002, when Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, Jordanian, founded a jihadi organization called Tawhid wal-Jihad in the north of Iraq. This organization later affiliated itself with Al-Qaeda and called itself Al-Qaeda in Iraq. AQI took a leading role in the insurgency in Iraq (2003-2007). In late 2006, AQI joined with eight other Islamist insurgent groups to form the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), without permission from the Al-Qaeda leadership. In 2010, a new leader ascended to leadership: Abu-Baker Al-Baghdadi. With the start of the Syrian civil war, Al-Baghdadi established “Jabhat Al-Nusra”, a Syrian extension of his organization. In 2013, with JN showing unwelcome signs of independence, Al-Baghdadi announced Jabhat Al-Nusra’s reabsorption into the expanded Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (Al-Sham basically means Greater Syria). Jabhat Al-Nusra appealed to Al-Qaeda and Al-Qaeda ruled in favor of it; confining Baghdadi and his organization to Iraq only. After this, ISIS declared complete independence from Al-Qaeda and claims over Syria. In 2014, ISIS declared itself a Caliphate with strong Islamic connotation (ISIS therefore can claim that it owes the allegiance of all Muslims around the world); in other words, ISIS became a sovereign state.
A map of Syria and Iraq showing ISIS-controlled cities.
3) Syrian civil war:
Pro-democracy protests erupted in Syria in March 2011, which escalated into a call of President Al-Assad’s resignation after security forces opened fire on the protestors. Violence escalated further and the country descended into civil war as rebel brigades were formed (many were government brigades initially but broke from the army and were called Free Syrian Army) to battle government forces for control of cities, towns, and the countryside. Fighting reached the capital Damascus and second city of Aleppo in 2012. The civil war evolved over time to more than just merely a battle between pro-Assad troops against the Free Syrian Army; it has acquired sectarian overtones, pitching the country's Sunni majority against the president's Shia Alawite sect, and drawn in neighboring countries and world powers. The rise of the jihadist groups, mainly ISIS and Jabhat Al-Nusra, has added a further dimension.
4) Libyan civil war:
The Libyan civil war, an armed conflict between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and civilians seeking to make his government collapse, took place from August 2009 to October 2011. On February 26 2010, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution that urged Gaddafi’s case to be taken in extreme consideration by the International Criminal Court. In March, Gaddafi’s armed forces re-took many eastern coastal cities that were temporarily possessed by rebels. Later on, the UN passed another resolution that established a no-fly zone over Libya to protect all civilians. Gaddafi’s government announced a ceasefire but didn’t manage to stand up to their promises. In August 2011, rebels captured the capital of Tripoli. On the 16th of September 2011, the UN recognized the National Transitional Council as the legitimate representative of Libya. Thus totally replaced Gaddafi’s government. On October 20, the rebels captured and murdered Gaddafi. Three days later, the Libyan civil war officially ended.
IV. UN Involvement:
1) Syrian civil war:
A number of attempts by the Arab League and the UN to broker ceasefires and start dialogue have failed. In January 2014, the US, Russia and UN convened a conference in Switzerland to implement the 2012 Geneva Communiqué, an internationally-backed agreement that called for the establishment of a transitional governing body in Syria formed on the basis of mutual consent. The meeting, which became known as Geneva II, failed miserably. The then UN special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi blamed the Syrian government's refusal to discuss opposition demands and its insistence on a focus on fighting "terrorists" - a term Damascus uses to describe rebel groups. The UN had to deal with the rumors that the Syrian leader Assad used chemical weapons to oppress the population. On August 25 2013, the Syrian government allowed the UN to inspect the locations was it is thought that chemical weapons were used. Currently, the UN is carrying out investigations and is reflecting if the International Criminal Court should trial Assad.
2) Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
The UN has not been able to resolve the conflict until this very day. The Security Council has taken no significant action since 1967, when it passed Resolution 242 calling on Israel to surrender the lands acquired during its war with Syria and Egypt. The General Assembly has taken a more effective role in the conflict, constantly taking action and frequently calling on parties to respect human rights. In 1988, the Assembly took the unprecedented step of holding a special session in Geneva after the United States refused to grant Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat the visa needed to address the Assembly in New York. In 2002, the PLO issued a report stating that there was a biased attitude towards the Israeli people and government at the United Nations. In 2011, the General Assembly of the UN passed a resolution regarding Palestine refugees’ properties and their revenues. The resolution ensured that the refugees’ could shelter in temporary camps, whose creation would be funded by the UN.
3) The rise of ISIS:
In 2014, the UN Security Council passed several resolutions against ISIS, mainly the one passed in September 2014 that demands countries to toughen their laws to prevent the flow of foreign fighters to terror groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
In September 2006, all Member States agreed in taking a global strategy to tackle terrorism. The strategy to tackle terrorism consists in establishing numerous subsidiary bodies that strengthen countries to combat all forms of terrorism by ensuring the respect of human rights.
4) Libyan civil war:
On the 26th of February 2010, the UN called for an urgent in meeting in Geneva. They passed a resolution that encouraged all member states to take in extreme consideration the conflict’s escalation. In the mentioned resolution, all nations were warmly asked to diffuse public awareness regarding the matter. After partially meeting the resolution’s goals, the UN Security Council was forced to pass another resolution that urged all member states to respect the no-fly zone over Libya, created to prevent casualties and to increase civilians’ safety. On September 2011, the United Nations recognized the National Transitional Party as the Libyan government representing the whole Libyan population and discarding Gaddafi’s government.
V. Useful Links:
http://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/religion-geopolitics/commentaries/backgrounder/what-isis
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/10/guide-groups-fighting-iraq-and-syria.html
http://www.cfr.org/lebanon/hezbollah-k-hizbollah-hizbullah/p9155
http://israelipalestinian.procon.org
http://www.globalissues.org/article/112/palestine-and-israel-introduction
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868
https://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/index-of-countries-on-the-security-council-agenda/israel-palestine-and-the-occupied-territories.html