Causes of 9/11 + Responses to 9/11

Thursday - May 15, 2025

How many hijackers participated in 9/11?

20

How many Al-Queda members were against America by the 1990s?

20,000

Why were so many middle-easterners against America?

The US’ Cold War Policy - supporting anti-communists who were REALLY bad people

By 1953, how long had the Shah been in Iran for?

26 years

What was the name of the war in 1967 where the US supported Israel militarily?

The 6-Day War

What was the name of the war in 1973 where the US supported Israel militarily?

The Yom-Kippur War

How did Afghanistan feel about communism in 1980?

They were largely anti-communist

Who did the US train in 1980 to fight against communism?

Osama Bin Laden

How did Osama bin Laden try to justify the 9/11 attacks and other terrorist attacks targeted toward Americans in the 1990s?

America’s military presence & corrupting cultural influence in Saudi Arabia

After the Gulf War, bin Laden’s anger increasingly turned against the United States. Why?

He was angered by the presence of American military bases in Saudi Arabia & US support for Israel in its ongoing conflict with Palestine

What did Osama bin Laden refer to Americans as?

Crusaders

What was Bin Laden’s ‘Jihad’?

A Holy War on America

When did Al-Queda declare a Jihad?

1991 & 1992

What did Al-Queda do in February 1993?

AQ conducted a terrorist attack on the WTC

When was Al-Queda’s first terrorist attack against America?

February 1993

How many people died after Al-Queda’s first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center?

6 people

When was Al-Queda’s second attack against America?

Fall 1998

Where was Al-Queda’s second attack against America?

In Africa, 2 US embassies were attacked

Why didn’t a lot of Americans focus on the US Embassies being attacked in Fall 1998?

The Lewinsky Scandal was all over US news & had everyone’s attention

What happened to the USS Cole in October 2000?

It was attacked by suicide bombers, killing 17 US soldiers

About how many Americans died on 9/11?

~ 3,000

How did the US respond to 9/11 domestically?

Airlines changed

How did the US respond to 9/11 internationally?

90% of Americans supported war in Afghanistan

How did Bush respond after the Taliban refused to surrender Osama bin Laden, the architect of the 9/11 attacks?

On October 7, 2001, the US launched air strikes against the Taliban

How did Bush 2 say America should handle Afghanistan?

He said we should “smoke ‘em out of their caves”

What was the Patriot Act of 2001?

A controversial act that would’ve allowed US govt to check people’s phone records without a warrant

How did Republicans feel about the Patriot Act?

They aggressively supported it

How did Democrats feel about the Patriot Act?

They didn’t wanna infringe on civil liberties & privacy rights while fighting against terrorists

Why were people against invading Iraq in 2003?

Iraq had WMDs & nukes

What are WMDs?

Weapons of mass destruction