Lecture 23-War on Terror Begins

Saddam Hussein

• Iraq’s dictator

  • challenged other Arab nations

  • Iran-Iraq war 1980-88

  • built up world’s 4th largest army

• 1990 Hussein’s troops invaded small oil rich nation Kuwait

  • Iraqi army committed human rights violations

  • Kuwait reached out to US for help

  • Bush I prepared US forces asked allies to be ready

  • UN boycotted Iraq’s oil

Persian Gulf War

• pres Bush I and UN threatened war unless Iraq left Kuwait by Jan 15 1991

  • 400,000 US troops/ 265,000 allies waited in Saudi Arabia

  • Hussein’s forces remained in Kuwait

• Operation Desert Storm

  • first 40 day target bombing of strategic areas in Iraq

  • next troops entered Kuwait & forced Iraqi invaders out

  • war won quickly (ab 2 months) low % of US fatalities

• Hussein continued aggressive moves toward nearby nations

Pres George W Bush (Bush II)

• son of HW Bush

  • yale and harvard grad

  • owned TX Rangers baseball team

• gov of TX 1995-2001

  • “compassionate conservative”

• pres 2001-2009

  • 2001 No Child Left Behind Act

• most diverse admin at time

  • af ams: Colin Powell sec of state, Condi Rice national security advisor

  • asian ams: sec of labor Elaine Chao

  • “W is for Women” many women in high level positions

AIDS in Africa

• serious issue

  • more Afs have died from AIDS than rest of world combined

  • in some areas 30% have disease

  • millions of infected Aids orphans

• educating public difficult

  • widespread misinfo

  • health care and birth control not avail to all

• Bush II

  • very concerned about AIDS in Af

  • sent millions of free condoms to Af ppl

  • sent medication to slow down disease and relieve symptoms to millions w AIDS

9/11

• Al Qaeda—secret middle east terrorist group

  • radical Islamic extremists (Muslim majority denounced acts)

  • spread over several nations

  • US enemies, planned bombings

• suicide bombers flew into both World Trade Centers in NYC at 8:53am and 9:06am

  • ppl on floors on/above hit died

  • about 3,000 estimated dead

  • on lower floors 90% escaped

  • 350 firefighters killed

Additional Attempt and Attack

• terrorists hijacked 3rd plane, headed for White house (or capital)

  • passenger Todd Beamer organized passengers to keep terrorists from reaching target

  • also called and gave situation details to FBI

  • cue “lets roll” passengers frustrated terrorists efforts

  • flight crashed in PA field 20 min before destination, White House safe

  • Heroism applauded

• terrorist plane hit Pentagon

  • 125 dead

  • took days to extinguish fire

9/11 responses

• time of national mourning

  • tv covered lives of vics, showed bereaved

  • search for survivors lasted days, unsuccessful

  • Bush II personally spoke w firemen onsite

  • flag apparel and bumper stickers wildly popular

  • sympathy for NYC from nation and world

  • US citizens afraid—what next

• Bush II’s goal: locate Al-Qaeda terrorists, neutralize threat

  • requested authorization for armed force

  • passed 420-1 in House, 98-2 in Senate

War on Terror

• war in Afghanistan—Oct 2001

  • Bush asked Afghanistan’s Taliban gov to turn over al qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden

  • they refused, US and allies captured capital by Nov

• War in Iraq—2003

  • Hussein harbored al qaeda terrorists

  • 2003 invasion defeated his regime

  • long term US presence in both places

• war on terror 2001-2021

  • many covert operations to hunt terrorist leaders

  • 4 pres admins