WAR ON TERROR & POST-9/11 (2000-2010)

WAR ON TERROR & POST-9/11 2000-2010

Along with advances in transportation and information exchange, globalization also enabled the organization and movement of international terrorists.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four planes, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Washington DC., and another into a field in Pennsylvania, missing its target. Nearly 3.000 people died in this attack.

The 9/11 attackers had been trained and organized through al Qaeda, a radical Islamist network devoted to fighting Western influence and linked to leader Osama Bin Laden. President George W. Bush named this enemy in his speech. declaring a “War on Terror”, which he called on world leaders to join.

Under the name of Operation Enduring Freedom, U.S. forces led airstrikes in Afghanistan, where Bin Laden and al Qaeda members were harbored by the militant Islamist regime, the Taliban. As other countries joined the War in Afghanistan, Taliban control of the region weakened, but many relocated to Pakistan, where they continued to grow in influence. The War on Terror entered a second phase when in 2003, U.S.-led forces Invaded Iraq in response to intelligence that the country's dictator, Saddam Hussein, had "weapons of mass destruction". Months later, President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq as a victory in the War on Terror. Saddam Hussein was captured & executed.

Meanwhile, terrorists continued to carry out significant attacks.

Bin Laden was killed in a raid in Pakistan in 2011. President Obama announced the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan intending to hand over responsibility to Afganis. Two months later August 2017 became the deadliest month yet for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The war was declared over in 2014.

VOCABULARY

Terrorist - a person or group who uses violence to incite fear for political or ideological purposes.

World Trade Center - skyscrapers, also known as the Twin Towers in New York City, that housed offices of international commerce; were destroyed in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Pentagon- building in Arlington, Virginia, that contains offices of the U.S. Department of Defense

Al Qaeda - a radical Islamist network devoted to fighting Western Influence

Islamist - a person or group who supports or participates in militant advocacy of Islam

Osama bin Laden- leader of al Qaeda who organized the 9/11 attacks; was killed by U.S. forces

"War on Terror" -an international campaign to fight terrorism launched by. U.S. President George W. Bush in response to the 9/11 attacks

Operation Enduring Freedom - official name of U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan as part of the War on Terror

Taliban- militant Islamist regime controlling Afghanistan at the time of US-led attacks on al Qaeda terrorists.

War in Afghanistan - longest war in U.S. history; it began with airstrikes against al Qaeda terrorists and continued in efforts to topple the Taliban regime 

Saddam Hussein- dictator of Iraq who was captured by U.S.-led forces and executed for crimes against humanity

“weapons of mass destruction" - a class of weapon with the capacity for inflicting death on a massive scale; cited as a reason for the U.S. invasion of Iraq as part of War on Terror