The U.S. and Terrorism:The U.S. and Terrorism:The Path to 9/11The Path to 9/11

Mr. BachMr. BachUnited States HistoryUnited States History

The Persian Gulf War of The Persian Gulf War of 19911991

• Cause: Iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait

• Problem: Threatens the control of the Middle East’s Oil Supply

Operation Desert StormOperation Desert Storm

• President George H.W. Bush leads a UN coalition to expel Saddam for Kuwait

• The war lasts about 5 days and is a complete US victory

Postwar PlansPostwar Plans

• Bush makes the decision not to remove Saddam Hussein from power

• U.S. troops remain based in Saudi Arabia to patrol “No-Fly Zones” over Iraq

World Trade Center World Trade Center Bombing - 1993Bombing - 1993

• Truck bomb in parking garage kills 6 and wounds over a thousand

• U.S. troops remain based in Saudi Arabia to patrol “No-Fly Zones” over Iraq

Ramzi Yousef

U.S. Intervention in U.S. Intervention in SomaliaSomalia

• In 1992, the U.S. sends troops into Somalia to protect ethnic minorities and alleviate the suffering due to a famine

• U.S. troops get caught in a Somali Civil War involving Islamic warlords

Black Hawk DownBlack Hawk Down

• 18 U.S. troops are killed in street fighting by soldiers loyal to Islamic warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid

• President Clinton decides to withdraw all U.S. troops from Somalia

Oklahoma City Bombing - Oklahoma City Bombing - 19951995

• 168 Americans are killed in a truck bomb blast

• Target is a federal government building

• Worst act of domestic terrorism in American history

Timothy McVeighTimothy McVeigh

• Persian Gulf War Veteran

• Revenge for government action at Waco, Texas and against militia groups

Embassy Bombings - 1998Embassy Bombings - 1998

• Hundreds of people are killed in twin bombings at the American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya

• Credit claimed by Egyptian Islamic Jihad

• Osama bin Laden put on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List

Columbine - 1999Columbine - 1999

• Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people at Columbine High School in Colorado and then commit suicide

USS Cole USS Cole - 2000- 2000

• Al-Qaeda launches a suicide attack on the U.S.S. Cole in a port off Yemen.

• 17 sailors killed; 39 injured

September 11, 2001September 11, 2001

• 2,995 people are killed including 19 hijackers

• Worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor

American Resilience – “Let’s American Resilience – “Let’s Roll”Roll”

The Patriot ActThe Patriot Act

• Gives the NSA and FBI greater ability to conduct searches of phone, computer and other communications (to name a few provisions) to fight terrorism

• Department of Homeland Security established.

Invasion of Afghanistan - Invasion of Afghanistan - 20012001

• Target: Break-up the Taliban government that has been harboring Al-Qaeda training camps

• Osama bin Laden escapes (most likely to Pakistan)

Invasion of Iraq - 2003Invasion of Iraq - 2003

• Target: Remove Saddam Hussein from power because he is holding WMDs

• Bush Doctrine: Pre-emptive war against states sponsoring terrorism

The Iraq War ControversyThe Iraq War Controversy

The War on Terror ContinuesThe War on Terror Continues

“The Underwear Bomber”

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

“The Times Square Bomber”Faisal Shahzad