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Terrorism and Foreign Policy. Objectives. Learn about the roots of terrorism. Explore how Americans responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Find out how the United States became involved in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Examine the results of the 2004 presidential election.
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Objectives • Learn about the roots of terrorism. • Explore how Americans responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. • Find out how the United States became involved in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. • Examine the results of the 2004 presidential election.
Terms and People • terrorism – the use of violence, often against civilian targets, to force political or social change • counterterrorism – action taken against terrorism • Osama Bin Laden– a wealthy Saudi Arabian who ran a worldwide terrorist network called al Qaeda and is suspected of planning the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States
How did the war on terrorism affect American actions at home and abroad? At home, the war on terrorism spurred the formation of the Office of Homeland Security and the passage of the Patriot Act. Abroad, the U.S attacked Afghanistan, started the Iraq War, and declared a “war on terror.”
Terrorists use violent acts to create a climate of fear. In recent decades, terrorism has become a growing threat around the world. Some terrorists belong to well-organized groups.
Terrorism is not new. It has existed for a long time. During Reconstruction, the Ku Klux Klan used terror tactics to keep African Americans from voting. More recently, terrorists have staged attacks in Ireland, Sri Lanka, and the Middle East.
In the 1990s, America faced terrorist attacks by both foreign and internal groups. In 1993, Middle Eastern extremists set off a bomb beneath one of the towers of the World Trade Centerin New York. In 1995, American men who resented the government destroyed a federal building in Oklahoma City.
On September 11, 2001,Arab terrorists seized four passenger jets that had departed from the East Coast. They crashed two planes into the World Trade Center and the third into the Pentagonin Arlington, Virginia. The fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers interrupted the plans of the terrorists.
President George W. Bush promised the U.S. would find and punish those responsible for the attacks. At the same time, he cautioned Americans not to take out their anger on innocent Arabs and Muslims.
Bush created the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to coordinate the country’s counterterrorism efforts. The DHS focused on finding terrorists and safeguarding transportation, communication, and energy systems.
In late 2001, Bush signed the Patriot Act. Patriot Act Authorities could investigate and jail people suspected of having terrorist ties. Suspects could be held indefinitely without charges being filed and without being allowed to consult a lawyer.
The Patriot Act caused controversy. Opponents said it threatened civil liberties. Supporters said it wasnecessary for national security. Congress renewed the Patriot Act in 2006.
Osama Bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda—a worldwide terrorist organization—became a suspect in the September 11 terrorist attacks. He took refuge in Afghanistan, where the Taliban protected him. The Taliban was a group of extremists who ruled Afghanistan with the goal of creating a fundamentalist Islamic state.
The Taliban refused to give up Bin Laden, so U.S. troops attacked Afghanistan in October 2001. The U.S. quickly toppled the Taliban and set up a new government. However, Bin Laden escaped and remained a threat.
Bush claimed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had ties with Bin Laden and was developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Bush said the U.S. was justified in attacking a country that posed a threat, even if that country had not attacked first. This caused a rift with some U.S. allies, but Britain and other nations pledged their support.
In March 2003, the U.S. led a coalition of about 30 nations in an attack on Iraq. Coalition forces smashed Iraq’s defenses in six weeks.
Rebuilding Iraq proved difficult. Militants continued to attack American troops and Iraqis. Attacks continued even after Hussein was captured in 2003 and executed in 2006. No WMDs were found, nor was any link to Bin Laden proved.
Others criticized the war. They said Iraq had not posed an immediate threat to the U.S. and accused Bush of deceiving Americans about Iraqi WMDs. Against the War
Bush won a second term in 2004, but the controversy over Iraq weakened his presidency. In 2006, voters frustrated with the war gave the Democrats control of both houses of Congress. The Iraq war continued. By early 2009, more than 4,200 Americans had died.
Two sects of Islam were fighting for power in Iraq, and many died in the strife. Most Iraqis are Shiite and had suffered under Saddam Hussein. The minority Sunnis had supported the dictator.
Bush sent 20,000 more U.S. soldiers to Iraq. Supporters believed this “surge” helped bring some stability, but the fighting continued. Anti-American feelings grew in Iraq and spread to Iran. Iran’s influence threatened to spread throughout the Middle East.
Barack Obama won the 2008 election becoming the first African American U.S. president. Obama also addressed the war in Iraq. • In August 2010 the president announced that the American mission in Iraq had ended. • More than 4,000 troops had been killed in the war and over 31,000 wounded. • 50,000 American troops stayed behind in support roles. • Thanks to a troop surge Iraq was more stable, although terrorism continued.
At the same time, Obama increased the American military presence in Afghanistan. American forces focused their efforts on the Taliban in Afghanistan and their allies in Pakistan. In May 2011, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. Navy SEALS who raided his compound in Pakistan. The mastermind of the 9/11 attacks was dead. However, Americans knew that bin Laden’s death did not end the threat of terrorism.
