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Course: US history > Unit 9
Lesson 3: The United States after 2000September 11th
Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon resulted in the United States' declaration of a Global War on Terror.
Overview
- On September 11, 2001, terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked and flew airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed in the attacks.
- The administration of President George W. Bush declared a Global War on Terror and sent troops to Afghanistan, where the ruling Taliban regime was providing safe haven to al-Qaeda, and to Iraq, where Saddam Hussein purportedly was harboring weapons of mass destruction.
- Concerns about US national security resulted in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the signing of the USA Patriot Act into law. These developments sparked a debate over constitutional rights and protections, and the proper balance between security and liberty in a democracy.
The road to 9/11
The origins of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 stretch back to the US involvement in Afghanistan in the 1980s. After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979,
Osama bin Laden, the son of an extremely wealthy Saudi Arabian family, went to Afghanistan to organize the Arab mujahideen resistance to the Soviet occupation. Still in the grip of the Cold War, the United States supported the anti-Soviet mujahideen, providing them with weapons and training.
After the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, bin Laden turned his sights on the United States. He condemned US support for Israel and criticized the presence of US troops in Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War. Bin Laden was one of the founders of al-Qaeda, a radical Sunni Islamist terrorist network that has attacked civilian and military targets in numerous countries. Al-Qaeda organized the September 11th attacks, which involved hijacking and flying airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
After September 11th, President George W. Bush declared a Global War on Terror. The first front in this war was Afghanistan, where the ruling Taliban regime provided al-Qaeda with a safe haven and an operating base from which to plan and carry out their attacks. The objectives of the US invasion of Afghanistan were to depose the Taliban and rout al-Qaeda.
Although US troops enjoyed initial success at driving the Taliban from power, bin Laden managed to escape, and the Taliban eventually regrouped and launched a major counter-offensive. The conflict in Afghanistan was one of the longest and costliest wars in American history.
In March 2003, the United States invaded Iraq. The Bush administration claimed that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had ties to al-Qaeda and that he was harboring weapons of mass destruction.
The war on terror at home
The war on terror was fought on the home front as well. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 created the Department of Homeland Security to centralize the collection and analysis of intelligence and to coordinate US efforts to prevent future terrorist attacks.
On October 26, 2001, President Bush signed the USA Patriot Act into law. The act authorized the extensive use of wiretapping and other surveillance measures. When revelations surfaced that the National Security Agency (NSA) was collecting mass cellphone data, the law was amended so that the agency could only request the data of certain targeted individuals. A public debate erupted over whether the NSA had violated the American public’s reasonable expectations of privacy.
In 2004, another public debate arose over the use of enhanced interrogation techniques in extracting information from detained suspected terrorists. Evidence of torture at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq led to investigations of US human rights abuses. Former detainees reported that they had been beaten, starved, sexually assaulted, and subjected to routine humiliations. Though the military claimed that these incidents were the work of a few bad apples, the investigatory reports by human rights organizations reflected a much broader pattern of abuse. The revelations opened a debate about whether the use of torture was justified, or whether it was fundamentally antithetical to American principles, values, and traditions.
What do you think?
In a democracy, what is the proper relationship and balance between security and liberty?
How would you evaluate President Bush's decision to go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq?
How does the Global War on Terror compare to past military conflicts, such as World War II or Vietnam?
Want to join the conversation?
Was the 911 First Responders number coming from this?(11 votes)
No, 911 has been around for much longer.(25 votes)
Did the terrorists pick the date 9/11 because it was like 911 (an emergency) or was it just a coincidence?(15 votes)
Actually, the terrorists chose 9/11 because they would remember that day.(8 votes)
Why did the hijackers on the plane choose to go to the World Trade Center? And the Pentagon?(4 votes)
The pentagon because it is the united states defence and security headquarters and therefore is a very good strategic point from a military point of view, the world trade center is basically the economic center of the global tade hence the name "world trade centre" they had also planned to take down the white house with the government but luckily the passengers on that plane stepped in and crashed the plane somewhere else, as they knew they were going to die anyway, they should be remembered has heroes. All targeted locations were strategic from a military and economic point of view.(13 votes)
- I am just here on this article on september/11/2023, to come commemorate those who died on that day, heros and victims. This is one of the major reasons I still salute the flag and still say the pledge of allegiance. To all whom died that day and all whom were rescued and rescued the men and women trapped under the rubble. To all the heroes who gave their lives and took back control of the plane. To all the families of the victims and heroes. Finally, to all those who died at war fighting for justice to all those murdered by the terrorists and for those who gave their lives willingly to save the lives of others.
I pledge alligiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one one nation under God, idivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all(10 votes) 
Where were the planes supposed to go before the hijackings?(7 votes)
They were on flights to the US West coast(5 votes)
What was the exact point of fighting the Afghanistan war if it was costly?Why didn't we just let them be?(0 votes)- Isn't it kind of our moral obligation to fight evil? After they killed many of our fellow country men you think we should have just left the terrorists alone?(11 votes)
In the last paragraph was Iraq torturing US citizens, or was it the other way around? That sort of confused me...(2 votes)- The US soldiers tortured Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib.(8 votes)
How long did it take to recover(2 votes)
Well, about eight months after the attacks, the surrounding buildings of the fallen World Trade Center had been rebuilt and finished. The Pentagon was finished in about mid-to-late spring of 2002. But for survivors, or anyone who had experienced losing someone in 9/11? Never. They'll never forget that. Everyone that died was SOMETHING to someone- whether they were a mom, dad, sister, brother, son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandmother, grandfather, grandchild, etc. And then there were their occupations as well where they dealt with people: coworker, nurse, teacher, firefighter, policeman, etc. Buildings, can recover from damage from those attacks, but people- they can't.(6 votes)
How were the US troops able to find and kill Osama Bin Laden without getting attacked by the Taliban or other Islamic soldiers?(2 votes)- Bin Laden was in hiding in Pakistan and did not have a large number of soldiers with him.(4 votes)
Where was the 4th plane going to crash?(2 votes)
East of where it went down. Since everyone aboard, including the pilots, died in the crash, this is unknown.(4 votes)
