9-11 – Flashcard

The United States was attacked by members of the group Al Qaeda. Four planes were hijacked and used as weapons. Two planes crashed into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. One plane crashed into the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C. and the last plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

Nineteen young men carried out the attacks on 9-11. They were originally from Saudi Arabia but trained with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. They planned the 9-11 attacks for years and spent time in the United States learning to fly planes, navigate the airport security and go unnoticed in American culture.

This order was handed down by Osama Bin Laden (usually orders such as these are delivered by an Islamic religious leader). In it, Bin Laden expressed his hatred of America and listed the reasons for this hate. He was upset about US support of Israel, the US presence on the holy land (Mecca in Saudi Arabia) and the US spreading western values throughout the Middle East.

He planned, raised funds, recruited young men and organized the attack. He founded and led this radical Muslim organization dedicated to the elimination of western presence in Arab countries. This organization claims to be in a jihad (holy war) and works to achieve its goal through the use of terrorist attacks. The most devastating attack carried out by this organization was the attack on 9-11.

In this country, while in power, it enforced strict Islamic law. This regime allowed Al Qaeda to train and prepare for this "holy war" against the United States and the western world. It is here that the young men trained for the terrorist attacks that were carried out on 9-11.

The US intervened in Kuwait to fend off the invasion of Iraq there. In order to prepare for this fight, the US stationed troops in Saudi Arabia. A war ensued and lives were lost. Bin Laden blames this loss of Arab lives on the US and promises to retaliate. This president led the US into the Middle East to defend Kuwait from Iraq (led by Saddam Hussein).

The 9/11 Commission Report is the official report of the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It was prepared by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (informally sometimes known as the "9/11 Commission" at the request of United States president George W. Bush and Congress. This report identified intelligence failures as well as airport security mis-steps and airplane policies which left passengers and crew members vulnerable. Defense systems (such as NORAD) were not set up for internal attacks but rather for foreign attacks.

The US has provided aid to support Israel. The aid is used for military, defense, social programs and security. It is through this aid that the US & Israel have built a strong alliance. Both countries rely on one another and have developed deep trust. Israel provides a democratic partner in the middle east. This relationship angered Osama bin Laden as he blamed that US aid as being used against neighboring Arab states.

The Department of Homeland Security was created to coordinate the efforts of many federal agencies to thwart terrorist activity. Passed the Patriot Act which allowed secret searches of personal property without a warrant. Airports increased security and limited the items that passengers could take on board.

Suspected terrorists and those connected to terrorists were detained at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The CIA used extraordinary rendition to transport suspected terrorists to secret locations around the world, which are referred to as "black sites". Enhanced interrogation was used to gather intelligence. Drones are used to launch missiles and attack terrorist targets. Targeted assassinations have been used to eliminate terrorist leaders.

Al Qaeda, the group behind the September 11th attacks, was based in Afghanistan at the time and had the support and approval of Afghanistan's extreme Islamic government known as the Taliban. The Taliban refused to turn over Bin Laden and dismantle Al Qaeda so the United States began a military campaign in Afghanistan.

The NATO (with US leading the effort) operation in Afghanistan overthrew the Taliban government and eliminated Al Qaeda's base in Afghanistan. Bin Laden escaped from Afghanistan before the US could find him. The was has been extremely costly for the United States financially as well as in human lives. The war also left much of Afghanistan with infrastructure damage and large civilian casualties.

Months after the 9-11 attacks, the George W. Bush administration received intelligence that Iraq (under Saddam Hussein's leadership) was actively developing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). After US forces completed an intense search of Iraq, there was no evidence to support the weapons of mass destruction claim or any evidence connecting Iraq with Al Qaeda.

The war in Iraq has had high costs! The US has spent over $700 billion , lost 4,500 US soldiers and over 32,000 were wounded. Estimates vary for the total number of Iraqis killed in the war but range from 100,000 to over a million. This war also drastically impacted the reputation of the United States on a global level.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria wants to unit Iraq and Syria as an Islamic state. The groups is based upon extreme and intolerant interpretations of Islam. They use fear and violence to further their cause. ISIS attacks members of other religious groups in Syria and Iraq and has also inspired attacks against the United States.

While some people believe that civil liberties must be sacrificed in order to maintain the security of citizens, others think that personal freedoms and security coexist. The Patriot Act was passed in order to give the government more access to identify terrorists but some were concerned that it went too far and gave the government too much access to citizens' private information.

Symbols are used to represent something else. Example: Uncle Sam symbolizes the United States. Exaggerations are used to bring attention to something or someone. Example: ears, noses, facial features or expressions in order to poke fun. Analogies are comparisons that often help us understand because the comparisons is something familiar to us. Example: Bin Laden recruiting people with finger pointed, like the iconic Uncle Sam recruitment poster for World War II. Irony is used to highlight or criticize someone or something. Irony is when the unexpected happens. Example: The US buys oil from Saudi Arabia and then they give it to terrorists to attack us.

Some believe that US foreign policy was to blame for the attacks. The United States heavily invested in Middle East oil companies which created an uneven distribution of wealth there. The US also actively sought to defend and support the nation of Israel. This angered individuals in the Middle East that saw Israel as an enemy. Finally, western culture and ideals differed greatly from traditional Muslim values. This clash of values was cited as a reason for the attack.