US History – 1945 to Present

🧸US History – 1945 to Present Unit 15 – 9/11 and America's War on Terror

The 9/11 attacks marked a turning point in U.S. history, reshaping foreign policy and domestic security. Al-Qaeda's coordinated strikes on American soil killed nearly 3,000 people and sparked the global War on Terror, leading to military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. The aftermath of 9/11 saw sweeping changes in U.S. national security, including the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and expanded surveillance powers. These events continue to influence American politics, foreign relations, and public discourse on balancing security with civil liberties.

Background and Context

  • The Cold War ended in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, leaving the United States as the world's sole superpower
  • Tensions in the Middle East escalated due to the Gulf War (1990-1991), which was a conflict between Iraq and a U.S.-led coalition following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
  • The rise of Islamic fundamentalism and anti-American sentiment in the Middle East was fueled by factors such as U.S. support for Israel and the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia
  • Osama bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi Arabian, founded the terrorist organization al-Qaeda in the late 1980s
    • Al-Qaeda opposed Western influence in the Muslim world and sought to establish a pan-Islamic caliphate
  • The 1993 World Trade Center bombing, carried out by Islamic extremists, killed six people and injured over 1,000, foreshadowing the threat of terrorism on U.S. soil
  • The U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania (1998) and the attack on the USS Cole (2000), both attributed to al-Qaeda, further highlighted the growing threat of international terrorism

The 9/11 Attacks

  • On September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes, targeting symbols of American power and influence
  • At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City
  • At 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center
    • The impact and resulting fires caused both 110-story towers to collapse within two hours
  • At 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, causing significant damage and loss of life
  • At 10:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 93, believed to be heading for Washington, D.C., crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers fought back against the hijackers
  • The 9/11 attacks resulted in the deaths of 2,977 people, including the 19 terrorist hijackers, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in human history
  • The attacks shocked the nation and the world, leading to a profound shift in U.S. foreign policy and domestic security measures

Immediate Aftermath

  • President George W. Bush addressed the nation, condemning the attacks and pledging to bring those responsible to justice
  • The United States received an outpouring of international support and solidarity in the wake of the attacks
  • The U.S. government grounded all commercial flights and closed U.S. airspace for several days to prevent further attacks
  • Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) on September 14, 2001, granting the president broad authority to use force against those responsible for the 9/11 attacks
  • The Department of Homeland Security was established in November 2002 to coordinate efforts to prevent and respond to terrorist threats
    • The Patriot Act, passed in October 2001, expanded government surveillance powers and law enforcement capabilities to combat terrorism
  • The 9/11 Commission was created in November 2002 to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attacks and provide recommendations to prevent future attacks

The War on Terror Begins

  • On September 20, 2001, President Bush declared a "War on Terror," vowing to defeat al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations
  • The Bush administration identified the Taliban regime in Afghanistan as a primary target due to its support and harboring of al-Qaeda
  • The United States built an international coalition to support military action against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan
  • Operation Enduring Freedom began on October 7, 2001, with U.S. and coalition forces launching airstrikes against Taliban and al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan
  • The U.S. worked with Afghan opposition groups, such as the Northern Alliance, to quickly overthrow the Taliban regime
  • By December 2001, the Taliban had been removed from power, and an interim Afghan government was established under Hamid Karzai
  • Despite the initial success, the U.S. and its allies faced ongoing challenges in stabilizing Afghanistan and eliminating the remnants of al-Qaeda and the Taliban

Afghanistan and Iraq Wars

  • The U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001 aimed to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power
    • The Taliban were quickly overthrown, but the U.S. and its allies faced a prolonged insurgency and nation-building challenges
  • In 2002, the Bush administration began focusing on Iraq, claiming that Saddam Hussein's regime possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and had ties to al-Qaeda
  • Despite a lack of international support and inconclusive evidence, the U.S. launched an invasion of Iraq in March 2003
    • The U.S.-led coalition quickly defeated Iraqi forces and removed Saddam Hussein from power
  • No WMDs were found in Iraq, and the U.S. faced a growing insurgency and sectarian violence in the aftermath of the invasion
  • The U.S. committed a significant number of troops to both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, with the conflicts lasting for years and resulting in substantial casualties and financial costs
  • The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq became increasingly unpopular among the American public as they dragged on without clear endpoints or measures of success

Domestic and International Impact

  • The 9/11 attacks and subsequent War on Terror had far-reaching domestic and international consequences
  • The Patriot Act, passed in October 2001, expanded government surveillance powers and law enforcement capabilities, raising concerns about civil liberties and privacy
  • The Department of Homeland Security was created in November 2002 to coordinate efforts to prevent and respond to terrorist threats
  • The U.S. implemented stricter border security measures and increased scrutiny of visa applications and foreign travelers
  • Internationally, the U.S. faced criticism for its unilateral actions, particularly the invasion of Iraq without UN support
    • The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq strained U.S. relations with some allies and damaged its global reputation
  • The U.S. established the Guantanamo Bay detention camp to hold suspected terrorists, which drew controversy over the treatment of detainees and the use of military tribunals
  • The War on Terror led to increased cooperation among nations in intelligence sharing and counterterrorism efforts, but also raised questions about the balance between security and human rights

Long-Term Consequences

  • The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq resulted in significant loss of life, with thousands of U.S. military personnel and hundreds of thousands of civilians killed
  • The financial costs of the wars were immense, with estimates ranging from 2trillionto2 trillion to 6 trillion, contributing to the U.S. national debt
  • The removal of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq created a power vacuum, leading to sectarian violence and the rise of insurgent groups like al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI)
  • The instability in Iraq contributed to the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014, which posed a new terrorist threat to the region and the world
  • The U.S. military presence in Afghanistan continued for nearly two decades, with the Taliban regaining control of much of the country following the U.S. withdrawal in 2021
  • The War on Terror led to increased Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslims in the U.S. and other Western countries
  • The legacy of the 9/11 attacks and the War on Terror continues to shape U.S. foreign policy, military interventions, and domestic security measures

Key Debates and Controversies

  • The decision to invade Iraq in 2003 remains controversial, with critics arguing that it was based on flawed intelligence and diverted resources from the fight against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan
  • The use of enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, on terrorist suspects sparked debates about the ethics and legality of such practices
  • The indefinite detention of suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay and the use of military tribunals raised concerns about due process and human rights
  • The scope and legality of the NSA's domestic surveillance programs, revealed by Edward Snowden in 2013, led to debates about the balance between national security and privacy rights
  • The U.S. use of drone strikes to target terrorist suspects in countries like Pakistan and Yemen generated controversy over civilian casualties and the legality of extrajudicial killings
  • The allocation of resources between the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and domestic priorities, such as healthcare and education, was a point of contention
  • The long-term impact of the War on Terror on U.S. foreign policy, particularly the doctrine of preemptive war and the use of military force to combat terrorism, remains a subject of ongoing debate


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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.