1. Watergate
2. Persian Gulf War(1990-91)
3. 9-11 and the War on Terror- invasion of Afghanistan
4. Invasion of Iraq-2003
Watergate
On June 16, 1972, a security guard at the Watergate Hotel in Washington found a piece of tape on the lock of the door leading to the National Democratic Headquarters.This foiled break-in attempt at the Watergate scandal was part of a larger campaign by Nixon supporters to ruin the Democratic Party's reputation. Democratic candidates were embarassed, to negative campaign ads, and on twice the National Democratic Headquarters were broken into. As soon as there was a attempted break-in at Watergate Hotel scandal was know, president Richard Nixon had the place covered up. Nixon had been been abusing his powers for years. Millions of dollars coming from Nixon's supporters were used to pay the cover-up to hide the truth from the Congress and America. John Ehrlichman and Bob Haldeman were also caught in the lead of that burglary. Both of them were fired and put in prison for nearly two years.The investigation of Watergate scandal showed that Nixon knew about the break-in from the beginning and that he was involved in the cover-up as it goes on.
Two reporters- Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward who were working for the Washington Post began to dig deeper into the mystery.As the scandal investigation shows that there was a taping system which was put there to record conversations in the Oval Office, Camp David , the Cabinet rooms, and Nixon's hideaway office.
Nixon lied that the tapes had only private talks between the president and his advisors, but The Supreme Court didn't believe it. The court ordered the president to release the tapes.In mid 1974, the House of Representatives approved the articles about President Nixon's conspiracy. They were-Article 1-Obstruction of justice, Article 2-Abuse of power, and Article 3-defiance of committee evidence.On August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon announced to the American people that he will resigned the presidency.In 1996, Stanley I. Kutler released new tapes of Nixon. The new tapes revealed that Nixon was intimately involved both before and after Watergate in abuses of power. A taped conversation on June 23, 1972, proved that Nixon and Haldeman talked about using the CIA to break the FBI investigation into the Watergate scandal cover-up.
Persian Gulf War(1990-91)
In 1990 Iraq invades its tiny neighbor, Kuwait, after talks break down over oil production and debt repayment. Iraqi president Saddam Hussein later annexes Kuwait and declares it a 19th province of Iraq August 2. President Bush believes that Iraq was going to invade Saudi Arabia and take control of the their oil supplies. Bush started to plan a way to free Kuwait and bring back Kuwait's government. Bush orders U.S. troops to protect Saudi Arabia and “Operation Desert Shield” begins in August 7. 230,000 American troops came to Saudi Arabia to defend them, but when Iraq is still building up their military in Kuwait, the President sends 200,000 troops to wait and prepare for a possible attack by the U.S. forces. He later on was warned by UN Security Council to retreat and that January 15, 1991 was the last call for Iraq to leave Kuwait in November 8.
In 1991 Bush got congress permission to bring out the largest air assault in history against military targets in Iraq and Kuwait January 16. He rejects a Soviet-Iraq peace plan because Iraq didn't listened to UN's warnings and use the time that gives Iraq a chance to leave Kuwait Febraury 23. The president beginned the ground war in Febraury 24. It was a really quick campaign. U.S. and coalition forces got through Iraq's defenses and killed Saddam Hussein's troops in only four days. Allies enter Kuwait City Febraury 26. Iraq army sets fire to over 500 of Kuwait's oil wells since they can't use it and also set fire to Kuwait's important resources. Bush orders a cease-fire 100 hours after the ground attack started Febraury 26. Allied and Iraq military leaders meet on battlefield to decide the results to end the Gulf War. Iraq agrees to go by UN decisions in March 3. The first Allied POWs were let out in March 4. Official cease-fire accepted and signed in April 6. there were 532,000 U.S. forces that served in Operation Desert Storm. There were a total of 147 U.S. battle deaths during the Gulf War, 145 nonbattle deaths, and 467 wounded in action.
9/11 and War on Terror-Invasion of Afganistan
The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, in the United States.The attacks, were by the agents of Al Qaeda (a group of Islam terrorist led by Osama bin Laden) used three hijacked commercial jet aircraft to destroy the World Trade Center in New York City and severely damage the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. The fourth stolen plane crashed in Shanksville, Pa. when the passengers tried to take the plane from the hijackers. About 3,000 people died or went missing as a result of the most terrible terrorist episode in U.S. history. 9/11 was during the presidency of George W. Bush and the U.S. foreign policy that led straight to U.S. support to overthrow the Taliban groups in Afganistan, where Al Qaeda was at.
War on Terror
The War on Terror is the campaign started by the US, during when George W. Bush was president, and having support of the UK, NATO and other countries. The campaign was started because of the 9/11, 2001 attacks and so now they are trying to get rid of terrorism. The phrase War on Terror was sometimes used by US President Bush and other high ranked US officials because of terrorist and small governments that were accused supporting or planning threat to the US and its allies. It was basically refered to the Islamists and al-Qaeda.
Invasion of Afganistan
In October 2001, the US and Great Britain invaded the country of Afghanistan. The invasion was because of the terrorist attacks launched against the United States on September 11, 2001. The rulers of Afghanistan, the Taliban, had gave support to the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, which were the ones involve in the September 11 attacks. Other nations also send their troops to free Afghanistan from Taliban control. The invasion was called Operation Enduring Freedom.Since the start of the invasion, American forces in Afghanistan are always facing trouble with enemies. Taliban followers continue to attack American soldiers and their allies. Because of the US and their allies, Afghanistan has started a more democratic government. The invasion forces between October 2001 and August 2005 suffered 289 killed soldiers, including 231 Americans. Most of the American soldiers died in accidents. American soldiers stayed in Afghanistan in 2005, attempted several peaceful protests in the United States.
Invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq started March 20-May 1, 2003 was started by the US, along with the UK and smaller countries from Australia and Poland. Four countries participated with troops during the initial invasion phase, which lasted from March 20 to May 1. These were the United States numbers that fought (248,000), United Kingdom (45,000), Australia (2,000), and Poland (194). 36 other countries were involved also. The invasion marked the beginning of the current Iraq War. When they were preparing for the invasion, 100,000 US troops were in Kuwait by February 18. The US supplied the armies that were invading, but also had support from Kurdish people in Iraqi Kurdistan. The US president, George W. Bush and then Prime Minister of the UK, Tony Blair, said that the reasons for the invasion were to stop Iraq from holding on to weapons of mass destruction WMD, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to defend themselves from ever being attacked again.
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