Last Assigned blog of the year
The Watergate scandal-
Political scandal in the US during the 70s which resulted to the break-in into the democratic national committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington. Because of the scandal President Richard Nixon resigned on August 9 of 74. Also resulted in the indictment and conviction of several Nixon’s administration officials.
It started with the arrest of five men for breaking and entering into the Democratic national committee headquarters at the Watergate complex on June 17 of 72. The FBI connected the men to the 72 committee to re-elect the president by a slush fund. As evidence mounted against the president’s staff people were still testifying against them in an investigation conducted by the senate Watergate committee. Also it was revealed that president Nixon had a tape recording system in his offices that he had recorded many conversations. In these tapes was the president revealing that he had attempted to cover up the break-in.
The court made Nixon hand in these tapes he ultimately complied. With him facing near-certain impeachment in the house of representatives and a strong possibility of a conviction in the senate, he resigned the office of the presidency on august 9 of 74.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal
Persian Gulf War (August 2, 1990- February 28, 1991)-
January- February 1991 armed conflict between Iraq and 32 nation which included The US, Britain, Egypt, France, and Saudi Arabia. It was the result of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait on August 2 1990. The UN Security Council ended calling for Iraq to withdraw and subsequently embargoed most of their trade with Iraq. The US troops moved into Saudi Arabia to protect Saudi oil fields. The united nations set Jan. 15 as the deadline for a peaceful withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait. But when Saddam Hussein refused to comply the Operation Desert Storm was launched on Jan. 18, with the leadership of the US Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf. The US led a coalition which began a massive air war to destroy Iraq’s forces and military. But in return Iraq called for terrorist attacks against the coalition and they launched Scud missiles at Israel and at Saudi Arabia.
With the coalition being a decisive military victory Kuwait and Iraq still suffered enormous property damage, and Saddam was not removed from power. Hussein was actually free to turn his attention to other things.
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0838511.html
9/11 and the war on terror- invasion of Afghanistan
In May 1996 the group World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders started to form a large base of operations in Afghanistan, which is where the Islamist extremist regime of the Taliban had seized power that same year. After the bombings of the US in Kenya and Tanzania US president Bill Clinton launched the Operation Infinite Reach (a bombing campaign in Sudan and Afghanistan against targets the US asserted were associated with WIFJAJC.) Next came the 2000 millennium attack plots which included an attempted bombing of LA international airport. In October 2000 the USS Cole bombing occurred followed in 2001 by the September 11 attacks.
On September 16 2001 at Camp David The president George W. used the phrase war on terror when he said, “this crusade-this war on terrorism- is going to take a while and the american people must be patient im going to be patient but I can assure the american people that I am determined.”
The George W. Bush administration defined the following objectives in the War on Terror:
Defeat terrorist such as Osama Bin Laden, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and destroy their organizations
Identify, locate and destroy terrorists along with their organizations
Deny sponsorship, support and sanctuary to terrorist
End the state sponsorship of terrorism
Establish and maintain an international standard of accountability with regard to combating terrorism
Strengthen and sustain the international effort to fight terrorism
Work with willing and able states
Enable weak states
Persuade reluctant states
Compel unwilling states
Interdict and disrupt material support for terrorists
Eliminate terrorist sanctuaries and havens
Diminish the underlying conditions that terrorist seek to exploit
Partner with the international community to strengthen weak states and prevent (re)emergence of terrorism
Win the war of ideals
Defend US citizens and interests at home and abroad
Implement the National Strategy for Homeland Security
Attain domain awareness
Enhance measures to ensure the integrity, reliability, and availability of critical physical and information based infrastructures at home and abroad
Integrate measures to protect US citizents abroad
Ensure an integrated incident management capability
Comments