History of al-Qaeda and Terrorism
- Al-Qaeda means "the base". it is a stateless (meaning without a country) terrorist organization
- It was led and financed by Osana bin Laden, Radical Sunni ,Muslim
- It is now led by Ayman Al-
When did Al-Qaeda form?
- The beginnings of al-Qaeda go back to the 1980's when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan
USSR vs. Afghanistan 1979 - 1989
Bin Laden, and the Arab Afghans, fought the soviet Union in
The soviet army left in 1988
We helped the mujahideen. fight the Soviets
Desert Storm (Gulf war !)
- in 1990 Iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein invaded the tiny, oil-rich country of Kuwait
Operation Desert Storm
- The United States feared Saddam would invade Saudi Arabia too
US and Saudi Coalition
- The United States asked the Saudis for permission to establish military bases in their country
Saudis Choice
Osama Bin Laden, back home from Afghanistan offered the Saudi the use of his soldiers the fight the Iraqi army because infidel
!991-- bin Laden leaves Saudi Arabia for Sudan
- Why did bin Laden turn his attention to attacking the US?
- In November 2002, Bin laden wrote his "letter to america" outlining motives
- western support for attacking Muslim in Somalia
- supporting Russian atrocities against Muslims in Chechnya
- supporting the Indian oppression against Muslims in Kashmir
- Supporting the Jewish aggression against Muslims in Lebanon
- the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia due to Iraq invading Kuwait
- U.S. support of Israel
- Economic Sanctions against Iraq
Why did these people want to attack America?
- according to Bin Laden, he has never said the attacks were, are, or will be because of Americans freedom, the rights of our citizens, or even because of our religions differences
- He has said that the reasons, for the attacks of the past, as well as those of the future will be because the way the US and its allies treat the Muslim World
USA in Somalia
- Dec. 4 1992 George H.W. Bush sends 28,000 American troops to Somalia
- Bush wanted to help the Somalia people since all attempts to send food to them were intercepted by war lords
Black Hawk Down!
- 1993, 18 Americans died when their black Hawk helicopter was shot down over Mogadishu, Somalia
1993-the 1st World Trade Center Bombing
- It killed 6 people and injured over 1,000
May 1996 --Sudan expels Bin Laden and He returns to Afghanistan
Basics:
- population =32 million
- Size = Texas
- Language = Afghan Persian - 70 different languages
- Ethnicity = mixed Pastun 50%
- Associate with Tribes Literacy Rate = 36%
- Land = Mountain and Desert Landlocked
Afghan History
- Diverse Nation
- Conquered in past by: - Persians, Romans, Ottomans, British
- Win Independence from Great Britain in 1919
- 1978 Civil War
- 1979 Soviet Invasion - Beat USSR in '98 w/ USA aid
- 1989 - 1996 = Civil War - Taliban wins
- Harsh & repressive government
- radical Muslims
- Drug Trade (Heroin) - Famine
- Extreme Poverty
Afghanistan was run by the Taliban, A Violent Local, Afghanistan Group led by Mullah Omar
The Taliban did not plan the 9/11 attacks, but they let Bin Laden operate in Afghanistan and refused to turn him over to the US
Fatwa - In August of 1998, Al Qaeda, led by Bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri declared war on the U.S.
Embassy Bombing: 1998 - Two American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed simultaneously. 220 people were killed
Clinton Responds: President Clinton decided to attack Al Qaeda in response. US sends missiles against Qaeda training camps in Sudan and Afghanistan --- to little effect
2000 - Millennium attacks foiled!
- Jordanian police halted 4 bombings
- Four Al Qaeda terrorists arrested crossing the Canadian border with nitroglycerin in their trunk. They set out to bomb LA International Airport
- In Yemen, a boat with explosives tried to bomb a navy ship but sank due to being overloaded
USS Cole Attack Oct. 2000 - In Yemen, Al Qaeda sent a suicide bomber aboard a small ship near the USS Cole and detonated its bomb, blowing a large hole in the US Navy ship. 17 sailors killed
9/11
- 2819 people were killed
- 343 firefighters and paramedics were killed
- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the central planner of 9/11. Most terrorists were from Saudi Arabia
Bush Doctrine
- US had the right to secure itself against countries that harbor or give aid to terrorist groups
- United States should depose foreign governments that represented a potential threat to the security of the United States
- Encourage democracy around the world, especially in the Middle East as a strategy for combating terrorism
Operation Enduring Freedom
- Invaded Afghanistan (Oct. 7, 2001)
- Mission:
- Capture Osama Bin Laden
- Destroy Al-Qaeda network
- Remove Taliban Regime
NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
- Committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security
- 49 countries have sent troops over the years
What are the problems?
- suicide bombers
- Improvised Explosive Devices
- Drug Trade Flourishes
- Famine
- Never Known democracy
- Extreme Islamic Groups
- Taliban
- Al-Qaeda
- Mountains and Terrain
- Border Crossing
- Untrained Afghani Troops
- Legitimate Government?
- Civilian Casualties +3,000 deaths
Successful or Unsuccessful?
- New Democratic Government in Afghanistan
- Unstable however
- Taliban no longer in control
- Yet have re-emerged in SE Afghanistan & now parts of Pakistan
- Girls now attend school again since our invasion declared a failed state by U.N.
- 14 year war (2001-present)
- Obana pulled allbut 9800 US troops out by the end of 2014
- All US troops will be pulled out by the end of 2016
Are Iraq/Afghanistan wars another Vietnam?
- Long dragged out conflicts with no end in sight
- Can't tell whose an friend or foe
- Not popular at home
- Not popular with other governments or their people
- Not winning the hearts and minds of the people
- Fighting less technological people with nothing to lose
Comments