10.6 September 11 and the War on Terror

Notes

• On September 11, 2001, terrorists from al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, hijacked four airplanes. They crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon; a fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back. Nearly 3,000 people were killed.
• President George W. Bush declared a War on Terror. In October 2001, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to remove the Taliban, which had sheltered al-Qaeda.
• The USA PATRIOT Act (2001) expanded government surveillance powers. Supporters said it was needed for security; critics said it threatened civil liberties.
• The Department of Homeland Security was created in 2002.
• Iraq War (2003): the U.S. invaded Iraq, citing fears that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction (none were found). Saddam was overthrown, but a long insurgency followed. The war divided Americans.
• U.S. forces killed bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011. U.S. troops left Afghanistan in 2021.
• At home: Hurricane Katrina (2005) devastated New Orleans; the Great Recession (2007 to 2009) began with a housing and banking crisis. In 2008, Barack Obama was elected the first Black president.