US War on Terrorism


On Sept 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked jetliners and crashed two of them into the World Trade Center in New York City and one into the Pentagon, the US Military headquarters building. Within a few days, President Bush declared that this was an act of war, and the enemy was international terrorism. He named a group called al-Quaeda, led by Osama bin Ladin, which had previously conducted terrorist attacks on the US, as the organization chiefly responsible, and was quickly authorized by Congress to conduct military operations againt it. Al-Qaeda and bin Ladin were known to be based in Afghanistan and had close ties to the Taliban, a militant religious party which controlled the Afgan government. President Bush demanded that the Taliban turn him over to the US immediately, which the Taliban refused to do.	Modern history
The US began working with the Northern Alliance, a group of Afghan militias which had long opposed the Taliban, offering them financial and military aid for their support. On Sept 28, US and British special forces arrived in Afghanistan. On Oct 7, the US and British air forces began attacks on air defenses, communications, and other military targets, while ground operations were conducted mostly by the Northern Alliance. On Nov 12, the Taliban abandoned Afganistan's capital city of Kabul, and on Nov 25, US Marines arrived to assist in the search for Osama bin Ladin and to provide such military assistance as needed to maintain order while a new national government was created Bush named the governments of Iran, Iraq, Syria, North Korea, and Libya an "axis of evil" for their support of terrorist activities. In (Dec 2003 or Jan 2004), delegates agreed on a constitution for Afghanistan. The new government is expected to participate with the United States in continuing to seek bin Ladin, who is thought to be in hiding wth remnants of al-Quaeda and the Taliban in the mountains of Afghanistan.

On Sept 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked jetliners and crashed two of them into the World Trade Center in New York City and one into the Pentagon, the US Military headquarters building.

Within a few days, President Bush declared that this was an act of war, and the enemy was international terrorism. He named a group called al-Quaeda, led by Osama bin Ladin, which had previously conducted terrorist attacks on the US, as the organization chiefly responsible, and was quickly authorized by Congress to conduct military operations againt it.

Al-Qaeda and bin Ladin were known to be based in Afghanistan and had close ties to the Taliban, a militant religious party which controlled the Afgan government. President Bush demanded that the Taliban turn him over to the US immediately, which the Taliban refused to do.

Modern history

The US began working with the Northern Alliance, a group of Afghan militias which had long opposed the Taliban, offering them financial and military aid for their support. On Sept 28, US and British special forces arrived in Afghanistan. On Oct 7, the US and British air forces began attacks on air defenses, communications, and other military targets, while ground operations were conducted mostly by the Northern Alliance. On Nov 12, the Taliban abandoned Afganistan's capital city of Kabul, and on Nov 25, US Marines arrived to assist in the search for Osama bin Ladin and to provide such military assistance as needed to maintain order while a new national government was created

Bush named the governments of Iran, Iraq, Syria, North Korea, and Libya an "axis of evil" for their support of terrorist activities.

In (Dec 2003 or Jan 2004), delegates agreed on a constitution for Afghanistan. The new government is expected to participate with the United States in continuing to seek bin Ladin, who is thought to be in hiding wth remnants of al-Quaeda and the Taliban in the mountains of Afghanistan.