The Twentieth Century and Beyond

In the decade after the end of the Cold War, U.S. foreign policy lost some of the focus it had during the Cold War. Although global terrorism remained a concern, the United States had no rivals, and the country’s chief focus internationally was on trade deals and security. This changed with the terrorist attacks on September 11, orchestrated by a fundamentalist Islamic terrorist group called Al-Qaeda and an individual named Osama Bin Laden. Hijackers flew airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Bin Laden viewed the United States as an imperial power. This marked the beginning of the War on Terror, which aimed to punish organizations that supported the attack, and grew to encompass any state that harbored or supported terrorists.

Afghanistan had been the base of operations for Al-Qaeda, and it was run by a totalitarian Islamic regime known as the Taliban. Cooperating with local resistance movements, U.S. troops invaded in October 2001 and removed the Taliban from power. This set off an insurgent movement as members of the Taliban and those opposed to U.S. occupation fought against the new government and U.S. troops. This war has been ongoing, with varying levels of intensity, since 2001.

Members of the George W. Bush administration set their sights on Iraq, which the United States had fought in 1991. Members of the administration erroneously believed that the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein was supporting members of Al-Qaeda and stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. After Hussein ignored ultimatums to surrender power, the United States invaded in March 2003. The occupation of the country proved more difficult than predicted as foreign fighters and Iraqis fought the United States, leading to a protracted war.

Elsewhere, U.S. troops, special forces, and advisers became involved around the world fighting or assisting against terrorist cells. In some places, this has meant using drone strikes to kill suspected terrorists without deploying troops, which has resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians and bystanders. Countries that have an American presence in the War on Terror include Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and the Philippines.

COMPARE!
Is the War on Terror similar to or different from containment during the Cold War? How so?

Example

The September 11 attacks occurred in what year?

The correct answer is B. The September 11 attacks occurred in 2001.