History of al-Qaeda and
Terrorism against the USA
What is al-Qaeda?
• Al Qaeda means “the Base.” It is a stateless
(meaning without a country) terrorist
organization.
• It is led and financed by Osama bin Laden, a
radical Sunni Muslim.
When did al-Qaeda form?
• The beginnings of al-Qaeda go back to the 1980’s
when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
Bin Laden, and the Arab Afghans, fought
the Soviet Union in Afghanistan
• The Soviet army left in
1988.
Desert Storm (Gulf War I)
• 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.
Iraqi tanks
US and Saudi coalition
• The United States asked the Saudis for permission to
establish military bases in their country.
Saudi’s choice
• Osama bin Laden, back home from Afghanistan,
offered the Saudis the use of his soldiers to fight the
Iraqi army because Infidel armies have no place in the
holy land of Islam.
Saudis chose the USA and snubbed bin Laden.
1991--Bin Laden leaves Saudi Arabia
for Sudan
USA in Somalia
• Dec. 4, 1992, George H.W. Bush sends 28,000
American troops to Somalia.
• Bush wanted to help the Somali people since
all attempts to send food to them were
intercepted by war lords.
Black Hawk Down!
• In 1993, 18 Americans
died when their Black
Hawk helicopter was
shot down over
Mogadishu, Somalia.
al Qaeda?
• We think al Qaeda operatives taught the
Somalians how to shoot down helicopters just
like they did in Afghanistan against the
Soviets.
1993-The 1st World Trade Center bombing
1993 WTC bombing
It killed 6 people and injured over 1000.
May 1996 ---Sudan expels bin Laden, and
he returns too Afghanistan
Afghanistan Was Run by the Taliban, A
Violent Local, Afghanistani 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
1996 car bombing of Khobar Towers
• 19 Americans were killed and hundreds injured.
Fatwa
• In August of 1998, Al Qaeda, led by bin Laden
and Ayman Zawahiri declare war on
American.
Embassy bombings: 1998
• Two American embassies in
Kenya and Tanzania were
bombed simultaneously. 220
people were killed.
Clinton responds.
• President Clinton, risking “Wag the Dog”
criticism during the Lewinsky scandal, 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 cross the
Canadian border with nitroglycerin in his 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 operatives
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.
• 2819 people were killed
• 343 firefighters and
paramedics were killed
Khalid Sheik Muhhamad was the central
Planner of the 9/11. Most terrorists (at right)
were from Saudi Arabia.
Flight 93
Review Quiz
• 1. The Soviet Union invaded what country in 1979 where al
Qaeda formed?
• 2. In the first Gulf War, what was bin Laden’s objection
regarding American troops in Saudi Arabia?
• 3.Was Osama bin Laden friends with Saddam Hussein of
Iraq?
• 4. How was the WTC attacked in 1993?
• 5. What American embassies were bombed in 1998?
• 6. What Navy ship was bombed in 2000?
• 7. How many planes were hijacked on 9/11/2001, and what
happened to each of them?
• 8 Name 3 Al Qaeda leaders.