9/11 and the War on
Terror
Goal 12
Election of 2000

The Election of 2000 was
between George W. Bush
(republican) and Al Gore
(democrat). The election was one
of the closest in history , so close
that Al Gore asked for recount.

Bush v Gore- the Supreme
Court ruled that the recounting
of votes had to stop, which
made Bush president.
September 11, 2001

In the morning on
September 11, 2001, four
commercial airplanes were
hijacked. They were
hijacked by terrorists from
the organization called al
Quaeda , which was
headed by
____________________.
The Pentagon

The planes, in the hands of the terrorists, became
missiles. One was intentionally crashed into the
Pentagon, an enormous government building.
World Trade Center

Two of the planes
were crashed into the
World Trade Center,
two of the tallest
buildings in New York
City. Both buildings
soon Collapsed.
United Flight 93

The fourth plane, likely headed for either the White House or the Capital Building,
crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Most people believe that the passengers on
board began fighting the terrorists, leading to the crash, and they are today
considered to be heroes.

America Responds
Though shocked by the attacks, America saw a surge of
patriotism and unity among its people. Millions of people bought
flags and proudly displayed them, and over $1 billion was
donated to victims.
Bush Takes Action


Department of Homeland
Security- formed in 2002, this
executive department was
created to prevent terrorism.
PATRIOT Act- this
controversial law was passed
by Congress a month after 911.
The Patriot Act


It allowed for secret
searches of suspected
terrorists and did not require
a warrant. It made it easier
for authorities to wire tap
phones and track email.
Why would the Patriot Act
be controversial?
Al-Qaeda and the Taliban
Since 1996, Afghanistan had been ruled by a fundamentalist
Muslim group known as the Taliban. When this group took power,
Osama Bin Laden and his organization, Al Qaeda began operating
there.
War in Afghanistan
Less than a month after 9-11, the
U.S. began bombing al Qaeda
camps and the Taliban military
forces in Afghanistan. Within a
few months, the Taliban
government had collapsed.
War in Afghanistan

Today, fighting still goes on, as terrorists have started using guerilla
attacks and suicide bombing. Osama bin Laden was killed on May 1,
2011.
The Axis of Evil

President Bush named
three countries as part of
an “Axis of Evil”: Iraq,
Iran, and North Korea.
He was worried that
Saddam Hussein, who
was the dictator of Iraq,
might create Weapons of
Mass Destruction
(WMDs) and give them
to terrorists.

Bush’s Ultimatum
Bush demanded that Hussein allow United Nations inspectors
into the country to check for WMDs, that he must stop supporting
terrorists, and that he must stop oppressing his people.

U.S. Prepares Invasion
Even though there was little evidence that Iraq had WMDs, and
even though the United Nations would not back an invasion of the
country, the U.S. moved to begin war.
War in Iraq

The invasion of Iraq began in March of 2003. Soon, Bush
announced that major military operations were over. Hussein
was captured and executed .
The Iraq War Today

However, fighting has continued as American
forces attempt to stabilize the country and
make it a democracy. Even though the United
States freed Iraq from Hussein’s dictatorship,
the country was on the brink of civil war, with
American troops trying to keep order.
Guantanamo Bay

As American forces have captured suspected terrorists, many of
them have been transported to the military base, Guantanomo
Bay, to be interrogated.
Do Suspected Terrorists Have Rights?

Many people feel that these
suspects are entitled to civil
rights, such as the right to a
trial, a right to a lawyer , and
protection from torture. The
government has denied
many of these rights,
arguing that a terrorist gives
up the rights of citizens.
No Child Left Behind

No Child Left
Behind(NCLB) – federal
program created by Bush
that enforces
standardized testing in
schools. Many people
feel that this hurts
education.
Hurricane Katrina

In 2004, Bush was reelected. In 2005, Hurricane
Katrina slammed into the
city of New Orleans,
Flooding the city. The
government was slow to
respond, and Bush’s
popularity dropped.
Election of 2008

The Election of 2008 was between John McCain (republican) and
Barrack Obama (democrat). Obama won, becoming the first
mixed race candidate to become president.
Looking to the Future

Obama pledged to end the War in Iraq. He also
worked to get a law passed in Congress that
creates universal helathcare.