The 2000s
USS Cole Attack:
● October 12th, 2000
● USS Cole, a US Navy ship, was attacked while refueling in Yemen
● Suicide bombers detonated a bomb from an inflatable raft
● The terrorists were sent by Osama bin Laden of Al-Qaeda
● 17 sailors were killed, 36 wounded
● Showed Al-Qaeda was increasingly targeting Americans
George W. Bush
● 2001-2009
● Son of George H.W. Bush
● Narrowly won election against Al Gore (D)
● Won by electoral vote, not popular vote
● Presidency was shaped by 9/11 Terror attacks & “War on Terror”
9/11 Terror Attacks
● Sept. 11, 2001
● Four groups of terrorists from Al-Qaeda hijack 4 planes
● First 2 planes crashed into the World Trade Center Twin Towers
● Third crashed into the Pentagon
● Fourth crashed into a field in Shanksville, PA
● Passengers on the 4th plane had attempted to take back control of the plane after learning of
the attacks via cell phone
● WTC Towers collapsed
● 2595 people, including 343 firefighters & police officers were killed in the World Trade Center
● 175 died in the Pentagon
● 265 passengers on the planes died
● Osama Bin Laden & Al-Qaeda claimed the attack
The Taliban & Afghanistan
● Bin Laden was hiding in Afghanistan
● UN Security Council demanded Bin Laden be turned over to the US
● Taliban ruled Afghanistan, would not give up Bin Laden
○ Taliban: Islamic extremist group ruling in Afghanistan
● US & UK with other NATO countries attack
● Gov’t under the Taliban collapses
● Hunt for Bin Laden & Al-Qaeda begins
● Bin Laden would be killed on May 2, 2011 in a raid led by US Navy Seal Team 6
● US troops would finally leave Afghanistan on Aug. 30, 2021
● Would be the longest war the US was ever involved in
● Taliban is back in control of Afghanistan
Anthrax Attacks:
● Happened in weeks after 9/11
● Letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to several news media offices & 2 senators
● Anthrax is a bacterial infection that can be used as a bioweapon
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Killed 5 & infected 17 people
No one was ever convicted
Improving National Security:
● Patriot Act: Gave law enforcement more power to monitor suspected terrorists
● Often criticized for violating American civil liberties
● Most Americans were okay giving up some freedoms for improved protection
● Dept. of Homeland Security: Created to coordinate domestic security matters between
federal, state & local authorities
Operation Iraqi Freedom:
● Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had been defying UN weapons inspectors, which was part of
the agreement from the 1st Gulf War
● It was believed he was stockpiling “weapons of mass destruction” or “WMD”
● Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD): Nuclear, chemical & biological weapons
● Oct. 2002: Congress authorized military to attack Iraq
● March 19, 2003: American & British forces invade Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom
● Saddam’s forces collapsed almost immediately
● Bush gave a victory speech on May 1, 2003 in front of a banner reading “Mission
Accomplished”
Bush’s Second Term:
● Bush defeated Sen. John Kerry in the 2004 election
● Iraq remained major focus
● Saddam’s dictatorship had kept fighting between Iraq’s 3 major groups in check
● Three Major Groups: Sunni, Shi’a & Kurds
● Fighting between the groups escalated, power struggle commenced
● 2005: Iraq had written a new constitution & began a democracy
● Chaos continued
● Saddam went into hiding; but was captured, tried & executed in 2006
● UN had determined in 2004 that there were no WMDs in Iraq
● Critics said Bush had exaggerated evidence & misled Congress
● US military didn’t pull out of Iraq until Dec. 2011
● Federal deficit grew due to all the military spending, creating financial issues
Hurricane Katrina:
● Aug.2005: Hurricane Katrina, a CAT 5 hurricane, hits the Gulf Coast
● Destroyed most of New Orleans
● Largely affect poor people
● Gov’t response was slow, leaving many struggling
Banking Crisis:
● Economic crisis hit Wall Street & banking industry in the final months of 2008
● Result of risky bank loans & decline in value of American homes
● Many could not afford their mortgages
● Many banking & investment firms were driven out of business
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Congress attempted to fix situation, but it was only short term solutions
Became worldwide issue
Considered to be worst financial crisis since Great Depression
2008 Election:
● Sen. Hillary Clinton becomes 1st woman to win a major party’s presidential primary
● Came close to winning Democratic nomination for president
● Democrat Barack Obama became 1st African American to be nominated for president by a
major party
● Republican John McCain ran with Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska
● Major topics were the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan, economy, healthcare & energy
● Obama would go on to win the election
Barack Obama:
● Jan.20, 2009: Became 1st African American president
● Huge voter turnout, especially amongst young voters
● Many cited economy as a huge concern