What is Terrorism?

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What is Terrorism?

• United States and the War on Terror and Foreign
  Policy

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Terrorism and Conflict

• Terrorism
• Middle East Terrorism
• State Sponsored Terrorism
• Non-government Terrorism
• Osama bin Laden
• Al-Qaeda
• 9/11

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Terrorism

• An attack on government or civilian populations
  by a non-government entity
• Sometimes state-sponsored
• Roots in Middle East
• 1920 United States campaign in Saudi Arabia with
  oil production
• Great wealth for leaders, but not all benefited
• Middle East governments influenced by western
  views
• Many felt views were against the teachings of
  Islam

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Background of Terrorism

• 1949 state of Israel and Palestinian conflict
• State sponsored terrorism by such nations as
  Libya, who paid, hired and trained terrorists
• New Terrorism supported by individual wealth
• Osama bin Laden rich Saudi Arabian family
• Al-Qaeda the base in Arabic

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Background to 9/11

• 1996 al-Qaeda Jihad
• 1996 Embassy Bombings
• 2000 Millennium Plots
• Bombing of U.S.S. COLE

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Background to 9/11
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Kenya and Tanzania

• 1996 al-Qaeda or another name World Islamic
  Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders
• Bombed U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania
• Kenya killed 212 and wounded 4,000
• Tanzania killed 11 and wounded 85
• Operation Infinite Reach in Sudan and
  Afghanistan in 1998 to find al-Qaeda

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2000 Millenium Plots

• Attempted bombing of LA International Airport
• Failed bombing plot of U.S.S. THE SULLIVANS
• Failed Jordan bombing plot
• Successful bombing of U.S.S. COLE in October 2000

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September 11, 2001

• Turning point after Cold War
• U.S. complacent after Cold War ended
• 4 planes involved 2 crashed into the World
  Trade Center Towers, 1 crashed into the Pentagon
  and 1 went down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania
• Over 3,000 people were killed

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Response to 9/11

• Citizens viewed it national emergency, united
  together
• Election of 2000 had divided nation
• Willingness to cooperate, generous
• Massive world support
• Confusion of Ethnic backgrounds, race and
  religion
• Small group attack, not thousands

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Purpose of War on Terror

• Response to September 11 attacks
• Eliminate international terrorism
• Global military, political, legal and ideological
  struggle against terrorists and regimes that
  support them
• Focus on Islamic militants and al-Qaeda

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Objectives

• Defeat terrorists Osama bin Laden and their
  organizations
• Identify, locate and destroy terrorists and
  organizations
• Deny sponsorship, support and sanctuary to
  terrorists end state sponsored terrorism,
  establish and maintain international
  accountability, strengthen weaker nations and
  work with willing and able states
• Disrupt material support of terrorists
• Diminish conditions that terrorists exploit
• Defend U. S. citizens and interest at home and
  abroad

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New Kind of War

• Cut off terrorist funding freeze assets
• Fight terrorism at home Department of Homeland
  Security, USA Patriot Act
• Bioterrorism strikes America soon after 9/11 with
  Anthrax in the mail

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War on Terrorism

• Operation Active Endeavor October 2001
• Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan
  2001-Present
• Philippines 2002 80 complete
• Horn of Africa 2002
• Trans Sahara
• Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003-present

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Why a War in Aghanistan?

• Taliban government in Afghanistan was friendly to
  al-Qaeda
• U.S. supported Taliban in 1980s against the
  Soviet Union
• Taliban after 9/11 unwilling to help U.S.

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Taliban

• Sunni Islamic political movement
• Governed Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001
• Regrouped in 2004 as an insurgency movement at
  the local level
• Headed by Mullah Mohammed Omar
• 2008 severed any ties with al-Qaeda

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Present Afghanistan

• President Obama does not call it War on Terror,
  but Overseas Contingency Operations
• States U. S. at war with al-Qaeda

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North-West Pakistan Areas
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Why War in Iraq?

• Get rid of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) that
  Saddam Hussein had developed
• Saddam Hussein was taken out of power

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USA Patriot Act

• Sharing information between federal law
  enforcement agencies and intelligence services
• Investigate suspected terrorists
• Fear of violation of 4th Amendment of search and
  seizure

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Axis of Evil

• President Bush named countries that supported
  anti-U.S. activities as part of this in 2003
• Iraq, Iran and North Korea
• North Korea fringe nation wanting to develop
  nuclear buildup
• Iraq at time had WMDs
• Iran had taken U.S. hostages in 1979 before and
  believed to support terrorist activities

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Prevented Terrorist Attacks Since 2001

• 2003 Plot to crash a plane into U.S. Bank in LA
• 2003 Plot to bomb Brooklyn Bridge
• 2004 Plot to bomb financial buildings
  International Monetary Fund, World Bank and
  Washington DC sites and NY Stock Exchange
• 2004 Plot to bomb Columbus Shopping Mall in
  Columbus OH

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Prevented Terrorist Attacks Since 2001

• 2006 Plot for transatlantic aircrafts 10 from
  UK to US and Canada flights using liquid
  explosives
• 2006 Plot to bomb Sears Tower in Chicago, IL
• 2007 Plot to bomb Fort Dix, NJ major troop
  processing point
• 2007 Plot to bomb JFK Airport in NY
• 2009 Plot to bomb plane on Christmas Day

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Criticism for War on Terror

• Many view it as US effort to control Middle East
  oil and dominate
• Effectiveness is still ongoing
• Fall of Taliban government
• Destruction of al-Qaeda camps
• War in N-W Pakistan still ongoing
• New government in Iraq

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U. S. Foreign Policy
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U. S. Foreign Policy

• Largest economy of around 14.3 trillion
• ¼ of global Gross Domestic Product
• Defense budget of around 711 billion
• 2/5 of global military spending
• President is in charge of Foreign Policy
• Secretary of State is the Foreign minister and
  key state-to-state negotiator
• Secretary of Defense is military strategist

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Secretary of State

• Hilliary Clinton
• State Department policy is to create more secure,
  democratic and prosperous world
• Benefits for American people and international
  community

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House of Representatives

• Controls funding
• Policy to prevent spread of nuclear technology
  and hardware, encourage positive relations
  between countries, safeguard American businesses
  abroad
• Promote international education and protect
  American citizens at home and abroad

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Foreign Policy

• U. S. tended to promote isolationism through 19th
  Century
• 20th Century global policy essential and
  international cooperation
• NATO is largest military alliance with 28 nations

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Current International Concerns

• Oil
• Foreign Aid
• Military Aid
• Missile Defense
• War on Drugs
• Terrorism
• Often requires covert operations as well as
  diplomacy

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Sources

• Photos Microsoft Clip Art, Wikipedia
• www.ushistory.com
• History Channel
• Library of Congress