Keeping the Peace: The U.S. Military Responds to Terror (Spirit of America, a Nation Responds to the Events of 11 September 2001)

CALL TO RESCUE, CALL TO HEAL Emergency Medical Professionals at Ground Zero

FIRST TO ARRIVE Firefighters at Ground Zero

GUARDIANS OF SAFETY Law Enforcement at Ground Zero

HELPING HANDS A City and a Nation Lend Their Support at Ground Zero

KEEPING THE PEACE The U.S. Military Responds to Terror

WE THE PEOPLE The U.S. Government’s United Response Against Terror

The U.S. Military Responds to Terror

Rich Mintzer

PHILADELPHIA

FRONTIS: The U.S. military response was not simply limited to engaging in warfare overseas. Here, National Guard troops patrol Ground Zero to assist rescue efforts.

CHELSEA HOUSE PUBLISHERS EDITOR IN CHIEF Sally Cheney DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Kim Shinners CREATIVE MANAGER Takeshi Takahashi MANUFACTURING MANAGER Diann Grasse

STAFF FOR KEEPING THE PEACE ASSOCIATE EDITOR Benjamin Xavier Kim PICTURE RESEARCHER Sarah Bloom PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Jaimie Winkler COVER AND SERIES DESIGNER Keith Trego LAYOUT 21st Century Publishing and Communications, Inc. ©2003 by Chelsea House Publishers, a subsidiary of Haights Cross Communications. All rights reserved. Printed and bound in the United States of America.

http://www.chelseahouse.com 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mintzer, Richard. Keeping the peace : the U.S. military responds to terror / Rich Mintzer. p. cm. — (United we stand) Includes index. Summary: Discusses the September 11, 2001, attack on the United States and the nation’s response with military action and a declaration of war on terrorism. ISBN 0-7910-6961-3 (hardback) — ISBN 0-7910-7182-0 (pbk.) 1. September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001—Juvenile literature. 2. War on Terrorism, 2001—-Juvenile literature. 3. Terrorism—United States— Juvenile literature. [1. September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001. 2. War on Terrorism, 2001– 3. Terrorism.] I. Title. II. Series. HV6432 .M55 2002 973.931—dc21 2002007866

FOREW0RD by Benjamin Xavier Kim

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AMERICA UNDER ATTACK

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AMERICA FIGHTS BACK: RECENT U.S. MILITARY ACTIONS

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TERRORISM IN THE MAKING

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TAKING MILITARY ACTION

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FIGHTING THE TALIBAN

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HOMELAND SECURITY AND SUPPORTING THE TROOPS

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WEBSITES

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ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES FURTHER READING BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

Foreword he events of September 11, 2001 will be remembered as one of the most devastating attacks on American soil ever. The terrorist attacks caused not only physical destruction but also shattered America’s sense of safety and security, and highlighted the fact that there were many groups in the world that did not embrace the United States and its far-reaching influence. While things have, for the most part, returned to normal, there is still no escaping the demarcation of life before and after September 11—the newest day that will forever live in infamy. Yet, even in the aftermath of the terror and destruction, one can see some positive effects that have arisen from the attacks. Americans’ interest in foreign countries—especially those where Islam is the predominant religion—and U.S. foreign policy has been at an all-time high. The previously mundane occupations of firefighter, police officer and emergency medical worker have taken on a newfound level of respect due to the heroism and selflessness displayed on September 11. The issue of airport security has finally been taken seriously with

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the implementation of National Guardsmen in airports and undercover air marshals aboard flights. The books in this series describe how various groups and agencies dealt with the unfolding events of September 11. They also tell the history of these agencies and how they have dealt with other crises in the past, as well as how they are operating in the wake of September 11. While the rest of us were reeling in shock and horror at what was unfolding before our eyes, there were others whose jobs required that they confront the situation head-on. These are their stories. Benjamin Xavier Kim Series Editor

On the morning of September 11, 2001, shortly after two hijacked jets crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, a third struck the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., destroying a large section of the building. It soon became clear to everyone that America was under attack.

1 America k c a t t A Under

n September 11, 2001, the United States came under attack. A combined nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. Two of the planes were deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center towers in lower Manhattan. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C. and the fourth plane crashed in a rural area outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is suspected that the fourth plane was also destined to hit an important government or financial institution, but the passengers fought with the hijackers and heroically spared more destruction by forcing the plane down in a non-residential area. Over 200 innocent people on board the airplanes died and over 3,000 more perished in the World Trade Center and Pentagon. In addition, many more people were seriously injured.

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Keeping the Peace Following the first plane crashing into the World Trade Center at nearly 9 A.M. on that fateful Tuesday morning, news crews and cameramen from all over raced to the scene. By the time the second plane hit the Trade Center, millions of people were watching on television. The second plane left no doubt in anyone’s mind that the earlier crash was not just a horrible accident. A short time later, the world watched in disbelief as the two towering buildings, each standing over 100 stories tall, collapsed in massive clouds of smoke. Nearly 400 firefighters and police officers perished along with many innocent people working in the towers, and some 2,000 children lost a parent on that frightening day. The destruction affected the whole world, as people from 80 countries died in the attacks. The world reeled in shock as the images of the planes striking the towers played again and again on television. Led by the president, the United States military was immediately placed on alert as the events of September 11th unfolded. While the horrifying scenes continued on television, there was speculation that there might be more airplanes in the sky headed to strike other locations. All commercial airplanes flying over the United States were immediately ordered to land by the Federal Aviation Administration, which controls air travel in the United States. By that afternoon there were no commercial planes in the skies above the United States. Only military fighters could be heard flying on patrol over major cities such as New York and Washington, D.C. As rescue teams poured into New York City, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania from miles around, President George W. Bush spoke to the American people and to the world. He let it be known that this act of terror would not go unpunished. “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America,”

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proclaimed President Bush, announcing that “this was an act of war.” By the following morning the newspaper headlines read “It’s War” and the people of the United States were uniting to help one and other in a manner never before seen by this generation. It was not since the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 that the United States had been attacked. Pearl Harbor resulted in drawing the United States into the Second World War. The events of September 11 also affected the world. “This enemy attacked not just our people, but all freedom loving people everywhere in the world,” said President Bush. “The United States of America will use our resources to conquer this enemy.” Over the next several days, the CIA, FBI and other intelligence organizations—not only in the United States but all over the world—were in constant communication. They were determined to find out who was behind this horrendous act of terror. They had suspected that terrorist leader Osama bin Laden was behind the attacks, as he

"I live in Pentagon City (part of Arlington) and can see the Pentagon when I look out my window. . . . I was supposed to have been going to the Pentagon Tuesday morning at about 11:00 A.M. (EDT) and was getting ready. Thank goodness I wasn’t going in until later . . . I was listening to the news on what had happened in New York, and just happened to look out the window because I heard a low flying plane. Then I saw it hit the Pentagon. It happened so fast . . . it was in the air one moment and in the building the next . . . I still have a hard time believing it, but every time I look out the window, it seems to be more real than it did the time before . . .” K.M., Pentagon City, USA

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Keeping the Peace had been the leading suspect behind numerous other worldwide terrorist activities. Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorist organization were based in Afghanistan where it was believed he was hiding out. They supported the Taliban regime that had taken over in 1996 and were ruling most of Afghanistan with an iron hand, beating, jailing and brutalizing the people of this poor nation for any minor discretion. The night of the attack in America there was fighting seen in Afghanistan between rebel troops who wanted freedom for their country and the military Taliban regime who had control. This added support to the idea that terrorists from this part of the world were involved in the U.S. attacks. President Bush made it clear in repeated messages that this would not be a war against the people of Afghanistan. It would not be a war against any race, religion or ethnic group. It would be a lengthy war, strictly against terrorism. He also made it clear that countries harboring terrorists would also be at risk if they did not comply and work to rid themselves of any terrorists. The President demanded that the Taliban do the right thing and turn over the terrorists including bin Laden, but they did not. Videotaped messages from bin Laden and statements by his supporters made it clear that they wanted the destruction of America. In time, evidence clearly linked bin Laden to the September 11 attacks. Bin Laden believed that his supporters were fighting a holy war, or jihad. However, the vast majority of peace-loving Muslims around the world did not support or believe in bin Laden or his followers’ extreme fundamentalist views. For the next four weeks following the September 11 attacks, the world waited to see what would happen next. Security measures were tightened, especially at airports, not only in the United States but in many other nations

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As the terrorist attacks unfolded, President Bush immediately placed the FBI and the U.S. military on full alert from coast to coast, and all commercial aircraft were ordered to land at the nearest possible airfield.

around the world. U.S. soldiers could be seen guarding federal buildings, national landmarks and major bridges in cities all over the country. No one was sure if the terrorist groups would strike again. Troops and Special Forces from other nations, including Great Britain, were now poised and ready in the event of another terrorist attack. However, unlike most other enemies of the past, who had borders and a country of their own, this was an enemy that could be hiding anywhere and that would strike without warning, anywhere in the world. This was an enemy that believed in the destruction of the people of all nations that did not share their same beliefs. The terrorist network had spread

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The CIA, FBI, and other intelligence organizations suspected that Saudi terrorist leader Osama bin Laden (seen here) was behind the attacks on America. Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorist organization were believed to be headquartered in Afghanistan, shielded by that country’s Taliban government.

far and wide throughout many countries of the world. Many terrorists were already in the United States in organized groups called “cells.” Each cell consisted of a few terrorists and they worked independently, receiving orders

America Under Attack through channels and carrying out their own missions. In the weeks following the attacks, hundreds of suspected terrorists from various cells were brought in for questioning by intelligence organizations. This was an important step to take before starting any military attack, as it helped reduce the possibility of retaliation by terrorist groups in other countries. Meanwhile, the first battle in the war against terrorism began not with the firing of a gun or dropping of a bomb, but with a pen. On September 23, President Bush signed an executive order, which froze the United States assets of any person or organization involved in terrorist activities. This cut off their ability to use their money in any American accounts or investments. Within days, another 142 countries also issued orders to freeze the assets of terrorists. All together, over 60 million dollars were blocked from terrorist organizations. In addition, the assets of a U.S.-based foundation, The Holy Land Foundation for Relief & Development, were also frozen when it was discovered that they had been funneling money to a terrorist organization. The terrorists had felt the first blow of the war by losing their funding. In the next several months they would feel many more.

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The United States has long accepted the role of world peacekeeper, with over a quarter million troops stationed in countries around the globe. Here General Colin Powell (now Secretary of State) surveys a U.S. Marine position on the Saudi-Kuwait border during the Persian Gulf War in 1990.

2 America k c a B s t Figh . S . U t n e c e R tions c A y r a t i l i M

he United States military currently has over 250,000 troops stationed in numerous countries worldwide along with more than one million troops stationed at home in the United States, ready to travel to wherever they are needed. Since the Revolutionary War, the United States has fought several wars and established a military presence abroad whenever the need arose to secure and preserve freedom. Five significant wars in the Twentieth Century included U.S. involvement: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War. World War II was unique among these conflicts in that it was the only war in the past century (prior to the current war on terrorism) in which the United States was drawn into the war by

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Keeping the Peace an attack on American soil. World War II was already underway in Europe, where the German Nazi soldiers led by Adolf Hitler were marching through Europe. France had already been defeated, and Great Britain was now hoping they could hold their own against both Germany and Italy. The United States had remained outside of the conflict in Europe. Then on December 7, 1941, the American Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was bombed by Japanese fighter planes. Japan had joined forces with Germany and Italy. Two waves of Japanese planes attacked, with help from five Japanese midget submarines. By 10 A.M. over 2,400 American military personal were killed, eight battleships damaged or destroyed and 188 airplanes demolished. Until September 11, 2001, Pearl Harbor stood as the most tragic attack ever directly on the United States. Other conflicts, however, have drawn the United States into military action. The Persian Gulf War, at the start of the 1990s, was the most recent. Although the United States was not directly attacked, the conflict does bear some similarities to the war against terrorism. It was a war to stop an enemy of the United States, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, from stretching his growing power and taking away the freedom of innocent people—in this case, the people of the neighboring nation of Kuwait. Hussein, like Osama bin Laden, had his own disdain for the Western world, and rallied his supporters to hate America and all that it stood for. Hussein’s message to the United States was similar to the words of bin Laden. During the Persian Gulf War, the United States found support from many other nations who sent either troops or money, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungry, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Afghanistan, among other nations in the United Nations coalition.

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The Gulf War began when Iraqi President Saddam Hussein (seen here waving to supporters in Baghdad) ordered his troops to invade Kuwait. A 10-year war with neighbor Iran had weakened the Iraqi economy, and Hussein sought to capture Kuwaiti oil fields as a way to increase his country’s wealth and strength. A multinational force including many U.S. troops responded with air strikes and ground forces that drove back Iraqi troops.

The first act of the Persian Gulf War was the invasion of the tiny nation of Kuwait by Iraqi military forces. At that time in 1990, Iraq possessed the fourth largest army in the world. There had been tensions between the two neighboring countries in the past. In 1961, the British government, which had protected Kuwait, granted the nation independence. Iraq, however, claimed that Kuwait was part of the Ottoman province in South Iraq and should be under their rule. Other nations of the world, however, did not agree and Iraq was pressured into recognizing Kuwait as an independent nation in 1963. At the start of the 1990s Iraq was in need of money. They

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Keeping the Peace had spent billions of dollars on a ten-year war with Iran. Conflicts arose with Kuwait over a borderline oil field. Other accusations about oil and money led to hostility between the two nations. This led to the Iraqi invasion which saw over 100,000 Iraqi troops easily overwhelm the Kuwait military, which consisted of some 20,000 troops. Within 24 hours Iraq took over Kuwait City, the nation’s capital, and took control of the government. The United Nations Security Council condemned the invasion. Then-president George Bush also denounced this hostile invasion of Kuwait. One of the first military responses in that conflict was to cut off military funding for the enemy. The attack on Kuwait by Iraq prompted the United Nations Security Council to pass resolutions that closed Iraq to international trade, which limited their funding to fight a war and feed their massive army. The trade embargo, however, did not end the conflict. The United Nations then sent troops into the area. Since Saudi Arabia sat on the Kuwait and Iraq border, and did not have an army the size or strength of Iraq, they feared that they might be invaded next. This would strengthen the power of Iraq and provide them with more wealth from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait’s oil fields. In an effort to ensure freedom to these nations and to keep Iraq from gaining great control over the world’s oil market, the United States sent 400,000 troops into the region, while an additional 200,000 troops were sent from other countries. Then in January of 1991, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution allowing the president to use force against Iraq. A United Nations Security Council had been taken and Iraq was told that they had until January 15 to leave Kuwait. They did not leave and on January 17 the United States attacked. Led by the Apache, then one of the newest attack helicopters in the U.S. army’s arsenal, the first strike was on Baghdad, the

America Fights Back capital of Iraq. The war had begun and Iraq responded not only by firing back at the coalition forces, but by launching missile attacks on both Israel and Saudi Arabia. The coalition struck hard by air, dropping bombs on key military targets where the Iraqi army had missiles and guns that could bring down coalition aircraft. Attacks were carefully planned to try not to hit areas where civilians would be killed. For five weeks the bombing missions continued and devastated much of the Iraqi military. By February, the coalition led by the United States had also sent in numerous ground troops. Coalition forces moved rapidly and surrounded Kuwait, trapping the Iraqi soldiers who were there. Many of the Iraqi troops were forced to surrender. The Iraqi fighters destroyed much of Kuwait City as they left, setting oil wells on fire. But after just 48 hours of ground fighting, the Iraqi army retreated and left Kuwait. On February 28th a cease-fire occurred. At the end of the five weeks of fighting, the coalition had lost 240 soldiers. United States had suffered 148 soldiers killed in action, including eleven women killed in combat. There were also more than 450 U.S. soldiers wounded. Over 100,000 Iraqi soldiers were killed and 150,000 had deserted the Iraqi army. Unlike the current military action against terrorism, there were more people who spoke out against the Persian Gulf War. Critics of the United States involvement in the Iraq situation felt that it was wrong to put American troops at risk in a battle over oil prices. President Bush responded that this was about more than oil, arguing that the war was about protecting the freedom of a nation. Those who did back the United States involvement did not want to see Saddam Hussein gain any greater strength by advancing his armies through other countries in a manner similar to

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After weeks of allied air strikes, ground troops (like those of the United States First cavalry Division seen here) were deployed from their home base in Saudi Arabia to drive invading Iraqi troops from Kuwait.

the way Hitler had marched his troops through Europe in World War II. After the Persian Gulf War, the U.S. military was again called into action in 1996 when President Bill Clinton sent a United States led NATO mission to Bosnia, where a bloody civil war was taking place. Following the deadly bombing of a marketplace, where many civilians were killed, NATO forces launched the largest military action in the alliance’s history. The bombing campaign by NATO, led by U.S. troops, was met

America Fights Back with mixed support by Americans, many of whom felt the U.S. should not get involved in a war between Bosnia and Serbia. There was also the usual great concern about dropping bombs on innocent civilians, something the United States has tried to avoid in each of the recent major conflicts. After two weeks of NATO air strikes, the warring parties were finally driven to sit down and negotiate a settlement to end the fighting, finally reaching a peace settlement in November of 1996. One other war that should be mentioned in conjunction with the current war on terrorism is the conflict that took place between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan. While the United States was not involved, this war helped set the stage for the Taliban to rise to power in Afghanistan. It also helped the United States plan their strategy in the current war in Afghanistan through study of the mistakes the Soviet army may have made. The war between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan began in 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded the small country. At that time the Soviet Union was still Communist and a very powerful nation. They had successfully used their military strength to spread their Communist form of government (which meant little freedom for people and much greater control over all aspects of life by the government) into East Germany and Hungary in the 1950s and Czechoslovakia in the late 1960s. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan looked like their invasion of Czechoslovakia nearly eleven years earlier. There was little doubt that the mighty Soviet Union would win this war quickly and Afghanistan would be under Soviet control for many years. The first battle was a short one, fought by the Afghan military in an unsuccessful effort to stop the Soviets from storming the Afghan presidential palace. The Afghan army was much smaller and had much fewer weapons than the Soviets, who won the battle easily.

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Keeping the Peace What the Soviets did not expect, however, was that the citizens of Afghanistan would arm themselves and come out fighting to defend their country. Unlike conventional military warfare between large armies led by generals, the Afghans fought in groups of two or three. They were not always soldiers and didn’t march into battle, but simply snuck in quietly and attacked without warning. They attacked the Soviet personnel, swiped their weapons and booby-trapped the roads. The Afghans used these guerrilla fighters and plenty of sneak attacks rather than staging large battles between armies. The Soviet soldiers could not tell if civilians or military were going to attack, making it more difficult to plan military strategies. The rocky, mountainous landscape of the country also proved very difficult for the Soviets who were unfamiliar with it. In addition, the Soviet army, like the Soviet Union at the time, were lacking in money. Maintaining supplies such as food for the soldiers, during what became a longer and longer war became very difficult for the Soviet government. By the time the war was over, it had lasted ten years. The Soviets had killed over one million people and many more had fled the country as refugees. Nonetheless, they did not rule Afghanistan. While only 15,000 Soviet troops were reported dead or missing, nearly 500,000—or almost 75%— of the Soviet troops were wounded or seriously ill. Many were victims of diseases that they caught trying to survive in the Afghan mountains. What the United States military learned from reviewing this long war was that they could not just rush into Afghanistan and fight the Taliban without proper preparation for guerilla warfare and the rough terrain of the mountainous country. One major advantage the United States would have going into a battle in Afghanistan was that they were not at war with the entire country itself but

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In 1980, following a dispute with the Soviet Union, Russian troops occupied Afghanistan. Resistance was fierce, however, and Afghan civilian fighters like those seen here eventually forced the withdrawal of Russian troops. It was in this context that the radical Muslim faction known as the Taliban was able to seize control of the Afghan government.

the ruling Taliban, who were supporting and protecting bin Laden’s terrorist groups within the country. This meant that many Afghan people who were also fighting the Taliban would help the United States and the coalition of international troops to navigate the country. The strategies from the Persian Gulf War and mistakes made by the Soviet Union in the Soviet-Afghan war both served to assist the United States military, directed by the Pentagon in Washington D.C., in the current war on terrorism.

The attacks of September 11, 2001 were not the first time that the World Trade Center had been targeted by terrorists. In February 1993 a bomb was detonated in one of the tower’s underground parking garages. Although not enough to bring down the building, the blast killed six people and injured many more. The conspirators behind the bombing were eventually captured, tried, and jailed.

3 n i m s i r o Terr g n i k a M the

here have been several acts of terrorism around the world in the past ten years that led up to the events of September 11, 2001. Terrorist activities have included hijackings, kidnappings, assassinations and bombings. Groups in many parts of the world, including Columbia, Africa and the Middle East, fighting for a variety of causes were behind the terrorist activities. As far back as the early 1990s, a terrorist group based in Brooklyn, New York, had set their sites on bringing down the World Trade Center towers. Stretching over 1,350 feet into the air, the towers served some 50,000 businessmen and women from a variety of nations. In many people’s eyes, the towers represented the mighty American financial system and served as a target for those who radically opposed what the

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Keeping the Peace United States stood for—freedom and capitalism. The group that targeted the World Trade Center in 1993 were followers of an Islamic scholar named Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman. The 56-year-old blind cleric preached from a refugee center on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. His message was that of a jihad against those who were considered enemies of the faith because they did not follow fundamentalist Islamic teachings. Rahman had been preaching for many years. He had also been involved in instigating terrorist activities. In 1981, he was arrested following the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The government of Egypt claimed that his rabble-rousing sermons had encouraged the presidential assassination and the riots that followed. By the late 1980s Rahman’s activities were being closely watched by intelligence agencies. Through a computer foul-up, however, he managed to obtain a visa to the United States where he set up shop in Brooklyn and had followers as far away as across the Hudson River in Jersey City, New Jersey. Then, on a cold February day in 1993, a van carrying explosives from Jersey City made its way into one of the parking garages under the World Trade Center. Shortly after noon, a blast rocked the parking facility. The explosion was centered on the B2 level. It was so intense that it caused the collapse of the steel reinforced concrete floor to the floor below (B3 level), which in turn caused more collapses. Piles of debris were found as far down as four floors below the explosion in the multi-level garage. One rescue worker recalled seeing a steel fire door that had been blown off its hinges and was embedded into a wall 35 feet away. The explosion also plunged most of the towers into darkness and sent smoke up the elevator shafts as high as the 35th floor in a matter of minutes. Hundreds of firefighters and rescue workers were called in to help get several thousand

Terrorism in the Making people out of the dark smoke-filled buildings. People were trapped in various parts of the building, including inside elevators, where they waited for as long as twelve hours before they could be rescued. When it was all over, more than 1,000 people were injured and six were killed. There was a tremendous amount of damage including over a hundred cars destroyed. Restoration to the towers cost over $250 million and tenants of the building could not return for over a month. Six men were found guilty and sentenced for their role in this terrorist act. The authorities were tipped off and were able to track them down, after the man who had rented the van which housed the bomb returned to the rental company to ask for his deposit back. At the time, this was considered the nation’s worst terrorist catastrophe. In 1993, the towers withstood the blast and thousands of people were able to return to work in the buildings with a haunting memory of that fateful day. Little did anyone imagine that less than a decade later a far more horrendous attack on the same towers would lead to their complete destruction. In the eight years between the attacks on the World Trade Center, there were other attacks against America, waged off of American soil. The first two attacks took place within ten minutes of each other. On August 7, 1998, a truck bomb exploded outside of the rear entrance of the United States embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. A dozen United States citizens were killed, as well as 32 Foreign Service Nationals and 247 citizens of Kenya. Within minutes after the explosion, another truck bomb exploded outside of the United States embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Seven Foreign Service Nationals and three citizens of Tanzania were killed. Many others were injured and the building was badly damaged. By the end of the tragic day, a man by the name of Mohammad Sadeek Odeh was arrested when he tried to enter Pakistan from Kenya using a fake passport. Within days he

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The U.S. has been the focus of terrorist attacks in other parts of the world as well. On August 7, 1998, a truck bomb exploded outside the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. A dozen United States citizens were killed, as were 32 Foreign Service Nationals and 247 Kenyans. Evidence for the bombing pointed to terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.

was linked to the bombings and admitted that he was a member of al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization funded and headed by Osama bin Laden. He was flown to the United States where he was imprisoned. A few days later Kenyan detectives arrested a man named Mohammad Rashed Daoud al Owhali, from Saudi Arabia. He confessed that he too was part of the bombing conspiracy. Over the next several weeks worldwide manhunts led to more arrests that further established links to the al-Qaeda terrorist network. In retaliation, the United States launched missiles at al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. Since Osama bin Laden was found to be the seen as the principal source of

Terrorism in the Making money behind the attacks on the two embassies in Keyna and Tanzania, all of his financial transactions were blocked between U.S. banks by order of President Bill Clinton. Then in November of 1998, further evidence in the embassy bombings led to the indictment of bin Laden and the man the he identified as his military chief, Muhammad Atef. However, unlike several of the others involved in the deadly act of terror who were captured, bin Laden and Atef remained fugitives at large. By early 1999 many people were aware of bin Laden and his hatred of Americans. But, who was this new enemy of the United States and how did he become so rich and powerful? Bin Laden was one of some fifty children born to the wives of Mohammed Awad bin Laden, who had moved to Saudi Arabia from South Yemen in the early 1930s. Bin Laden’s father had worked hard, beginning as a poor laborer and eventually becoming the owner of the largest construction company in the country. They built numerous important buildings in the country and became close with royalty after building palaces for King Saud. The wealth spread throughout the family and today the bin Laden family fortune is estimated at over five billion dollars. Osama bin Laden grew up following strict religious teachings. In 1968 his father was killed in a plane crash. A few years later at age seventeen, Osama married a Syrian woman. He is currently believed to have four wives and fifteen children. It was in his early twenties that he took an interest in the Islamic revolution taking place in Iran. He studied economics and followed politics very closely. Then in 1979 he joined the fight of the Afghans to help prevent the Soviet Union from taking over Muslim lands. The United States government and Saudi Arabia—bin Laden’s homeland—backed the Afghans. During the late 1980s as the war continued, bin Laden used his money to help build

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Keeping the Peace training camps in Afghanistan. It was during this time that he met an Egyptian militant leader named Mohammed Ayman al-Zawahiri. It was al-Zawahiri who helped shape bin Laden’s militant Islamic beliefs. Now, with his own training camps in place, he decided to have his own forces and to run his own battles under his own command. He attracted many fighters including some of the top ex-military leaders from Syria and Egypt. Bin Laden brought with him money and determination. The former military men brought military experience and together, with bin Laden they staged several successful battles against the Soviet Union. Bin Laden’s military organization became known as al-Qaeda, which in Arabic means “The Base.” In 1993, four years after the Afghan-Soviet War had ended, bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network surfaced again and were responsible for ambushing and killing eighteen U.S. servicemen who were stationed in Somalia. Their goal was to keep the United States out of Africa. To a great extent their attack worked, as U.S. troops returned later only as part of a United Nations coalition. Osama bin Laden, meanwhile, could not return to his own country. Saudi Arabia stripped him of his citizenship in 1994 and froze his assets in the nation after other Middle Eastern countries found him guilty of supplying money to militant operations in their countries. After a short stay in Sudan, bin Laden returned to Afghanistan where the ruling Taliban took him in. The Taliban are a deeply religious group whose fundamental teachings were similar to his own, and they had great respect and admiration for him. It was within the protection of the Taliban that bin Laden grew in power as he funded and built terrorist groups in other nations. He then declared a jihad on the United States and Israel in 1996. He claimed that the United States should not have remained on the Arabian Peninsula following the Persian Gulf War and that they should not be in the gulf region or on holy

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Although the son of a wealthy construction company owner in Saudi Arabia, Osama bin Laden (seen at left) rejected his family and followed a path of radical Islamic fundamentalism. Egyptian militant leader Mohammed Ayman al-Zawahiri (seen at right) helped shape bin Laden’s militant Islamic beliefs.

lands. Likewise, the belief was that Israel did not belong in the Palestine territories, which they claimed in a war with Egypt in 1968. Bin Laden not only called for a holy war but issued fatwas in 1996 and 1998. Fatwas are religious rulings, and in these cases, bin Laden’s fatwas were to kill U.S. troops and American civilians. By this time other bombings had taken place, and although he was not directly linked, the Saudi government wanted him returned to them for indictment. However, the Taliban continued to protect him. In fact, in 1997, the Saudi government even tried to kidnap him, but their attempt failed. In 1998, trying to strengthen his terrorist network, he

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Keeping the Peace organized his International Front. He hoped to bring militants together from all over the world who were dedicated to killing Americans and Jews. He even went on television in a rare high-profile appearance and warned of an upcoming attack. The embassy bombings followed that summer, both of which were linked to bin Laden, who then made the FBI’s ten most wanted list a few months later. Then on October 12th, 2000, another act of terrorism was linked to bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network. A small boat loaded with ammunition crashed into the U.S.S. Cole, a United States battleship, causing an explosion that killed seventeen soldiers and wounded 39 others. Within days investigators had several suspects. The boat was traced to an area about six miles away from where the U.S.S. Cole was refueling. People in the area had heard the boat and saw a truck taking it to the water. Investigations once again pointed toward bin Laden, who, just weeks before the attack of the U.S.S. Cole issued a videotape again calling for a holy war against Americans in the Persian Gulf. The embassy bombings and the attack on the U.S.S. Cole were evidence of the growing threat that terrorism posed around the world to U.S. troops and civilians. As long as bin Laden remained in a position where he could train terrorists and finance their operations, he was the most dangerous enemy of the United States. Prior to the September 11 attacks, arrest warrants for bin Laden had been issued by the United States and other nations charging him with terrorism, murder, terrorism conspiracy, theft and counterfeiting. While bin Laden and his terrorist network are the target of the latest military efforts, other parts of the world are also seeking to quell terrorist activity. These areas may also become places where the U.S. military is called upon to help prevent acts of terrorism. The small nation of the Philippines is also home to a

Terrorism in the Making

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On October 12, 2000 a small boat loaded with ammunition crashed into the American battleship U.S.S. Cole, causing a blast that killed seventeen soldiers and wounded 39 others. Once again, the evidence indicated Osama bin Laden as the root of the attack.

dangerous terrorist group called Abu Sayyaf, formed in the early 1990s. The group has stolen money from large companies to buy weapons, and they have connections with Islamic fundamentalist groups around the world, including bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network. Abu Sayyaf has several hundred members and they have been involved in bombings, assassinations and the kidnapping of a growing number of foreign visitors to the Philippine islands. Military intelligence agencies are keeping a closer watch on this growing terrorist organization.

Immediately following the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, President George W. Bush declared war on terrorism, freezing the financial assets of suspected terrorists and demanding that Afghanistan turn over Osama bin Laden to the U.S. When the Taliban regime refused, Bush ordered American military forces to invade Afghanistan, forcing the Taliban from power.

4 y r a t i l i Taking M Action

ithin hours after the three hijacked planes crashed into their targets and a fourth plane was brought down near Pittsburgh, President George W. Bush was already declaring a war on terrorism. A week later he made it an official declaration of war and told all military personnel to be ready. The military response by the United States, however, had to be very well planned and executed. Since the enemy was not a country, but a group within a country, a strategy would need to be crafted that would allow the United States and other armed forces to be able to bomb terrorist targets without bombing the innocent citizens of Afghanistan. The Pentagon, which is the headquarters for all U. S. military operations, ordered more than 100 F-15, F-16 and B-2 combat

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Keeping the Peace airplanes to head to the gulf area outside of Afghanistan. They were going to prepare for what was being called Operation Infinite Justice (though its name was changed to “Enduring Freedom” on September 25 after Muslims objected to the original moniker). This was the start of the war on terrorism or what President Bush called “the first war of the twentyfirst century.” The aircraft were going to join some 150 planes on two U.S. aircraft carriers already in the area. The first phase of retaliation would be air strikes, including cruise missile attacks, against Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda training camps in eastern Afghanistan. But first, food shipments would be dropped by parachute from airplanes to help fed the many poor citizens of Afghanistan. Meanwhile, relief workers in the country packed up and left to assure their own safety. Afghan citizens also packed up their belongings and moved away from any areas where they thought the attacks might occur. During the next several weeks of preparation before the military attacks, the United States gained support from other nations. Great Britain, in particular, was very quick to join the United States in the mission by sending troops to join the U.S. forces. Meanwhile, the United States was able to get very valuable information and support within Afghanistan from the Northern Alliance, a large group of freedom fighters who also wanted the Taliban overthrown and defeated. They had fought against the Taliban for years but were unable to defeat them. Now with the assistance of the United States, they could be more successful at taking their country back. In turn, the Northern Alliance would be able to help the United States military learn where all the Taliban forces were located. They knew the lay of the land and how to maneuver the mountainous regions. Over the next several weeks, other nations—including

Taking Military Action

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Germany and even Switzerland, who had been neutral in the two World Wars of the last century—pledged to help in the war against terrorism. Iraq, however, whom the United States had fought in the Persian Gulf War, would not side against terrorism. There was some talk that they too might be under U.S. attack as it was believed that they had helped bin Laden’s terrorists by giving them money. For the four weeks between the attack on America and the beginning of military action in Afghanistan, the events played like a chess match, as countries moved their troops and military operations into place. Leaders of nations spoke to one another deciding what they would do and whether they would or would not get involved. The Taliban, in Afghanistan, responded with their own preparation and warned that if the United States attacked, they would seek revenge—which would mean more acts of terrorism. President Bush was not intimidated by the words of the Taliban spokesman. “Our response must be sweeping, sustained and effective. You will be asked for resolve, for the conflict will not be easy. You will be asked for your strength because the course to victory may be long,” he told the

B-2 BOMBERS Along with the F-16 and F-15 Fighters, the first bombers to arrive in the Gulf Region in response to the terrorist attacks were the B-2 bombers. Technology allows the B-2 Spirit to fly into enemy territory, drop guided bombs on specific targets and not be detected. This is made possible by new secret technology, which includes what are called “stealth” characteristics, or a type of shielding that makes the planes very hard to pick up by enemy radar.

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The attacks of September 11 brought sympathy for the American cause from all over the globe. After surveying the damage at Ground Zero in New York, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ismail Cem (seen here) pledged his country’s support in the fight against terrorism.

American public. “This act will not stand.” The president added that there would be vengeance for the worst terrorist attack ever on America. While the majority of people in the United States were very much behind the president and American flags could be seen

Taking Military Action flying everywhere as a sign of support, some people were not supportive of going to war in Afghanistan. There were groups of American protestors who feared that more Americans would die because of the war. Anti-war campaigners also took to the streets in London, urging the U.K. and U.S. governments not to launch massive military response to the terrorist attacks. The overwhelming feeling in both nations however was that the terrorists must be stopped and that unfortunately there was no other peaceful alternative in which to accomplish this goal. By late September, Pakistan had agreed to be helpful to the United States effort to some degree. The military intelligence in Pakistan knew more the Taliban in Afghanistan than anyone else. Pakistan was also asked to close its border with Afghanistan and cut off funding for terrorist groups. The United States also asked permission to fly over Pakistan for bombing missions to Afghanistan. While they would not allow foreign troops to use the country as a base of operations, the Pakistan government did agree to help provide information on the Taliban and work with the United Nations and the United States. However, not wanting to anger many of their own people, Pakistan also made it clear that they would still continue a dialogue with the government of Afghanistan, which was still led by the Taliban. This put Pakistan in an awkward position and for a while it was unclear which side they would be on. They clearly did not want to support any terrorist actions, but they also had Taliban supporters in their own country. Saudi Arabia was another country caught in the middle. On one hand they decided to break all ties with the Taliban government because they were harboring terrorists, and they backed the mission against terrorism. However, they did not want the United States to use their military bases

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For the war on terrorism to be successful it was important to secure the support of Islamic nations like Saudi Arabia. On a diplomatic visit, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (left) met with Prince Sultan (right) to solidify Saudi Arabia’s support.

from which to launch attacks. Many of the Saudi citizens felt the United States troops should not be on their land, as they would draw enemy fire. As the tensions mounted and the world waited to see when the first battles of the war would occur, the Taliban added that they would declare a holy war against any country that helped the United States. The Taliban troops— including Afghans, Arabs and some Pakistanis—were reportedly busy setting up missiles and anti-aircraft guns at more than 55 military bases. Osama bin Laden was said to have left the major Afghan city of Kandahar and was apparently headed for a remote hideout in the mountains. Meanwhile, in a show of hatred for the United States,

Taking Military Action thousands of protestors stormed the long abandoned American embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan and burned the building to the ground while cheering bin Laden and chanting “Death To America!” Then on Saturday, October 6, the United States, and other countries throughout the world were put on full alert that a terrorist attack might follow when the attacks in Afghanistan began. Security was very tight at airports, bridges, all government buildings and landmarks. The following afternoon, as millions of Americans turned on their television sets to watch Sunday afternoon football, president Bush spoke. He announced that the war had begun with bombing raids over Afghanistan. The raids were designed to hit Taliban military bases. The United States military was responding with force to the terrorist attacks of September 11 in an effort to rid the world of terrorism once and for all.

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When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in the mid-1990s, life for Afghan citizens changed dramatically. The hard-liners enforced an ancient Islamic code, removing women from their jobs as doctors and teachers, forbidding the education of Afghan girls, and forcing women to cover themselves in the traditional clothing called a burqa.

5 Fighting n a b i l a T the

he Taliban regime had taken control of nearly all of Afghanistan in the mid-1990s and ruled with a strong hand, enforcing strict laws. For example, women were not allowed to attend school and were practically prisoners of their own homes, allowed only to go out when accompanied by a male. Within the Taliban was the al-Qaeda terrorist network, financed by Osama bin Laden, whom they saw as a leader. In the U.S. government’s eyes, as long as they protected and supported the terrorists, the Taliban would have to be defeated. It was after sundown in Afghanistan on October 7 when the U.S. military response began, with planes flying over the city of Kabul and dropping bombs on Taliban targets in the city and near the airport. Within minutes after the attack, electrical power in the

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Keeping the Peace city went off. It was not clear whether this was because of the bombing raids or because the Taliban wanted to make it harder for the planes to locate their targets. Shortly after the city went dark, Taliban troops responded, firing anti-aircraft guns at the fighter planes overhead as the planes continued to drop bombs on key Taliban targets and military training camps in the city of Kandahar. Next, the city of Jahalabad, located in the eastern region of the country, came under attack. The air strikes, combined with missiles fired from British submarines, comprised the first stage of the military battle that would eventually send United States and British Special Forces in on the ground to work with the Northern Alliance troops and take over these cities. Taliban leaders responded again that they were ready for a jihad, and the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, called the United States bombing raids “terrorist attacks.” He pledged that the Taliban would “fight to the last breath.” These statements prompted all major cities in the United States and throughout the world to be prepared for possible terrorist attacks. The Pentagon sent fighter planes and put troops at the ready to protect cities all throughout the United States. Additional security measures were taken at nuclear power plants, government buildings, United States landmarks, airports, synagogues, mosques and other places where terrorism was likely to occur. In addition, Tom Ridge, the former governor of Pennsylvania, was appointed director of the newly-created Office of Homeland Security, a position designed to help secure and prepare the country against more possible terrorist attacks. Also on the first day of the military assault on Taliban targets, a pre-recorded tape of Osama bin Laden praising the September 11th attacks appeared on television stations. The chilling videotape showed a calm bin Laden sipping tea as he warned that the people of the United States “will never taste

Fighting the Taliban security and safety unless we feel security and safety in our lands and in Palestine.” As the eventful first day of the military response concluded, Germany, France, Russia and other nations gave their support, all agreeing that terrorism must be stopped. Even Cuba, a country which the United States has not had diplomatic ties since dictator Fidel Castro went into power, offered support if necessary. One week after the start of the bombing raids, President Bush rejected a Taliban offer to discuss turning over Osama bin Laden if the United States ended the bombing in Afghanistan. The president made it clear that there would be no discussion unless the ruling Taliban “turn [bin Laden] over, turn his cohorts over and turn any hostages they hold over.” He added, “There’s no need to discuss innocence or guilt. We know he’s guilty.” Over the next several weeks the bombing raids continued, in an attempt to weaken the Taliban hold of major Afghan cities. Pentagon officials soon announced that 85% of the targets on their initial list had been destroyed, including radar stations, anti-aircraft weapons and a few dozen warplanes hidden in bunkers. Soon it was clear that the Taliban did not have the strength to mount much of a defensive attack since most of their anti-aircraft weapons had been destroyed. The Northern Alliance troops were therefore able to move into major cities without much resistance. The Northern Alliance marched from one town to another over a stretch of some 240 miles, taking control of towns that had been run by the Taliban. As the U.S. bombing raids helped pave the way, they moved into the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The cities of Taloqan and Bamian also fell to the Alliance as the Taliban troops retreated. Armed but weary Northern Alliance fighters continued to forge ahead in run down vehicles, some on horseback and others on foot. They were surprised at how easily they were

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America’s reaction to the terrorist attacks was strong and swift. In preparation for the fierce air raids on Taliban positions, many bombs were emblazoned with messages of reprisal.

able to march into cities, which the Taliban had controlled for years. Within a few days, the bombing missions had cleared the way for half of the country to return to freedom. People took to the streets of their towns and cities. Music was heard as entertainment once again appeared, as they had not been allowed by the Taliban. Women came out from their homes without wearing the garments that covered them almost completely and without fear of being arrested or beaten. Men shaved off the beards that the Taliban had forced them to wear. Many schools were again reopened. Soon the major city of Herat, the largest city in the western part of the country, and Kabul, the nation’s capital, were in the hands of the Northern Alliance. As the people of these cities embraced freedom, the U.S. military continued to attack areas where they believed bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorists might have headed.

Fighting the Taliban

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The Taliban forces prepared for a tough battle in Kandahar, one of Afghanistan’s major cities. To help the Northern Alliance forces poised outside the city, several hundred U.S. Marines landed, coming from Navy ships stationed in the Arabian Sea. A combined force led by the Air Force, Marines and Northern Alliance troops moved toward the city, which was the spiritual headquarters of the Taliban. There was fierce fighting before the Taliban surrendered the city. But once they did, their leader Mullah Mohammed Oman and bin Laden were still nowhere to be found. While the fighting was taking place throughout the rugged hills of Afghanistan, the leaders of the United States army at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. continued to map out regions of Afghanistan that were strongholds of the Taliban and the al-Qaeda network. Much of the information was coming from intelligence officers working for several nations including the United States and Great Britain. The Pentagon’s continued communication with the leaders of the Northern Alliance was also helping the U.S. forces learn about this faraway nation.

SPY PLANES Unmanned spy planes, also known as drones, have played an important role in the war in Afghanistan. The planes helped the military by flying close to enemy locations and spying on their activities with cameras inside. They are able to hover in the air for hours and provide ongoing video of enemy activities. Some of the 27-foot-long airplanes have been shot down, but because they are unmanned there are no casualties involved.

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Keeping the Peace The next region that was pinpointed as the likely place for Omar, bin Laden and their fighters to be hiding was a massive underground complex of caves dug into the Afghan mountains called Tora Bora. No ordinary caves, these had been built to withstand an attack and house the Taliban and even their families. The caves were stocked with weapons and electricity. It appeared that it would be very difficult for troops to navigate the rugged mountains that surrounded the Tora Bora complex. It was also assumed that Taliban fighters would be at the ready and possibly may have booby-trapped the area with explosives. Very carefully, U.S. Special Forces slipped into the frontlines where they were able to radio helicopters to alert them as to where to target air strikes. Once these U.S. bombing raids began, many Taliban fighters were seen trying to escape the compound. Some were captured or killed by Northern Alliance forces, while others headed for the border of Pakistan. After several days of bombing, ground forces including U.S. and British troops carefully approached and made their way inside the complex. Most of the complex had been deserted. Once again the Taliban had fled or been captured, and once again, the world’s most wanted man, Osama bin Laden—who had been reportedly seen in the area weeks earlier—was nowhere to be found. Neither was Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. Northern Alliance and U.S. troops were now trying to figure out if bin Laden had slipped out of the country with the many Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters who were trying to make their way into Pakistan, helped by anti-American factions. Other Taliban troops were reportedly bribing boarder guards and passing into Iran. By January, three months after the attacks on America, Northern Alliance and U.S. troops occupied all of the former Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan. A new government was being put into place, and this process was led by the United Nations, who was working to include the people of many

Fighting the Taliban

The fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan opened a new era of freedom for Afghani citizens. Women were again free to pursue careers in education and medicine, men could shave their beards, and children played in the streets.

different Afghan tribes to form a new government that would work together in peace. A nation that was under the grasp of the militant Taliban regime was now enjoying freedoms that had not been seen in nearly a decade. It was at a cost, however, as journalists reported that civilians had also been killed in the efforts to defeat the Taliban. By February of 2002, several hundred Taliban prisoners were now behind bars in a Cuban prison guarded by U.S. troops. It had appeared that most of the fighting in Afghanistan was over as the search for bin Laden and Omar continued. Then in March, Taliban forces regrouped, and suddenly, U.S. military helicopters were shot down and several U.S. troops were killed. As the rough, windy winter weather swept into the Afghan mountains it became apparent that the war would not be over for some time. Payback for September 11 would mean more casualties fighting for freedom.

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Since September 11, America has had to take a hard look at security on the home front. Airport security has been tightened, and new safety measures put in place. Though it may take a bit longer to board a plane now, it is hoped that this small sacrifice will keep passengers safe from attacks in the future.

6 d n a l e m Ho Security g n i t r o p p and Su s p o o r T e Th s the United States military headed overseas to defend the nation against terrorism overseas, security measures were also put in place around the country in response to the September 11 attacks. Soldiers were seen at airports, landmarks, government buildings and at roadways leading in and out of major cities including New York and Washington, D.C. The support for the military at home and overseas can still be seen in every city and town. American flags are hanging from houses, stores and businesses, and waving from cars as they drive by. School students sent cards and letters of support for the troops as they waited overseas for the first attacks. As the holiday season drew near, Americans both young and old pledged support for the troops and thousands of holiday

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Keeping the Peace greeting cards were also sent to the soldiers. Yet, despite the strong feeling of patriotism in America, there is also a very real concern that terrorists could strike again. Even with tight security measures, a new form of terrorism arose in the fall of 2001. A newspaper editor in the offices of American Media in Florida died after contracting anthrax after inhaling spores sent in a letter. Anthax is a disease caused by spores that occur naturally in livestock animals but has also been developed by many countries in laboratories for use as biological weapons. The nature of the anthrax spores led many to suspect that they could have originated from such a laboratory. Within a few weeks anthrax spores were detected at other media outlets in New York, including the office of NBC newscaster Tom Brokaw, whose assistant was infected and taken to the hospital. Anthrax was being sent through the United States mail with notes supporting bin Laden and the terrorists. Soon it was showing up at government offices throughout Washington, D.C., including the State Department and the CIA headquarters. Government buildings were being carefully inspected and some were closed down as a precaution. Postal workers were also being infected and safety precautions were taken at many post offices after two postal workers died. During the several weeks of the nation’s anthrax scare, four people died and many more were treated with medication. Some were ill and others took medication to make sure not to get infected. Then, suddenly the anthrax scare disappeared, as mysteriously as it arose. It did, however, cause the United States and various government health agencies to be on the alert for the possibility of chemical and biological warfare. As the war continued in Afghanistan, the U.S. military worked closely with reporters and journalists to make sure that information did not leak into the wrong hands.

Homeland Security and Supporting The Troops

In the fall of 2001, a new terrorist threat faced the American public. Letters laced with the bacteria anthrax were found at the offices of government leaders and the news media. This new danger forced the U.S. government and health agencies to be on the alert for biological and chemical warfare.

Journalists were not allowed access to American troops overseas, as they had been in the Persian Gulf War, some of which was broadcast on CNN. This war was different in that there was concern that terrorists in the United States could transmit information, including troop locations. The Pentagon received information hourly telling them about the air and ground attacks in Afghanistan, but they kept most of it as classified information. The Department of Defense provided reporters with regular updates. Many reporters were not happy about not being able to get closer to the action, but the deaths of several journalists and the kidnapping and murder of an American Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl

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Keeping the Peace

Although life in America goes on, large events like the Super Bowl are now the subject of thorough security checks to preserve the safety and enjoyment of all who attend.

made it very clear that this enemy would not think twice about killing journalists, even though they carried no weapons. As 2002 began, the Pentagon prepared military troops to be ready to fly wherever and whenever needed. The American public was becoming more familiar with seeing military personnel at airports and at large-scale events, such as football games. In fact, the Super Bowl, played in early February of 2002, saw military troops lining the outside of the stadium and sharpshooters armed with rifles and machine guns on the roof.

Homeland Security and Supporting The Troops If someone could turn the clock back and see what life was like on September 10, 2001, they would recall a world that was much more relaxed when it came to security. They would see a time when most of our military personnel were safely on American soil. The events of the following day changed the world. Today, the U.S. military is very much in the spotlight as they fight terrorism worldwide, along with the FBI, the CIA and other intelligence organizations. Despite being attacked, the Pentagon is busier than ever working hard to make sure that nothing like September 11 ever happens again.

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WEBSITES

58 http://www.whitehouse.gov/response/ [The White House response to terrorism] http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/trade.center/ [CNN In-Depth Special: The War Against Terror]

ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES http://www.af.mil/ [U.S. Air Force]

http://www.usmc.mil/ [U.S. Marine Corps]

http://www.army.mil/ [U.S. Army]

http://www.navy.mil/ [U.S. Navy]

http://www.defenselink.mil/ [U.S. Department of Defense]

FURTHER READING Hamilton, John. Armed Forces (War On Terrorism). Edina, MN: Abdo & Daughters, 2002. Marsh, Carole. United We Stand: America’s War Against Terrorism. Decatur, GA: Gallopade Publishing Group, 2000. Sievert, Terri; Thomas, Evelyn & Dougherty, Terri. The U.S. Air Force at War (On the Front Lines). Bloomington, MN: Capstone Press, 2001. Wheeler, Jill C. America’s Leaders (War On Terrorism). Edina, MN: Abdo & Daughters, 2002.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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“The Afghan Way of War.” The Strategy Page, October 24, 2001. http://www.strategypage.com/thenewwar/articles/20011024t.asp “Al-Qaida Forces ‘Contained’ in Tora Bora Mountains.” Online NewsHour Update, December 14, 2001. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/december01/afghan_12-14.html “B-2 Spirit.” Globalsecurity.org. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/b-2.htm “Bombing Continues, Taliban Garrison Hit.” Online NewsHour Update, November 1, 2001. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/november01/military_11-1.html Bush, George W. Speech. White House, September 11, 2001. Caruso, J.T. Statement for the Record of J.T. Caruso, Acting Assistant Director, Counterterrorism Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation on Al-Qaeda International before the Subcommittee on International Operations and Terrorism Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate, Washington, D.C., December 18, 2001. Chennareddy, Venkareddy; Copper, Carolyn M.; Harris, Jerffery K.; Tumin, Jonathan R. and Wheeler, Wilson T. “Operation Desert Storm: Operation Desert Storm Air War.” United States General Accounting Office, Military Analysis Network, Washington D.C., July 2, 1996. Cockburn, Alexander & St. Clair, Jeffery. “Sense and Non Sense About September 11th.” Counterpunch, September 12, 2001. Cole, Stephen V. “Inside Al Qaeda.” The Strategy Page, October 24, 2001. http://www.strategypage.com/thenewwar/articles/20011024p.asp Deegan, Paul. Operation Desert Storm (War in the Gulf). Edina, MN.: Abdo & Daughters, 1991.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dunnigan, James. “Another Pearl Harbor.” The Strategy Page, September 18, 2001. http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/20010918.asp Frequently Asked Questions: “What Is The War On Terrorism?” Whitehouse.gov. http://www.whitehouse.gov/response/faq-what.html Garamone, Jim. “Ramadan and War.” American Forces Press Service, November 7, 2001. Harlow, Bill. Interview by David Ensor. Target Terrorism: The Investigation Continues; Intelligence Community Retraces its Steps; How Can Attacks be Prevented? CNN, October 9, 2001. “Heavy Bombings Hit Taliban Strongholds.” Online NewsHour Update, October 11, 2001. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/october01/attack_10-11.html Jalali, Ali A. and Grau, Lester W. “Taliban—A Model for ‘Islamicising’ Central Asia?” The Cyber-Caravan, March 9, 1999. Lormel, Dennis M. Statement for the Record of Dennis M. Lormel, Chief Financial Crimes Section, Federal Bureau of Investigation on Cutting off the Financial Lifeblood of the Terrorists Before the House Committee on Financial Services Washington, D.C., October 3, 2001. “Marines Land Near Kandahar, N. Alliance Captures Kunduz.” Online NewsHour Update, November 26, 2001. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/november01/afghan_11-26.html O’Hara, Scott. “Chronology.” Desert-Storm.com. http://www.desert-storm.com/War/chronology.html “Powell Singles Out Bin Laden.” CNN.com, September 14, 2001. “President Announces Strikes in Afghanistan.” Navy Office of Information, October 7, 2001.

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Talking Point: “Fighting Terrorism: What Can Be Done?” BBC News, September 26, 2001. http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/talking_point/newsid_153700 0/1537530.stm Talking Point: “U.S. Under Attack: Your Eyewitness Accounts.” BBC News, September 11, 2001. http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/talking_point/newsid_154800 0/1548488.stm “Terrorism Timeline.” Discoverychannel.com. http://dsc.discovery.com/news/features/terror/timeline/timeline.html “U.S., Allies Attack Afghanistan.” Online NewsHour Update, October 7, 2001. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/october01/wash_10-7.html “U.S. Continues Hunt for Bin Laden.” Online NewsHour Update, December 10, 2001. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/december01/afghan_12-10.html “U.S. Pounds Taliban; Northern Alliance Claims a Victory.” Online NewsHour Update, November 7, 2001. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/november01/military_11-7.html “U.S. Raids Continue to Pound Kabul.” Online NewsHour Update, October 11, 2001. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/october01/attack_10-15.html “U.S. Seeks to Cut Off Additional Al-Qaida Finance Links.” Online NewsHour Update, November 7, 2001. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/november01/money_11-7.html “War In Afghanistan.” The Strategy Page, October 24, 2001. http://www.strategypage.com/thenewwar/articles/20011024n.asp “Winning Without Fighting.” The Strategy Page, October 24, 2001. http://www.strategypage.com/thenewwar/articles/20011024s.asp

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INDEX

Abu Sayyaf, 35 Afghanistan Soviet invasion of, 23-24, 31, 32 and Taliban, 12, 45 terrorist training camps in, 30, 31-32 Afghanistan, war against terrorism in, 12, 37-43, 45-51 and air strikes, 46-50 and al-Qaeda, 38, 48, 49 beginning of, 43 and bin Laden, 25, 38, 42-43, 46-47, 48, 49, 50 and Bush, 12, 37, 39-40, 43, 47 fighting in, 45-50 and ground troops, 46, 50 international support for, 38-39, 41-42, 46, 47, 49, 50 and journalists and reporters, 54-56 and lessons from Afghan-Soviet War, 24-25 and new government, 50-51 and Northern Alliance, 38, 47-49, 50 preparation for, 37-43 public support for, 40-41, 53-54 and Taliban, 24, 25, 38, 39, 41, 42, 45-46, 47-49, 50, 51 and Taliban prisoners, 51 and tightened security in U.S., 43, 46 Al-Qaeda, 12, 45 and Afghanistan war, 38, 48, 49 and embassy bombings, 29-31 See also Bin Laden, Osama Al-Zawahiri, Mohammed Ayman, 32 Anthrax, 54 Atef, Muhammad, 31

and Somalia, 32 and Taliban, 32, 33 training camps of, 30, 31-32 against U.S. and Israel, 32-33, 34 and USS Cole, 34 See also Al-Qaeda Bosnian War, 22-23 Britain, and Afghanistan war, 46, 49, 50 Bush, George H.W., and Persian Gulf War, 20, 21 Bush, George W. and Afghanistan war, 12, 37, 39-40, 43, 47 and response to September 11 attacks, 10-11, 12, 15, 37

Bin Laden, Osama, 31-34, 45 and Afghanistan war, 25, 38, 42-43, 46-47, 48, 49, 50, 51 and Afghan-Soviet War, 31, 32 arrest warrants for, 34 early years of, 31 and embassy bombings, 29-31, 34 family of, 31 and Philippines, 35 and Saudi Arabia, 32, 33 and September 11 attacks, 11-12

Kuwait, and Persian Gulf War, 18-22

Clinton, Bill and Bosnian War, 22-23 and embassy bombings, 31 Cuba, and Afghanistan war, 47 Embassy bombings, 29-31, 34 France, and Afghanistan war, 47 Germany, and Afghanistan war, 39, 47 Great Britain, and Afghanistan war, 38, 41 Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, The, 15 Homeland Security, Office of, 46 Hussein, Saddam, 21, 28 Iraq, and Persian Gulf War, 18-22

NATO, and Bosnian War, 22-23 Northern Alliance, 38, 47-49, 50 Odeh, Mohammad Sadeek, 29-30 Omar, Mullah Mohammed, 49, 50, 51 Operation Enduring Justice/Infinite Freedom, 38 Owhali, Mohammad Rashed Daoud al, 30

INDEX Pakistan, and Afghanistan war, 41 Pearl, Daniel, 55-56 Pearl Harbor, 11, 18 Pentagon attack, 9 Persian Gulf War, 18-22, 25, 55 Philippines, 34-35 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania plane crash, 9 Rahman, Sheik Omar Abdel-, 28 Ridge, Tom, 46 Russia, and Afghanistan war, 47 Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan war, 41-42 and bin Laden, 32, 33 September 11 terrorist attacks, 9-10 and bin Laden, 11-12 Bush’s response to, 10-11, 12, 15, 37 and cessation of commercial flights, 10 deaths from, 9, 10 and freezing assets of terrorists, 15 and tightened security, 12-15, 53, 56-57 and war against terrorism, 12, 15. See also Afghanistan, war against terrorism in Somalia, 32

63 Soviet Union, and invasion of Afghanistan, 23-24, 31, 32 Switzerland, and Afghanistan war, 39 Taliban, 12, 45 and Afghanistan war, 38, 39, 42, 45-46, 47-49, 48, 50, 51 and bin Laden, 32, 33 and Pakistan, 41 Terrorism and anthrax, 54 and embassy bombings, 29-31, 34 and Philippines, 34-35 and World Trade Center 1993 bombing, 27-29 See also Bin Laden, Osama; September 11 terrorist attacks United Nations, and Afghanistan war, 50-51 U.S.S. Cole, 34 World Trade Center and 1993 bombing, 27-29 and September 11 attack, 9-10 See also September 11 terrorist attack World War II, 11, 17-18

PICTURE CREDITS page:

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Cover: AFP/Corbis

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64 RICH MINTZER is the author of 30 nonfiction books on a wide range of subjects including a several about branches of the United States government. His writing credits include magazine articles and web content. He is also a native New Yorker and resides there today.