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The Modern Era

The Modern Era. Bush, 9/11, and the War on Terror. George W. Bush. Promised to reform education, cut taxes, overhaul Social Security, and build nation’s defense $1.3 trillion tax cut Economic recession due to the .com crash “No Child Left Behind”-high stakes testing in schools

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The Modern Era

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  1. The Modern Era Bush, 9/11, and the War on Terror

  2. George W. Bush • Promised to reform education, cut taxes, overhaul Social Security, and build nation’s defense • $1.3 trillion tax cut • Economic recession due to the .com crash • “No Child Left Behind”-high stakes testing in schools • No change in SS

  3. What is Terrorism? • An unlawful act of violence to intimidate governments or societies. • Goal is to achieve political, religious or ideological objectives-communicate a message through the use of fear! • The definition of terrorism can vary from people to people due to the differences in standpoint-one person’s terrorist can be another’s fighter.

  4. Islamic Political Thought • Shari’a: Islamic law (regulates crime, commerce, family law, diet, etc). • Secularists: religion is a private matter, separation of religion and politics. • Reformists: Islam is a progressive religion and is compatible with human rights and democracy. • Traditional/Orthodox: Islam should be the only source of law. • Salafists& Wahhabis: Return to the ‘pure’ Islam of Mohammed.

  5. Militant Islam • Mostly rooted in Salafist traditions (but not all espouse violence!). • Rejects the secular nation-state model in favor of an Islamic government. • Gripes with the ‘West’ and the U.S.: • Global penetration of Western cultural products and values. • Support for authoritarian, non-Islamic governments. • Support for Israel. • US troops in Saudi Arabia.

  6. Al Qaeda • Means “the base” • Militant Islam • Islam is subject to wide variety of interpretations, like other world religions. • Although vast majority of Muslims do not condone violence, Islam (as with other religions) has a militant strain. • Definition of ‘Jihad’: Struggle against evil. • Can be personal or public. • Can be through social activism or force.

  7. Al Qaeda: Origins in Afghan War • Origins in Afghan war against USSR. • 1979, Soviets invade to prop up Socialist govt. • Afghan resistance organizations (mujahedin) supported by US. • Foreign fighters from across Muslim world, but particularly in Gulf States join the fight. • Foreign fighters guided by puritanical beliefs.

  8. Al Qaeda: First Gulf War • Osama bin Laden returns to Saudi Arabia after USSR leaves Afghanistan. • Iraq invades Kuwait in 1990, feared that Saudi Arabia would be next. • OBL offers to mobilize mujahedin forces to protect SA, liberate Kuwait. • Instead, SA turns to US for protection. • OBL outraged that foreign troops stationed in ‘holy lands’. • OBL’s Saudi citizenship is revoked, forced to flee the country.

  9. Al Qaeda in Sudan • OBL moves to Sudan, forms Al-Qaeda. • Al-Qaeda funds road construction projects and charitable works in exchange for protection of Sudanese gov’t. • Also begins to run training camps for militant activities. • 1994, Al-Qaeda allegedly involved in plan to assassinate Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak • 1996, US demands that Sudan expels Al-Qaeda.

  10. Al Qaeda: Back in Afghanistan • Civil war in Afghanistan after Soviets leave. • Taliban takes over in 1996. • OBL and Al-Qaeda move operations to Afghanistan. • 1996, OBL issues a ‘fatwa’ (a legal opinion or ruling issued by an Islamic scholar) to expel foreign troops from Islamic lands. • 1998, OBL and Ayman al-Zawahiri issue fatwa to kill civilians: “The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies, civilians and military, is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem) and the holy mosque (in Mecca) from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim.”

  11. Al Qaeda and the U.S. • Belief that if the US withdraws from the Middle East, stops funding and arming states in the region (e.g. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan), these regimes will fall and allow Islamic governments to take hold.

  12. September 11, 2001 • Attack on World Trade Center and Pentagon • Nearly 3,000 dead • Al Qaeda attacked symbol of economic and cultural imperialism OR economic freedom and opportunity… • Osama Bin Ladin

  13. War on Terror • Soon after 9/11, Congress voted to authorize use of force to fight terrorism. • “War on Terror” declared. • “It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeated.” • Declared any nation aiding terrorists would be regarded as a hostile regime. • Fight terrorism using: • Military force • Freezing assets of suspected terrorists • Create Department of Homeland Security • Patriot Act • War on terror would lead U.S. into 2 wars-Afghanistan and Iraq

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