Notes

“War on Terrorism”

“Mr. Van Orden’s War on Terrorism Timeline”

This timeline is an attempt to put the “War on Terrorism” into a broader

historical perspective. I am doing this with the hope that it will create a

better understanding of the events associated with the war.

SPECIAL NOTE:

The following book has been used as a source to create the “War on Terrorism

Timeline”:

Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from

the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, by Steven Coll, The Penquin Press,

New York, 2004.

A list of all the sources used to create this unit of study can be obtained

upon request. (Actually, I don’t have a list. The books are all piled up in various

places at home and at school. But I’d be willing to make a list for anyone who is

interested. “Ghost Wars” is a good place to start.).

• A.D. 1096 – The Crusades begin - the Crusades were a series of wars between

Christians and Muslims for control of The Holy Land (present-day

Israel) between A.D. 1096 and about A.D. 1300.

• 1914 – World War I begins

• 1917 - Balfour Declaration – The British Government "view[ed] with favour

the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”.

• 1919 – Treaty of Versailles – WWI officially ends (the actual fighting ended on

November 11, 1918 but the treaty wasn’t signed until 1919). Palestine

(present-day Israel) and the newly created nation of Iraq become British

“protectorates” (protectorate is a fancy word for colony).

• 1932 – Modern Saudi Arabia becomes a nation – Abdul Aziz bin Saud

becomes the first King of Saudi Arabia; King Saud based his rule on

“Wahhabi Islam” which has a strict interpretation of the Koran. The

laws of Saudi Arabia are based on the Koran.

• 1933 – Adolf Hitler becomes the leader of Germany.

• 1938 – Kristallnacht (“Night of Broken Glass”) November 9, 1938 –

The Holocaust begins in Germany.

• 1939 – Germany invades Poland; WWII begins.

• 1945 – World War II finally ends

*60 million are dead and millions are homeless

*The Holocaust ends

*The United Nations is created

*Nuclear weapons are invented by the U.S.

*The Cold War begins between the U.S. and the Soviet Union

• 1947 – India becomes an independent nation. Led by Mohandas Gandhi,

India separates from Britain. Pakistan (Muslim) separates from India

(Hindu) and a border dispute begins over the “Kashmir” region in the

Himalayan Mts.

• 1948 – Israel becomes a nation: Palestinian Jews (and European Jews who

survived the Holocaust) proclaim the creation of the nation of Israel in

the British colony of Palestine. Muslim Palestinians and Arab nations in

the region attack the Jewish population in Palestine to prevent the

creation of Israel. The Palestinians and the Arabs loose the war and Israel

becomes a “Jewish homeland” in the Middle East.

• 1953 – Revolution in Iran – with help from the U.S. and Britain, the

Shah (King) of Iran crushes a revolution to replace him. The Shah’s

family stay in control of Iran until 1979.

• 1956 – “First Arab- Israeli War” – Arabs and Palestinians attack Israel in a

continuation of the war that created Israel in 1948. Israel wins.

• 1967 – “Six Day War” (Second Arab-Israeli War) Arabs and Palestinians attack

Israel in a continuation of the war that led to the creation of Israel in

1948. Israel wins the war and takes land away from Egypt (Sinai Peninsula

and “Gaza Strip”), Jordan (“West Bank”) and Syria (“Golan Heights”).

• 1973 – “Yom Kippur War” (Third Arab-Israeli War) - Arabs and Palestinians

attack Israel in a continuation of the war that created Israel in 1948.

With extensive help from the U.S., Israel survives a surprise attack on

Yom Kippur (Jewish New Year) organized by Egypt.

• 1974 – India develops nuclear weapons

• 1978 – “Camp David Accords” are signed - Egypt and Israel sign a peace

treaty. They agree to stop fighting and to work create a peaceful settlement

between Israel and the Muslim Palestinians living in Israel.

• 1979 - * Iranian Islamic Revolution – The Shah of Iran is overthrown by

“radical Muslims”; Americans working in the U.S. embassy are

taken hostage and imprisoned for 444 days because of U.S. support

for the Shah.

* Soviet Union invades Afghanistan - U.S., Saudi Arabia and Pakistan

begin to support the Afghans and “mujahadeen” (non-Afghan

Arabs) fighting against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

Osama bin Laden joined the mujahadeen.

* Saddam Hussein becomes the leader of Iraq.

• 1981 - * Ronald Reagan becomes President of the United States - as part

of Reagan’s Cold War policies he greatly increases U.S. aid to the

mujahadeen fighting the USSR in Afghanistan.

* Iraq-Iran War begins - over control of oil fields near the Persian Gulf

* Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt, is assassinated - Anwar Sadat is

assassinated by members of the “Muslim Brotherhood”,

conservative Islamic group dedicated to destroying Israel.

Sadat was killed because he signed the Camp David Accords.

Two people arrested in the plot to assassinated Sadat were

Ayman Al-Zwahari (currently a leader in al-Qaeda with

Osama bin Laden) and Omar Abdel Rahman (currently in

U.S. prison for the first attack on the World Trade Center

in 1993).

• 1988 – Iraq-Iran War ends; over 1 million soldiers are killed in the war.

• 1989 - * Soviet Union leaves Afghanistan

* U.S. aid to Afghanistan and mujahadeen ends

* Taliban gain control of Afghanistan – after a civil war, a radical

conservative Muslim group called “The Taliban” who gain

control of the Afghanistan. The Taliban were supported by

the mujahadeen.

* ”al-Qaeda” (“The Base”) is formed by Osama bin Laden to raise

money for the Taliban and any other groups fighting to

protect Islam around the world.

* The Berlin Wall is taken down; Cold War ends

• 1990 - * ”First Gulf War” begins - Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invades Kuwait.

* Osama Bin Laden offers to the “Mujahadeen” to Saudi Arabia to

protect the country from Iraq - The King of Saudi Arabia refuses Bin

Laden’s offer and invites the U.S. to send troops to Saudi Arabia

instead. This angers Bin Laden because he believes the U.S.

should not have troops in Saudi Arabia which is home to Mecca

and Medina; the holiest places in Islam.

• 1991 – * The Soviet Union falls apart

* First Gulf War ends - U.N forces, led by the U.S., push Iraq out of

Kuwait; Saddam remains the leader of Iraq.

• 1992 – Osama Bin Laden leaves Saudi Arabia - Bin Laden was

angry that U.S. troops had been allowed into Saudi Arabia (home to

Mecca and Medina) His criticism of the King of Saudi Arabia caused the

government to consider arresting him. Bin Laden moves to Sudan to

escape arrest and to create terrorist training camps for “al-Qaeda” in

Sudan.

• 1993 - * ”Black Hawk Down” - U.S. helicopters and soldiers who were part of a

U.N famine relief program in Somalia are were attacked by Muslims

trained and supported by al-Qaeda. 18 Marines were killed and 79 were

wounded.

*”First WTC Bombing” - Muslims supported by al-Qaeda and led

by Omar Abdel Rahman explode truck bomb in the parking garage of the

WTC killing 6 and injuring over 1,000 people.

• 1994 – Saudi Arabia revokes Osama Bin Laden’s citizenship - His attacks

on the Saudi government and his links to Black Hawk Down and WTC

bombing cause the Saudi government to kick Osama Bin Laden out of

Saudi Arabia forever.

• 1996 - * Osama Bin Laden is expelled from Sudan – bin Laden moves to

Afghanistan with protection from the Taliban.

* President Clinton orders the CIA to use “all means necessary”

to stop Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda activities.

• 1998 - * Osama Bin Laden publishes “Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders”

an announcement that al Qaeda was at war against the U.S. and

our allies in the Middle East.

* ”African Embassy Bombings” - U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania

are destroyed by al-Qaeda; 200 killed and 5,000 injured.

* Osama Bin Laden attempts to purchase weapons of mass

destruction.

* U.S. bombs al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and a chemical

plant (allegedly owned by bin Laden) in Sudan in retaliation for

the African embassy bombings.

• 1999 – “Kasmir Crisis” – Armies from India and Pakistan fight in the Kasmir

border region; with U.S. and U.N. help, a war between these two nuclear

powers is prevented.

• 2000 – Attack on USS Cole – a U.S. warship is nearly sunk in a suicide attack

by al-Qaeda supporters while refueling in Yemen; 17 sailors killed

and 39 are injured.

• 2001 - * 9/11 - 2,992 killed as the World Trade Center is destroyed and the

Pentagon is severely damaged by al-Qaeda suicide attacks.

* U.S. invades Afghanistan – U.S. destroys al-Qaeda bases and Taliban

rule; Osama bin Laden escapes to a region of Pakistan near the city

of Peshawar.

• 2002 – “Bush Doctrine” announced

1) U.S. will attack (with or without allies) any nation or group that

supports terrorists or terrorist activity.

2) U.S. will work (with or without allies) to extend democracy and

freedom to all parts of the world.

• 2003 - * Second Gulf War - using the “Bush Doctrine”, the U.S. invades Iraq to

remove Saddam Hussein as the leader of Iraq; officials in the

Bush Administration believe that Saddam Hussein has weapons of

mass destruction and that he is supporting al-Qaeda activities.

* President Bush announces “end of major combat” in Iraq in May;

U.S. begins the effort to rebuild Iraq’s government, society and

economy.

******************************************************************************

War on Terrorism

Vocabulary

Instructions: Provide complete definitions for the following terms. Use a dictionary,

dictionary.com or worldbookonline.com for reference to complete this assignment.

If there is more than one definition, select the definition that, in your judgment,

is the best definition for the current unit of study.

Crusades impeach jihad

martyr infidel mujahadeen

imam fatwa nepotism

wahhabism intifada theocracy

**For worldbookonline.com use the following log-in and password:

Log-in: hardyston

Password: hornets