Standards

SS7H2 The student will analyze continuity and change in Southwest Asia (Middle East) leading to the 21st century.

d. Explain U.S. presence and interest in Southwest Asia; include the Persian Gulf conflict and invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

US Presence in the Middle East

Operation Enduring Freedom

Taliban (1996)• extremely religious group• anti-American• established power in Afghanistan• Harbored al-Qaeda• Osama bin Laden• goal was to end Western influence in Middle

East

Osama bin Laden

The U.S. government (1996)• Identified & credited as responsibile

September 11th, 2001 attacks World Trade Center Pentagon Attempted White House (PA plane crash)

Osama bin Laden

Al-Qaeda

Osama bin Laden

al-Qaeda targeted three USA locations for terrorist attacks

Four hijacked planes• Two crashed into World Trade Center, New

York City• Third crashed into Pentagon, VA, near

Washington, DC. • Fourth intended target was White House

• crashed in rural PA

Over 3,000 people were killed in these attacks

September 11, 2001

September 11, 2001

The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him.

-- U.S. President George W. Bush

According to U.S. government sources • Taliban allowed bin Laden & followers to hide in

Afghanistan mountains October 2001• Reasons U.S. troops entered Afghanistan

disable the Taliban locate bin Laden

Taliban was defeated• U.S. helped form a new democratic government• bin Laden disappeared into hiding for ten years

U.S. Invasion

Afghanistan in 2001

Hamid Karzai 2004 Afghanistan’s Democratically Elected President

May 2, 2011-- Pakistan• US military raided Osama bin Laden’s

compound in.

Bin Laden did not survive

• His remains were identified in Afghanistan

• Later buried at sea

The End

Osama bin Laden’s Pakistani Compound

Comprehension Check

1. Who are the Taliban? 1. An Anti-American religious group who provided aid to al-Qaeda

2. Why did the US invade Afghanistan in 2001?

2.To disable the Taliban and locate bin Laden

3. How did the Afghanistan invasion end?

3.Taliban was defeated & US helped set up a democratic government in Afghanistan. Bin Laden was on the run for 10 years until he was captured & killed in 2011.