History of al-Qaeda and Terrorism against the USA

History of al-Qaeda and Terrorism against the USA

What is al-Qaeda? Al Qaeda means “the Base. ” It is a stateless (meaning without a country) terrorist organization. It is led and financed by Osama bin Laden, a radical Sunni Muslim.

When did al-Qaeda form? The beginnings of al-Qaeda go back to the 1980’s when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.

Bin Laden, and the Arab Afghans, fought the Soviet Union in Afghanistan The Soviet army left in 1988.

Desert Storm (Gulf War I) In 1990, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded the tiny, oil-rich country of Kuwait

Operation Desert Storm The United States feared Saddam would invade Saudi Arabia too. Iraqi tanks

US and Saudi coalition The United States asked the Saudis for permission to establish military bases in their country.

Saudi’s choice Osama bin Laden, back home from Afghanistan, offered the Saudis the use of his soldiers to fight the Iraqi army because Infidel armies have no place in the holy land of Islam.

Saudis chose the USA and snubbed bin Laden.

1991 --Bin Laden leaves Saudi Arabia for Sudan

USA in Somalia Dec. 4, 1992, George H. W. Bush sends 28, 000 American troops to Somalia. Bush wanted to help the Somali people since all attempts to send food to them were intercepted by war lords.

1993 -The 1 st World Trade Center bombing in New York

1993 WTC bombing It killed 6 people and injured over 1000.

Black Hawk Down! In 1993, 18 Americans died when their Black Hawk helicopter was shot down over Mogadishu, Somalia.

al Qaeda? It may was an al Qaeda operatives taught the Somalians how to shoot down helicopters just like they did in Afghanistan against the Soviets.

May 1996 ---Sudan expels bin Laden, and he returns too Afghanistan

Afghanistan Was Run by the Taliban, A Violent Local, Afghanistani Group Led By Mullah Omar

1996 car bombing of Khobar Towers 19 Americans were killed and hundreds injured.

Fatwa In August of 1998, Al Qaeda, led by bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri declare war on American.

Embassy bombings: 1998 Two American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed simultaneously. 220 people were killed.

2819 people were killed 343 firefighters and paramedics were killed Khalid Sheik Muhhamad was the central Planner of the 9/11. Most terrorists (at right) were from Saudi Arabia.

Osama bin Laden, the founder and head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after by U. S. Navy SEALs of the U. S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (also known as DEVGRU or SEAL Team Six). The operation, code-named Operation Neptune Spear.

Conclusion The main aims of the "Al-Qaeda" has always been: the expulsion of the Americans and American influence out of all Muslim countries, especially Saudi Arabia; the destruction of Israel; the overthrow of the pro-Western dictatorships around the Middle East. Bin Laden also said that he wants to unite all Muslims and establish a global Caliphate. The ideology of "al-Qaeda" - "Jihadism" - is often interpreted as a desire to kill "apostates, " "infidels, " the Shiites.