Post-World War 2 and Middle East Conflict
In 1947, this international organization proposed a partition plan to divide Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states.
What is the United Nations (UN)?
This radicalized leader from Saudi Arabia founded the extremist group Al-Qaeda.
Who was Osama bin Laden?
Instead of fighting directly, the US and the USSR supported opposing sides in local Middle Eastern conflicts during the Cold War, a setup known as this type of warfare.
What is a proxy war?
Warfare in which a smaller, weaker force uses unconventional methods to fight a much larger military giant is called this.
What is asymmetric warfare?
In February 1998, Bin Laden issued a religious decree, or Fatwa, declaring war on this country.
What is the United States (USA)?
On May 14, 1948, this new nation was officially declared.
What is Israel?
Osama bin Laden was angered by Western influence and called for this, a term he interpreted as a violent "holy struggle" against non-Muslims and compliant leaders.
What is Jihad?
In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded this country, drawing fighters from around the Muslim world to defend it.
What is Afghanistan?
This brutal tactic, involving destructive car bombs or personal explosives, was used by extremist groups in the 1980s and 1990s to inflict terror.
What is suicide bombing?
In a public TV interview in 1998, Bin Laden made no distinction between soldiers and these non-military citizens, stating they were all targets.
What are civilians?
The United States recognized Israel immediately in 1948 due to shared democratic values, a large Jewish domestic population, and concern over this Cold War rival gaining influence in the Middle East.
What is the Soviet Union (USSR)?
This Iraqi dictator invaded Kuwait in 1990, triggering a major global energy and military crisis.
Who was Saddam Hussein?
Local fighters in Afghanistan were able to defeat a major superpower's military when this nation withdrew its troops in 1989.
What is the Soviet Union (or Russia)?
Trade restrictions placed on Iraq by the UN to prevent the rebuilding of its military are known as these economic tools.
What are sanctions?
Saudi Arabia houses Mecca and Medina, which are recognized as Islam's two most holy of these.
What are sites (or cities)?
Formed in 1964, this group used both political means and violent tactics to try to restore Palestinian land rights.
What is the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)?
Al-Qaeda translates in English to this two-word phrase.
What is "The Base"?
The 1991 international conflict that rapidly liberated Kuwait after Iraq's invasion is known as this war.
What is the Gulf War?
Extremist leaders recruited suicide bombers by falsely promising them a special reward in this place for dying for their cause.
What is paradise (or heaven)?
The US government's inability to anticipate that a cave-based group could execute an attack on American soil was later described as a major "failure of" this human quality
What is imagination?
In 1967, the United Nations ordered Israel to return land captured during the conflict, but Israel refused, leading to long-term displacement for many people known by this term.
What are refugees?
Contrary to Bin Laden’s radical ideology, mainstream leaders of this global religion advocated for peaceful interpretations of their faith and condemned suicide attacks as murder.
What is Islam?
Bin Laden was deeply enraged when Saudi Arabia allowed American military troops to set up bases near Islam's holiest sites in this nation.
What is Saudi Arabia?
Bin Laden concluded the US would retreat if inflicted with high casualties after observing US military withdrawals from Lebanon in 1983 and this African nation in 1993.
What is Somalia?
In 1998, Bin Laden warned that if perceived injustices continued, the battle would inevitably move to this location.
What is American soil (or the United States)?