The Iraq war
this was the primary stated reason for the U.S. led invasion of Iraq in 2023.
WMDs
The official U.S. military code name for the initial invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001.
Operation Enduring Freedom
The militant extremist network founded by Osama bin Laden that orchestrated the September 11 terrorist attacks.
al-Qaeda
The oil-rich nation that Iraq invaded and annexed in August 1990, sparking the crisis.
Kuwait
The foundational 1993 peace agreement signed by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to establish Palestinian self-rule.
The Oslo Accords
This Iraqi dictator was overthrown and later executed during the conflict.
Saddam Hussein
The fundamentalist Islamic political group that controlled Afghanistan and harbored al-Qaeda, removed from power in 2001.
The Taliban
The four major targets of the hijacked airplanes on September 11, 2001, were the Pentagon, a field in Pennsylvania, and these two towers in New York City.
The Twin Towers (or the World Trade Center)
The official U.S. military codename for the massive international operation to liberate Kuwait.
Operation Desert Storm
The specific territory currently governed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which experienced major conflicts with Israel in 2008, 2014, and subsequent years.
The Gaza Strip
this operation name refers to the initial invasion and overthrow of Saddam Hussein s regime
operation Iraqi freedom
The multi-nation international security force established by NATO in 2001 to assist Afghanistan's new government.
ISAF
The name of the U.S. law passed in the weeks after the 9/11 attacks designed to broadly enhance national security and surveillance capabilities.
The USA PATRIOT Act
The U.S. Army General who commanded the multi-national coalition forces during the Persian Gulf War
General Norman Schwarzkopf
The politically disputed and deeply religious city claimed as a capital by both Israelis and Palestinians.
Jerusalem
this insurgent group, known for its brutal tactics , emerged as a major challenge to coalition forces after all the initial invasion.
AI-Qaeda in iraq
The mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan where U.S. and coalition forces faced a prolonged insurgency and fierce fighting.
Kunar Province
The primary intelligence-gathering cabinet-level department created by the U.S. government in 2002 to prevent future attacks
Department of Homeland Security
The defensive military deployment ordered by the U.S. prior to the offensive invasion, intended to protect Saudi Arabia.
Operation Desert Shield
The barrier built by Israel in and around the West Bank during the Second Intifada, which Israel states is for security but Palestinians condemn.
The Israeli West Bank barrier (or Separation Wall)
this significant shift in u.s strategy in 2007 aimed to reduce violence and improve security by increasing troop presence
the surge
The year the U.S. and NATO formally completed their military withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending the 20-year conflict.
2021
The location in Pakistan where U.S. Navy SEALs located and killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011
Abbottabad
The Iraqi military tactic used at the end of the war that caused massive, long-lasting environmental damage in the region.
Setting fire to Kuwaiti oil wells
The overarching solution frequently proposed by international negotiators that would establish two separate, independent states.
The Two-State Solution