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Origin of Al Qaeda
OriginAl Qaeda, “the base” in Arabic, is an international terrorism organization that is founded in Peshawar, Pakistan by Osama bin Laden. Thousands of holy warriors, also known as foreign mujahadeen, are recruited and trained from over fifty countries in order to join the network. Their goal is to replace the governments of Muslim countries with fundamentalist Islamic regimes. Repeatedly, they feel the need to attack the U.S. because the U.S. tends to interfere with their attempts at terrorism. -
The First Explosion
The first Al Qaeda bomb explodes in the Gold Mihor hotel in Aden, Yemen and kills two Austrian tourists. It is originally intended to kill U.S. servicemen who were on their way to Somalia. Two Yemeni Muslims who had trained in Afghanistan are injured and arrested shortly after the incident. -
First Attempt to Damage the World Trade Center
A 500 kg bomb is detonated in the parking lot of the World Trade Center in New York. As a result, six people are killed. In addition, more than one thousand people are injured. -
Black Hawk Down
Al Qaeda is successful at their goal of killing U.S. servicemen. Eighteen American servicemen are killed in the Black Hawk Down incident in Somalia, in which two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters are shot to the ground. Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s past personal advisor, physician, and second-in-command, soon ‘retires’ from terrorism and releases his book, His Own Words, becoming the intellectual foundation for Al Qaeda’s treacherous campaign. -
Orders For Death
Osama bin Laden declares to all Muslim people that it is their duty to kill any American citizen and the allies of Americans in whatever country that is possible. Osama bin Laden claims that it is the “religious duty” of all Muslims to destroy anyone who is of a “non-Islamic” faith. This information is released as a “fatwa” or a religious decree, which has been signed by the leader of another extremist group located in Egypt. -
Merge of Power
Al Qaeda, the group led by Osama bin Laden, merges with the Egyptian extremist group al Jihad, led by Ayman al-Zawahiri. The two groups have been merging together for years, but it was made official in June of 2001. The actual name of the merged group is Qaeda al-Jihad, but is referred to only as Al Qaeda. -
The Major Strike Against the United States
9/11 News Reports Four planes are hijacked by members of Al Qaeda, and two of the planes were flown into the “Twin Towers”, the World Trade Center buildings. Over 2,500 people were killed, some in the initial collision and many more when the towers collapsed. The military and government is placed on high alert, and every flight in the entire country is cancelled. The president promises the shaken country that they will find whoever committed the crime and hold them completely responsible. -
A Plan For Justice
Less than one month after the attack on the United States at the World Trade Center, the United States creates a plan with the intention of disassembling the Al Qaeda terrorist group. The U.S sends troops into Afghanistan, with sights set on destroying the Taliban, the religious group associated with Al Qaeda and which is in power in Afghanistan. This war would later be referred to as the “Afghan War”, and would later strive to put a democratic society in place of the Taliban rule. -
Public Transport Networks Targeted
52 people are killed in the United Kingdom when a few public transport networks were targeted by suicide bombers. This attack is the biggest terrorist attack ever in the United Kingdom. The people who set the bombs are all British Muslims who had spent time in training camps in Pakistan. -
The Fort Hood Shooting
On this day, the Fort Hood Shooting took place. In this shooting, the lead gunman, Nidal Malik Hasan, killed 13 people, and wounded 39 others. Nidal Malik Hasan was an American-Muslim, who was also a Palestine descent. -
The U.S. Gets Even
Osama bin Laden Death-News Report With ImageThis is the day that Osama bin Laden was killed. This day has caused the US to feel victorious and that they have finally gotten even with Al- Qaeda for the 9/11 attack. As a result, it is said that Afghanistan and Pakistan have been seriously weekend from this death. -
Al Qaeda's Top Planner Killed
The American born Anwar al-Awlaki is killed. This attack was from a Predator drone aircraft. He was known as Al Qaeda's top planner and their greatest English-language propagandist.
