1. 8th Grade Social Studies U. S. Current Issues Ch
8th Grade Social Studies U.S. Current Issues Ch. 34-Terrorism Osama bin Laden & Al Qaeda

2. Al Qaeda & Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden was born in the year of 1957 in the country of Saudi Arabia
His father was of Yemen decent and was a very successful businessmen who owned a construction company

3. bin Ladens education Bin Laden was raised as a devout Sunni Muslim
He attended and graduated from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
According to most reports, he received a degree in business and economics, while other reports have him obtaining a degree in civil engineering

4. Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
In the year of 1979, the Soviet Union invaded the country of Afghanistan
The Soviets wished to expand their influence in Asia
The Soviets were enemies with the U.S. at this time
“The Cold War”

5. Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
People of Afghanistan and other Muslims did not like the fact that atheists of the Soviet Union were trying to take over their country
Muslims from other “Muslim countries” thought it was their duty to go to Afghanistan and help defend this “Muslim nation”

6. Soviet Invasion (cont.)
Osama bin Laden was one of those Muslims who felt it was his duty to go and defend this “Muslim nation”
Bin Laden also donated money, construction equipment and many other things including medical care to those in Afghanistan

7. U.S. Aid to Afghanistan
During the Soviet/Afghan war, it is believed that the United States donated about three billion dollars to the Afghanistan war effort against the Soviet Union.
The United States also donated weapons to the mujahedin fighters during this time as well

8. U.S. Aid to Afghanistan
122 mm rocket launchers and SAM 7 (surface to air missiles) were given to the mujahedin fighters in Afghanistan

9. Soviet Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Members of the Soviet Union’s “Red Army” pulled out of Afghanistan on February 15th of 1989
This is commonly referred to as “The Vietnam War” for the Soviet Union
Almost 15,000 Soviets were killed and close to about fifty thousand were wounded

14. U.S. Boycott of Olympics
Due to the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, U.S. President Jimmy Carter ordered that U.S. athletes would not be participating in the Olympics that would be held in Moscow, Soviet Union

15. Origin of Al Qaeda
Many of those who participated in the war against the Soviet Union would eventually become members of Al Qaeda.
These soldiers were commonly referred to as mujahedin or “holy warriors”.
Al Qaeda was formed in or around the year of

16. Al Qaeda Al Qaeda stands for “the Base”.
It is a database of some of those who participated in the war against the Soviet Union.

17. Al Qaeda in Eastern Hemisphere

18. Al Qaeda Goals & Objectives
End foreign (American) influence in Muslim countries
Establish an Islamic state

19. Iraq Invasion of Kuwait
On August 2nd of 1990, Iraq invaded the country of Kuwait
The leader of Iraq was Saddam Hussein
If Iraq kept control of Kuwait, Saddam Hussein would have controlled about 24% of the oil reserves in the world

20. Bin Laden and the Saudi’s
After Iraq had invaded Kuwait, the Saudi government felt that they would possibly be the next country to be invaded by Iraq, due to their large supply of oil.
Saudi government approached the U.S. about repelling Saddam Hussein and the Iraq forces from Kuwait. The U.S. would then have a military presence in Saudi Arabia after that.

21. Bin Laden and the Saudi’s
Bin Laden lobbied to the Saudi government that the mujahedin forces that had defeated that Soviets would come to Saudi Arabia and protect the Holy Land.
Saudi officials decided that the U.S. would be the ones to expel Iraq from Kuwait and protect the Holy Land from Iraq.

22. President George H.W. Bush
President George H.W. Bush sent for about 500,000 U.S. troops to be deployed to Saudi Arabia to oust Saddam Hussein from Kuwait
The first major conflict involving the United States since Vietnam.

23. Bin Laden/Saudi relations
Bin Laden was very critical of this decision by the Saudi government and referred to the Saudi government as “phony Muslims”
It was at this time that bin Laden also claimed that the Saudi’s and others like the Egyptians were “US puppets”
He claimed that it is the duty of all Muslims to drive the US out of the Gulf States

24. Bin Laden on the U.S.
Bin Laden claimed that the United States would only come to the Saudi Arabia because of its economic interest in oil and also because we would like to maintain a military presence in the Middle East to protect one of our allies, Israel

25. Operation Desert Storm
The United States troops drove Saddam Hussein and his forces out of the country of Kuwait very quickly.
U.S. forces began returning home by March 8, 1991, less than two months after the war began.
However, we did maintain a military presence in Saudi Arabia

26. The Middle East

27. 1993 Bombing of the WTC
On February 26th, 1993 a car bomb exploded in the parking garage of the WTC
The mastermind of the attack was a man named Ramsi Yousef, who was later linked to Osama bin Laden
Six people were killed and hundreds were wounded

28. 1993 Bombing of WTC
According to many sources, Yousef’s goal was to have the World Trade Center that was bombed fall into the other WTC, killing over 250,000 people
Many sources also claim that Yousef wanted to use chemicals weapons but was unable to due to finances

31. Ramsi Yousef

32. Battle of Mogadishu Took place on October 3rd, and 4th of 1993
Two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down during this battle
Eighteen U.S. Soldiers were killed during this battle and close to one hundred were wounded
Bin Laden would later admit that Al Qaeda members played a part in this battle and also compared the U.S. military to a “paper lion”.

34. Black Hawk Helicopters

35. Somalian Guerilla Forces

36. Eastern Embassy Bombings
On August 7th, 1998 two car bombs went off at U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The blast in Nairobi killed 212 people while the blast in Tanzania killed 11.
Al Qaeda was linked to both bombings

38. East African Bombings 1998

39. Bombing of U.S.S Cole
The U.S.S. Cole bombing was a suicide bombing that took place on October 12, 2000.
The U.S.S. Cole was refueling in the Port of Aden at the time (off the coast of Yemen)
The suicide bombers were later linked to Osama bin Laden
The blast hit the ship’s galley where the troops were having lunch at the time

40. USS Cole

43. Tora Bora Mountains

44. Tora Bora Mountains