The War on Terror

Al-Qaeda terrorists hijack four commercial airliners, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York City and one into the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashes in Pennsylvania after passengers attempt to retake control. Nearly 3,000 people are killed in the deadliest terrorist attack in history.

President George W. Bush addresses a joint session of Congress, declaring a "War on Terror" and issuing an ultimatum to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to hand over al-Qaeda leaders. The phrase "War on Terror" enters the global lexicon and becomes the defining foreign policy framework of the post-9/11 era.

US and coalition forces launch Operation Enduring Freedom, invading Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban regime. By December, the Taliban has been overthrown and Kabul captured, but Osama bin Laden has escaped to Pakistan. The war becomes America's longest, lasting twenty years.

President Bush signs the USA PATRIOT Act into law, dramatically expanding federal surveillance powers including warrantless wiretapping, financial record access, and library record searches. The law sparks intense and lasting debate about the balance between national security and civil liberties.

US-led forces invade Iraq, citing Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction programs and ties to terrorism. No WMDs are ever found. The invasion topples Saddam but unleashes a protracted insurgency, sectarian violence, and regional destabilization that continues for two decades.

Photographs are published showing US military personnel abusing and torturing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The scandal severely damages American moral authority globally, sparks investigations into detention and interrogation practices, and fuels anti-American sentiment across the Middle East.

Under Presidents Bush and Obama, the CIA and US military dramatically expand drone strikes against terrorist targets in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. The program kills thousands of suspected militants and civilians, raising enduring legal and ethical questions about extrajudicial killings and civilian casualties.

US Navy SEALs raid a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, killing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The operation is a major milestone, though his death does not end the War on Terror or al-Qaeda's influence. The discovery that bin Laden was living in a Pakistani garrison city strains US-Pakistan relations.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) declares a caliphate after seizing vast territories across Iraq and Syria. ISIS carries out brutal attacks worldwide and becomes the primary focus of US counterterrorism operations, with a US-led coalition launching airstrikes in Iraq and Syria from August 2014.

The US completes its withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war. The Taliban rapidly retakes control of the country as the US-backed Afghan government collapses. The chaotic end to America's longest war sparks intense political debate and a humanitarian crisis as tens of thousands flee the country.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi declares the September 30, 2026 deadline for the full withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq as "fixed and final," following a meeting with US Central Command Commander General Brad Cooper. The withdrawal ends a 23-year US military presence in Iraq that began with the 2003 invasion, peaked at over 170,000 troops during the 2007 surge, and continued through the 2014-2019 campaign against the Islamic State. The Iraqi government frames October 1 as "a new day" when Iraq will be "free of any foreign military presence," while Iraqi-US relations pivot toward economic and security cooperation. The withdrawal also involves the disarmament of Iran-backed militias that have resisted state control. The announcement comes amid the broader US-Iran war and ongoing attacks on US bases in the Kurdish region.