Terrorism: Terrorism is the use of threats and violence to intimidate or compel, especially in regard to political purposes.
Terrorism is used in many places for political reasons. It is usually violent, and has an aim to enforce an opinion and gain power. It’s not random or sporadic, but is planned, organized, and very precise. Most terrorist groups want to fix “corrupt” government and do what they think will better society. Terrorists don’t necessarily see their actions as act of terrorism, but as acts of war in which they are fighting for their lawful rights. Some of the more well known terrorist groups around the world today are the Jihad movement, the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS.
September 11, 2001 (9/11):
On September 11, 2001, the terrorist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes in an attempt to attack the United States. There were 19 members of the group that were responsible for carrying out the plan and were reportedly financed by the group. Two of the airplanes were flown into the the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center. The third was flown into the west side of the Pentagon. The fourth airplane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, not reaching its unknown target due to the passengers trying to fight back against the terrorist. Around 3,000 people were killed in the attacks. This is no doubt the worst terrorist attack in US history.
Third World:
This term refers to the developing countries within Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A third world country is a country in which living conditions, technology, government, and other basic elements of today’s western society haven’t fully developed yet. The term was first created during the Cold War as a way to address the countries of the world who didn’t conform to Democracy or Communism, and has changed a little today to basically represent an underdeveloped nation with large poverty problems. Some Third World countries include Burma, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, and Sudan.
The Gulf War:
The Gulf War, or the Persian War, took place from 1990-1991 when the leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, invaded and annexed Kuwait. Because this invasion posed a large threat to Saudi Arabia (the world’s largest producer and exporter of oil) the United States and other countries within the NATO treaty sent roughly 700,000 troops to Saudi Arabia. This started what was known as Operation Desert Shield. In January of 1991, after Hussein had refused the conditions put forth by the UN, the use of force against Iraq was authorized and the U.S Air Force started bombing Iraq’s air defences, communication centers, and government buildings (Operation Desert Storm). After this, a massive allied ground force known as Operation Desert Sabre invaded Kuwait, and within three days had taken Kuwait city. On February 28th, with the final collapse of Iraq’s military, a cease-fire was declared, and Iraq was forced to return freedom to Kuwait. Although the war was over at this point, strife between the United States and Iraq would continue for years to come, and would eventually spark the Iraq War.