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Saddam Hussein becomes President of Iraq
Saddam Hussein takes over as President of Iraq. He is essentially a dictator, holding power for decades. The United States supports him in the Iran-Iraq War, but when they invade in 2003, their primary goal is to topple Hussein. This is due to suspicion that Hussein is developing nuclear weapons, and is working with Al-Qaeda. -
Operation Desert Fox
Great Britain and the United States launch airstrikes against Iraq. The attack, called operation Desert Fox, is in response to Iraq’s refusal to cooperate with UN weapon inspectors. -
September 11 Attacks
Terrorists attack the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Pennsylvania. Al-Qaeda was heavily suspected for the attack, and this was seen as the point in which the United States decided to attack Afghanistan. -
Operation Enduring Freedom
The United States refuses to negotiate with the Taliban, who have been implicated in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and instead invade Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom. The Taliban rule collapses on this day, with coalition forces and the Northern Alliance driving them out. -
Axis of Evil
US President George W. Bush Says in his state of the union address that Iraq, Iran and North Korea constitute an “axis of evil” that threatens the United State. Facing the threat of US airstrikes, Iraq unconditionally agrees to the return of UN Inspectors. -
Invasion of Iraq
Coalition forces take Baghdad. President George W. Bush declares that “major combat operations” in Iraq are over, despite some continued fighting. The United Nations Security Council approves Resolution 1483, lifting sanctions against Iraq and reaffirms the “sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq”. -
A New Afghanistan
Afghanistan adopts a new constitution. Hamid Karzai is Afghanistan’s first post-Taliban president, but the Taliban is experiencing a resurgence and carries out multiple attempts on President Karzai’s life. The Taliban is gaining power in Afghanistan’s southern provinces and NATO is unable to drive them out. -
First free elections in Iraq
Millions of Iraqis cast ballots in the nation's first free election in half a century. Iraqi expatriates in Australia, The United States, Great Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Jordan, The Netherlands, Sweden and several others cast their votes. -
Opinion polls change
A majority of Americans are now against the war in Afghanistan, and only a minority would approve sending more troops. This marks a new shift in opinion, as support for the war had previously been very high due to the patriotism rush after 9/11. Similar polls are seen in the United Kingdom. -
NATO Withdrawal
NATO announces plans to withdraw from Afghanistan. All forces would be withdrawn by 2014, and NATO planned to train Afghan soldiers. Bin Laden’s death helped with this goal, and the United States has given funding to Afghanistan and entered exploratory talks with the Taliban, ending their policy of non-negotiation.
