The September 11th, 2001 attacks in the United States involved a group of terrorists flying two airplanes into the World Trade Center towers, flying one airplane into the Pentagon, and the fourth place crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania after the passengers and crew overtook the hijackers.
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More than 3000 people died on September 11th, 2001 as a result of the terrorist attacks that spawned the War on Terror.
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On September 14th, 2001, the AUMF (Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists) became law in the United States. This gave the President he ability to use any and all force necessary to go after terrorists involved in the September 11th attacks.
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The War on Terror had many objectives including defeating the terrorists Osama bin Laden, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi; finding and destroying terrorist organizations and their members; stopping all state sponsorship of foreign countries involved in violent terrorism; diminishing the situations that make it easy for terrorists to gain ground; and to defend the homeland.
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The Operations that have led by the military as part of the War on Terror include Operation Active Endeavour (naval operation, 2001), Operation Enduring Freedom (war in Afghanistan), Operation Enduring Freedom (Philippines), Operation Enduring Freedom (Horn of Africa), and Operation Enduring Freedom (Trans Sahara), Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Inherent Resolve.
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The CIA and the FBI investigate possible terrorist plots against the United States, When they suspect a major attack pending they refer to it as a 'wedding'.
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As the War on Terror progressed, the al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, and his fellow terrorists fled to Pakistan from Afghanistan.
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Eventually the U.S. military tracked down Osama bin Laden and killed him on May 1st, 2011. He had been hiding in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
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In the last 20 years in the United States there has been an average of 162 people dying from terrorism each year. Each year more than 685,940 people die from heart disease, more than 68,800 from the flu, and 17,213 from falls.
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It is estimated that approximately 36% of Americans believe in the conspiracy theory that the United States government was actually involved in the 9/11 attacks or that they knew they were going to happen and did nothing to stop them.
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Several other planned attacks on U.S. soil have been stopped because of government intelligence and the War on Terror.
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