Terrorism in the 70s and 80s – Issues Leading up to 9/11

May 24, 2012

Terrorism in the 70s and 80s-Issues Leading up to 9/11

By: Conrad Hong and Alex Murk

Terrorism, what is it? As defined by abc clio, “Terrorism is the use of force by an organized group, such as a special military unit or a terrorist organization, for political purposes.” In relation to the United States, the first notable terrorist incident of the 70s and 80s was the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979. This crisis was a diplomatic disaster under the Carter and eventually Bush administration. Sixty-six Americans were held hostage for 444 days by Islamist students and militants at the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian Revolution. However, this was the first of many issues to plague the middle eastern- American relationship.

Since the 70s and 80s the middle east has been the news headline for many terrorist activities. Often forgotten to the public is the terrorist attack of a Marine barracks on October 23, 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war. At this event a suicide bombers drove two trucks filled with explosives into the Beirut International Airport where the Marines under the 2^nd Marine Division had set up its local headquarters. The suicide bomber detonated the equivalent of 12,000 pounds of TNT. This attack resulted in the death of 299 American and French servicemen. This event was under the Reagan Administration with the final decision of withdrawing the Marines offshore where they could not be targeted. However, the reaction by the Reagan Administration was much different than that of the more recent Bush Administration.

A major, unforgettable event for the U.S. is the World Trade Center and related attacks of September 11, 2001. This event was an orchestrated terrorist attack on the American people killing over 3000 civilians in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and New York. This attack , coordinated by Al Qaeda, was a series of suicide attacks(through use of hijacked commercial airliners). After this attack President George W. Bush declared a “War on Terror”. Osama bin Laden became a target. He was the founder of Al-Qaeda , the organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. After initially denying responsibility for the incident, Osama bin Ladin claimed full responsibility in 2004 for the attack.

Since 2001, the “War on Terror” has been directed primarily at Islamic terrorist groups, but has also been expanded to include actions against all types of terrorism. It is being waged on a multitude of fronts against many individuals and nations and involves military and nonmilitary tactics (such as a notable role of intelligence agencies). This “war” includes member nations of the NATO alliance. Less than 24 hours after the attacks of 9/11 , NATO declared the terrorist attack to be against all member nations, the first time the organization had made such a remarkable announcement since the organization’s establishment.

This declared “War on Terror” is a retaliation resulting in full military mobilization and lasting conflict in the middle east which we are only starting to withdrawal from today.