Changes

Islamic terrorism has long plagued the Middle East.  Palestinian terrorists grabbed and murdered eleven Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, shocking the world.  A suicide bomber drove a truck of explosives up to a barracks of American Marines in Beirut, Lebanon, and detonated an explosion that destroyed their building, killing 241 of them in 1983.  Within a year President Reagan pulled American troops out of Beirut.  In March 1998, terrorists bombed American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.  Most suspected Osama Bin Laden as the mastermind behind these attacks.

Islamic terrorism has long plagued the Middle East.  Palestinian terrorists grabbed and murdered eleven Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, shocking the world.  A suicide bomber drove a truck of explosives up to a barracks of American Marines in Beirut, Lebanon, and detonated an explosion that destroyed their building, killing 241 of them in 1983.  Within a year President Reagan pulled American troops out of Beirut.  In March 1998, terrorists bombed American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.  Most suspected Osama Bin Laden as the mastermind behind these attacks.

But it was not until September 11, 2001 (9-11) that Islamic terrorism hit American soil.  A group of 19 Muslims, most from Saudi Arabia, hijacked American airlines and flew one into each tower of the World Trade Center, a third into the Pentagon (probably after the pilot had trouble locating the White House from the air), and a fourth crashed in Pennsylvania as the crew attempted to retake control of the plane from the terrorists.  Nearly 3,000 people died when the World Trade Center collapsed from the resulting fire, as millions watched it live on television.  An outpouring of support for American followed, with only Saddam Hussein of Iraq refusing to fly his flag at half-mast at the United Nations.

But it was not until September 11, 2001 (9-11) that Islamic terrorism hit American soil.  A group of 19 Muslims, most from Saudi Arabia, hijacked American airlines and flew one into each tower of the World Trade Center, a third into the Pentagon (probably after the pilot had trouble locating the White House from the air), and a fourth crashed in Pennsylvania as the passengers attempted to retake control of the plane from the terrorists.  Nearly 3,000 people died when the World Trade Center collapsed from the resulting fire, as millions watched it live on television.  An outpouring of support for American followed, with only Saddam Hussein of Iraq refusing to fly his flag at half-mast at the United Nations.

President George W. Bush responded by attacking Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, after the Taliban in charge of that nation refused to hand him over.  Bin Laden is the leader of the terrorist organization called al Qaeda (spellings vary in translating that name from Arabic).  Bin Laden fled, but al Qaeda was broken up in Afghanistan, the Taliban was overthrown, and many of Bin Laden’s top aides were killed by the end of 2001.  Although a democratic provisional government has replaced the Taliban there, the persecution of Christians continues.  In 2006, one Christian was targeted for execution by the Afghanistan country merely for converting from Islam, and the United States did not intervene.  International pressure causes a suspension in the punishment.

President George W. Bush responded by attacking Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, after the Taliban in charge of that nation refused to hand him over.  Bin Laden is the leader of the terrorist organization called al Qaeda (spellings vary in translating that name from Arabic).  Bin Laden fled, but al Qaeda was broken up in Afghanistan, the Taliban was overthrown, and many of Bin Laden’s top aides were killed by the end of 2001.  Although a democratic provisional government has replaced the Taliban there, the persecution of Christians continues.  In 2006, one Christian was targeted for execution by the Afghanistan country merely for converting from Islam, and the United States did not intervene.  International pressure causes a suspension in the punishment.