Bush Declares War on Terror: Global Conflict Begins
President George W. Bush addressed a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001, nine days after the 9/11 attacks, declaring a "War on Terror" that would target not just al-Qaeda but "every terrorist group of global reach." He delivered an ultimatum to Afghanistan's Taliban government to surrender Osama bin Laden or "share in their fate." When the Taliban refused, the United States invaded Afghanistan on October 7. The War on Terror also produced the USA PATRIOT Act, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, and eventually the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Over twenty years, the conflicts killed hundreds of thousands and cost the United States over $8 trillion.
September 20, 2001
25 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on September 20
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