The United States climate after the surprise 9/11 terrorist attacks was somber, fearful and turbulent. Many, including President Bush, wanted justice for those behind the attacks that killed around 3,000 citizens. President Bush declared the preservation of American core values, global support of free and open societies, and preemptive wars against terrorist groups and states within the "axis of evil" as the major points of the post-9/11 foreign policy of the United States. Taking action on that foreign policy, the United States waged a war against terrorism which initiated the invasion of Afghanistan to bring justice to al Qaeda for their terrorist attacks, remove the Taliban regime that supported al Qaeda and their declaration of holy war against America, and establish peace and democracy in Afghanistan. Similarly, the United States declared a war on terror and began an invasion of Iraq against their ruthless leader Saddam Hussein to remove him from power claiming he possessed weapons of mass destruction, to remove the "nest of terrorists" that existed in Iraq and bring democracy to Iraq in hopes that it would spillover to surrounding Middle Eastern countries. .
The United States had ignored previous terrorist attacks from al Qaeda against Americans and American embassies around the world, yet the attack on American soil could not be ignored. The terrorist group al Qaeda took responsibility for the attacks which were traced to Afghanistan, prompting the president to vow "to wage war against terrorism, not simply those who were behind the assaults on New York City and Washington."1 Since Afghanistan sanctioned al Qaeda and Afghan leaders refused to "hand over the terrorists," they became "the prime target in America's war on terrorism."2 The United States believed that by bringing to justice those behind the 9/11 attacks, they would show the world that terrorism, especially against the United States, would not be tolerated.
