The document summarizes the events of September 11th terrorist attacks and the resulting War on Terror and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It describes how the 9/11 attacks sparked the war in the Middle East and led to the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001. While the goal was to overthrow dictatorships and promote democracy, establishing stable democracies proved difficult. There is debate around how long military forces should remain occupied in countries like Iraq and when is the right time to withdraw troops.
2. Fateful September morning when a terrorist attack left 2,999 dead and many more injured. This event sparked what is now known as the war in the Middle East.
3. After the terrorist attacks, an invasion of Afghanistan soon took place in October The invasion and peacekeeping attempts did not go as smoothly as planned. It has developed over the years into a deadly situation. It quickly expanded over borders into Iraq and Iran.
5. The goal of the Allied Forces was to overthrow the dictatorships in Iraq and Afghanistan and promote democratic values. They were successful in ending the dictatorships but democracy has not been as easy to establish in these rebel nations. Peace has been nearly impossible to maintain and this puts forth a serious question: How long do allies occupy such a rogue country and when is it the ‘right’ time to pull out?
7. Many believe it is far too early to withdraw the military forces from Shiite and Sunni Arab regions of Iraq, and doing so would leave behind civil conflict and militia rule. Other’s believe now is the time to get out; too much money has been spent and far too many lives have been sacrificed.
8. Total Outlays (Federal Funds): $2,650 billion MILITARY: 54% and $1,449 billion NON-MILITARY: 46% and $1,210 billion