New Century

Tripathi discusses major events in the twenty-first century so far. The new century began with the United States coming under attack on September 11, 2001, killing nearly 3000 people. It was the biggest attack on America since Pearl Harbor during the Second World War. Tripathi looks at the events of 9/11, as well as the reprisal ordered by President George W. Bush. The retaliation against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan quickly extended to a wider military venture described as the war on terror. Then came the 2003 invasion of Iraq to overthrow President Saddam Hussein’s regime and create a new Iraqi state. Other major economic and political events of the new century thus far are also analyzed, such as the financial crash in 2008, the anti-globalization protests, the wave of popular rebellions in the Arab Spring, the Russian war on Ukraine, and the Israel–Hamas War in Gaza.