[Mohoender]

2001
Some crisis appear from the beginning of this year but they will be forgotten when this year becomes a turning point on September 11th. On that day, Almost 3,000 are killed in attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City, The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania after American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 crash into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City, American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashes into a grassland in Pennsylvania. The world is astonished and hold its breath but the crisis continues when anthrax attacks are launched through contaminated letters.

On October 7th, The United States invades Afghanistan, with participation from other nations participating in Operation Enduring Freedom. Taliban forces abandon Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, ahead of advancing Afghan Northern Alliance troops, who take the city on November 14th. Finally, on December 22nd, Hamid Karzai is sworn in as head of the interim government in Afghanistan.
Things are turning sour in the US and on October 10th, U.S. President George W. Bush presents a list of 22 most wanted terrorists. On October 26th, U.S. president George W. Bush signs the USA PATRIOT Act into law. On December 13th, U.S. President George W. Bush announces the United States' withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

2002
Euro notes and coins are issued in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Finland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Austria, Ireland and in the Netherlands. Camp Delta is established at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The UN Security Council unanimously establishes an arms embargo and freezes the assets of Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban. In September, U.S. President George W. Bush addresses the U.N., and challenges its members to confront the "grave and gathering danger" of Iraq, or stand aside as the United States and likeminded nations act. On December 7th, as required by the recently passed U.N. resolution, Iraq files a 12,000 page weapons declaration with the U.N. Security Council.
On May 23rd, the U.S. State Department releases a report naming states state sponsors of terrorism: Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria. On October 2nd, The Congress of the United States passes a joint resolution, which authorizes the President to use the United States Armed Forces as he deems necessary and appropriate, against Iraq. A month later, the U.S. Republican Party maintains control of the House of Representatives and gains control of the United States Senate. On November 27th, U.S. President George W. Bush signs the Homeland Security Act into law, establishing the Department of Homeland Security, in the largest U.S. government reorganization since the creation of the Department of Defense in 1947.
Elsewhere in the world, FARC kidnaps Ingrid Betancourt in Colombia while she campaigns for the presidency. On September 19th, a civil war starts in Côte d'Ivoire. On November 7th, Iran bans the advertising of United States products.

2003
The year starts with growing fear about a new war in Iraq. This is opposed by several countries including China, France, Germany, and Russia. Nevertheless, the USA are going on with the project and, on February 5th, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell addresses the UN Security Council on Iraq. On February 15th, there are global protests against the Iraq war: More than 10 million people protest in over 600 cities worldwide, the largest war protest to take place before the war occurs.
On March 1st, The Turkish parliament vetoes U.S. troop access to airbases in Turkey in order to attack Iraq from the north. The Bush administration starts working on Plan B, namely attacking Iraq from the south, through the Persian Gulf. On March 12th, British prime minister Tony Blair proposes an amendment to the possible 18th U.N. resolution, which would call for Iraq to meet certain benchmarks to prove that it was disarming. The amendment is immediately rejected by France, who promises to veto any new resolution.
On March 16th, the leaders of the United States, Britain, Portugal, and Spain meet at a summit in the Azores Islands. U.S. President Bush calls March 17th the "moment of truth", meaning that the "coalition of the willing" will make its final effort to extract a resolution from the UN Security Council, giving Iraq an ultimatum to disarm immediately or be disarmed by force. This path of action changes on the next day when U.S. President George W. Bush gives an ultimatum: Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his sons must either leave Iraq, or face military action at a time of the U.S.'s choosing. Finally, on March 18th, the Parliament of the United Kingdom votes in favour of a motion understood as giving the government final authority to join the invasion of Iraq.

On March 19th, The first American bombs drop on Baghdad after Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his sons do not comply with U.S. President George W. Bush's 48-hour mandate demanding their exit from Iraq. The next day, Land troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invade Iraq. On April 9th, U.S. forces seize control of Baghdad, ending the regime of Saddam Hussein. On May 1st, U. S. president George W. Bush lands on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, where he gives a speech announcing the end of major combat in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. A banner behind him declares "Mission Accomplished". On December 13th, Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq, is captured in Tikrit by the U.S. 4th Infantry Division.
On March 23rd, as the world is turned toward Iraq, a new Chechen constitution is passed in a controversial referendum which international observers describes as deeply flawed. It goes into force on april 2nd and on that same day the Russian army launches a major offensive on the Chechen separatist. This end in bloodshed but it fails to attract the world attention except for France and Sweden. As a result, in these two countries, several equipments are stored instead of being scrapped.
In August, the UN authorizes an international peacekeeping force for Liberia and NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history.
On November 23th, The Georgian Rose Revolution ends with overwhelming victory and president Eduard Shevardnadze resigns following weeks of mass protests over fraudulent elections. He will be replaced by Mikhail Sakkachvili.
At a very different level, on February 26th, An American businessman is admitted to the Vietnam France Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam with the first identified case of SARS. On July 5th, SARS is declared to be contained by the World Health Organization (WHO).

2004
In the Middle East, the guerilla war continues in Iraq. Conservatives win a majority in the Iranian parliament election. In April, Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse in Iraq is revealed on the television show 60 Minutes II.
In the USA, CIA admits that there was no imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of that country. U.S. President George W. Bush defeats Senator John Kerry. Republicans make gains in the House and Senate. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell submits his resignation. He is replaced by Condoleezza Rice.
In Europe, the French National Assembly votes to pass a law banning religious items and clothing from schools. Simultaneous explosions on rush hour trains in Madrid kill 190 people and increase the fear over terrorism. A pogrom-like organized violence breaks out over 2 days in Kosovo. Nineteen people are killed, 139 Serbian homes burned, schools and businesses vandalized, and over 30 Orthodox monasteries and churches burned and destroyed. The largest expansion to date of the European Union takes place, extending the Union by 10 member-states: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta and Cyprus.
In Russia, Vladimir Putin easily wins a second term. In June, serious tensions begin to rise as the Georgian authorities strengthen their efforts to bring South Ossetia back under Tbilisi rule. Sporading fightings occur with the Russian and Moscow, claiming that it is facing terrorism launches a number of air strike on Geogia. The western world condemn this move and most NATO members put a stop to arm reduction plans when it is proven that Russia is slowly rebuilding its military.
In Côte d'Ivoire, National Army bombings kill 9 people, including French UN soldiers. French UN forces retaliate by destroying the National Army's air force.
On December 26th, one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history hits Southeast Asia when the strongest earthquake in 40 years hits the entire Indian Ocean region. The massive 9.3 magnitude earthquake, epicentered just off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, generates enormous tsunami waves that crash into the coastal areas of a number of nations including Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. The official death toll stands at 186,983 while more than 40,000 people are still missing.

2005
In Europe, UK, the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act of 2005 is given Royal Assent after one of the longest ever sittings by the House of Lords. A French referendum on the European Constitution votes resoundingly to reject it; it is followed by the Dutch. Four explosions - 3 on the London Underground and 1 on a bus - rock the transport network in London, killing 56 and injuring over 700. France experiences several days of civil unrest
In the USA, At least 1,836 are killed, and severe damage is caused along the U.S. Gulf Coast, as Hurricane Katrina strikes coastal areas from Louisiana to Alabama, and travels up the entire state of Mississippi (flooding coast 31 feet/10 m), affecting most of eastern North America. On October 26th, the U.S. death toll in Iraq reaches 2,000.
In the Middle East, Mahmoud Abbas is elected to succeed Yasser Arafat as Palestinian Authority President. A massive suicide bomb blast in central Beirut kills the former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafik Hariri and at least 15 other people. At least 135 other people are also hurt. After this, facing international pressure, Syria withdraws the last of its 14,000 troop military garrison in Lebanon, ending its 29 year military domination of that country. King Fahd of Saudi Arabia dies, succeeded by his half-brother Abdullah of Saudi Arabia; the reigning family is weakened.
In Asia, North Korea announces that it possesses nuclear weapons as a protection against the hostility it feels from the United States but agrees to stop building nuclear weapons in exchange for aid and cooperation. The People's Republic of China ratifies an anti-secession law, aimed at preventing Taiwan from declaring independence. Peace Mission 2005, the first joint China-Russia military exercise, begins its 8-day training on the Shandong peninsula.
The Pakistan Army opens fire on insurgents in Baluchistan, in the first armed uprising since General Rahimuddin Khan's stabilization of the province in 1978.
The Kyoto Protocol goes into effect, without the support of the United States and Australia. The United Nations warns that about 90 million Africans could be infected with HIV in the future, without further action against the spread of the disease. Pope Benedict XVI (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) succeeds Pope John Paul II, becoming the 265th pope.