The War on Terror 101
an in-depth look
Historical Precursor to the WOT
Causes and Motivation
In 1990 the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait led to the UN Security Councils adoption of Resolution 661, which created an imposition of economic sanctions on Iraq. It excluded medical supplies, food and eventually the removal of weapons of mass destruction. Later, Al Qaeda proclaimed that the Iraq sanctions were a reason to kill Americans. In 2004 Osama Bin Laden produceed a video where he specifically expresses the disdain that he had for those sanctions.
The Gulf War left a huge impact on the state of Arab nations, and their subsequent lack of regard for the United States. After the war 5,000 troops remained stationed in Saudi Arabia. The presence of permanent military personnel, particularly in holy sites of Islam, angered many Muslims. This was another stated motivation behind the 9/11 attacks.
Much of the tension that ensued between the United States and Saudi Arabia that ultimately led to 9/11, and the war on terror, was because of the U.S.'s continued support of Israel, a country seen as a thorn in the side of many Arab states in the Middle East. In November of 2002, Bin Laden wrote a "Letter to America" that specifically stated his disdain for the American support, and expansion, of Israel.