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Presidents are always concerned about their legacy, that is, how their actions as president affect the nation in the years after they leave office and how history will view them. In his final weeks in office, Bush gave many interviews about his presidency. One tragic event, in his first year in office, changed everything for Mr. Bush: the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, that killed almost 3,000 people. In his last address to the country, Bush stated that while "most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11, I never did." Do you understand what he means? After the attacks, Americans were full of fear and sadness. President Bush spoke to the nation the night of the attacks, and many people were impressed by the strength and leadership he showed. Americans looked to Mr. Bush and his government to keep them safe from more terrorist attacks. And Mr. Bush declared the "war on terror." Do you think the "war on terror" can be fought like a regular war between two or more countries? Soon, the government was fairly certain who was behind the attacks: the terrorist organization al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden. Officials knew that al Qaeda and bin Laden were based in Afghanistan, and soon, our government began getting ready for military action there. Our military did a great deal of damage to al Qaeda, but bin Laden was never captured. In the past few years, the situation in Afghanistan has grown more unstable. Some people, including President Obama, believe that the situation in Afghanistan has been neglected because of the war in Iraq, and that more troops and government efforts are needed there. Do you think this is true? |
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