Thursday 4/23

Not Everything Was a Success

-Feb 1994, high-ranking CIA official Aldrich Ames, pled guilty to a decade of selling info to the Soviet Union and Russia causing deaths of CIA agents.

-In 1993, the World Trade Center in NYC was bombed.

-In 1998, the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed.

-In 2000, the USS Cole (guided missile destroyer) was bombed while at dock in Yemen.

-After the Soviet Union collapsed, Clinton made an attempt to prevent Soviet nuclear weapon inventories from falling into the wrong hands.

-Economic aid sent to Ukraine in return for a promise to disarm 1600 warheads.

-Project Sapphire transfered enriched Uranium stocks from Kazakhstan to storage in the United States.

-With Jimmy Carter's help, an agreement was reached with North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program in return for assistance in building safe, nuclear power generators.

-Clinton pressed nations to sign to a new nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1995.

-In 1998, Clinton went to the brink of war with Iraq in an unsuccessful attempt to get Iraq to accept international weapons inspections.

-Globalization-Lowering Trade Barriers and Expanding global markets was a high priority.

-Clinton got Congress to ratify the North American free trade agreement.

-Clinton gave loan guarantees to Mexico in 1995 when a severe Mexican debt crisis threatened both Mexican and International financial systems.

-Clinton saw the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GAFF) and replaced it with the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Election of 2000

-Democrat Al Gore beat George Bush in popular vote but election hinged on electoral college vote and particularly on who won Florida.

-Outcome in Florida was uncertain.

-Absentee ballots had to be recounted.

-Punch-cards interfered.

-Eventually United States Supreme Court stepped in and by a 5 to 4 vote, stopped manual recounter.

-Gore was defeated.

BUSH

-9/11

-War on Terror -> War on Iraq

-Patriot Act

-Homeland Security

-Security in Airports Heightened

-Huge "Reagan-Style" Deficits.