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The War on Terrorism generated extreme controversy around the world, with questions regarding the justification for U. S. actions leading to a loss of support for the American government, both in and outside the United States.

Additional armed conflict occurred in the Middle East, including between Israel and Hezbollah, then with Israel and the Hamas.

The greatest loss of life due to natural disaster came from the 2004 tsunami, killing around a quarter-million people and displacing well over a million others.

Cooperative international rescue missions by many countries from around the world helped in efforts by the most affected nations to rebuild and recover from the devastation.

An enormous loss of life and property value came in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina flooded nearly the entire city of New Orleans.

The resulting political fallout was severely damaging to the George W. Bush administration because of its perceived failure to act promptly and effectively.

In 2008, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, and became the first African-American U. S. president when he succeeded Bush in 2009.