Editing 2000s (section)

=== Nuclear threats ===
[[File:Natanz nuclear.jpg|right|thumb|Anti-aircraft guns guarding [[Natanz#Nuclear facility|Natanz Nuclear Facility]] in Iran]]
* Since 2005, [[Nuclear program of Iran|Iran's nuclear program]] has become the subject of contention with the Western world due to suspicions that Iran could divert the civilian nuclear technology to a weapons program. This has led the [[United Nations Security Council|UN Security Council]] to impose [[International sanctions against Iran|sanctions against Iran]] on select companies linked to this program, thus furthering its economic isolation on the international scene. The [[Director of National Intelligence|U.S. Director of National Intelligence]] said in February 2009 that Iran would not realistically be able to a get a nuclear weapon until 2013, if it chose to develop one.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN25158068 |title=RPT-EXCLUSIVE-Iran would need 18 months for atom bomb-diplomats |first=Louis |last=Charbonneau |date=October 26, 2009 |work=Reuters |access-date=November 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828042601/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN25158068 |archive-date=August 28, 2010}}</ref>
* In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq over allegations that its leader [[Saddam Hussein]] was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction including chemical and biological weapons or was in the process of creating them. None were found, [[WMD conjecture after the 2003 invasion of Iraq|spawning multiple theories.]]
* [[North Korea]] successfully performed two nuclear tests in [[2006 North Korean nuclear test|2006]] and [[2009 North Korean nuclear test|2009]].
* [[Operation Orchard]] – during the operation, Israel bombed what was believed to be a Syrian nuclear reactor on September 6, 2007, which was thought to be built with the aid of [[North Korea]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/23/AR2008042302906_pf.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=N. Koreans Taped At Syrian Reactor |first=Robin |last=Wright |access-date=April 21, 2010 |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904033208/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/23/AR2008042302906_pf.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[White House]] and [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) later declared that American intelligence indicated the site was a nuclear facility with a military purpose, though Syria denies this.<ref>[http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jWIBgbzyBkHnJzQeMi80gXfjX0-Q NKorea-Syria nuclear work had military aims: White House] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520132008/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jWIBgbzyBkHnJzQeMi80gXfjX0-Q|date=May 20, 2011 }}, Associated French Press, April 24, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2008.</ref>
* The [[Doomsday Clock]], the symbolic representation of the threat of nuclear annihilation, moved four minutes closer to midnight: two minutes in 2002 and two minutes in 2007 to 5&nbsp;minutes to midnight.