The War on Terror and War in Afghanistan began after the September 11 attacks in 2001 . The International Criminal Court was formed in 2002 . A United States-led coalition invaded Iraq , and the Iraq War led to the end of Saddam Hussein 's rule as Iraqi President and the Ba'ath Party in Iraq . Al-Qaeda and affiliated Islamist militant groups performed terrorist acts throughout the decade . These acts included the 2004 Madrid train bombings , 7/7 London bombings in 2005 , and the Mumbai attacks related to al-Qaeda in 2008 . The European Union expanded its sanctions amid Iran 's failure to comply with its transparency obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and United Nations resolutions
2004 Madrid train bombings
2004 Madrid train bombings
2000s (decade)