War On Terror

A Short Explanation of the War On Terror

What is the War on Terror?

The War on Terror is also called the War on Terrorism or the Global War on Terror. The War on Terror is a current military campaign held internationally that is led by the United States as well as the United Kingdom. It is supported by many other counties in NATO as well as other countries that are not in the organization.

The phrase War on Terror was used by former president George W. Bush as well as other U.S. officials in response to the global struggle in a political, military, ideological, and legal aspect against many terrorist organizations and regimes. Most often, the term was used to denote the struggle against al-Qaeda and other militant Islamists.

There were many precursor events to the War on Terror such as the bombing of United States embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, the growth of al-Qaeda, and the many attack plots of 2000. However, the most influential factor that set off the start of the War on Terror was the September 11, 2001 attacks.

On September 11, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes crashed two of the planes into the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and one in Pennsylvania, resulting in the loss of thousands of innocent lives. The War on Terror was officially declared less than a month later, on October 7, 2001.

The objectives of the War on Terror, as described by the George W. Bush administration included the following:

• Defeating terrorists and destroying their related organizations, such as Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda.

• Identifying, locating, and dismantling terrorists and their organizations.

• Denying any support, sponsorship, or sanctuary to terrorists.

o Establishing a means of accountability when combating terrorism.

o Strengthening the global fight against terrorism.

o Eliminate any structures that allow for sanctuaries or havens for terrorists.

o Disrupting of removing material supply lines that terrorists use.

• Diminishing any underlying conditions that can be exploited by terrorists.

o Preventing emergence or reemergence of terrorism by creating a group effort to strengthen weak states.

• Defending all United States citizens as well as all U.S. interests both home overseas.

o Use the National Strategy for Homeland Security.

o Creating protective measures for all citizens abroad.

o Ensure information-based infrastructures so they are reliable both home and overseas.

Some other events that happened in response to the heightened awareness of terrorist after the September 11 attacks include:

• Creation and passage of the USA Patriot Act

• Reorganization of many different government bureaucracies

• Creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

• New registration procedure for certain non-citizen males in the United States