WAR ON TERROR

The War on Terror is an international campaign to end
terrorism. The effort is overseen by the United States
and the United Kingdom and also receives much support
from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO.
The effort has included several wars, most recently the
Iraq War and also the War in Afghanistan. It is being
fought predominantly in the Middle East, but also in
Southeast Asia and the Horn of Africa.
The War on Terror officially began on October 7, 2001
and was spurred by the attack on the World Trade
Center of the United States on September 11, 2001. The
initial phase of the War on Terror was the War in
Afghanistan. This resulted in the fall of the Taliban
government as well as the destruction of the Al 'Qaeda
camps. The Iraq War began in 2003 and has resulted in
the overthrow of the Baath Party government as well as
the execution of Saddam Hussein, the nation's former
leader. Free elections and a democratic government
have been instated in Iraq, but insurgency and loss of
civilian lives continues.
The phrase "War on Terror" was initially used by
President George W. Bush. However, it has not been
used by the administration of President Barack Obama.
Instead, this administration prefers to refer to the effort
as the Overseas Contingency Operation. This is largely
because the concept of a war on terror has been
criticized for its lack of a framework and defined enemy.
Proponents of the War on Terror
Proponents in the War on Terror debate commonly
support the cause because they believe the government
will be able to end terrorism through the effort. It has
been shown that ending terrorism is nearly impossible
and many people feel, in fact, that the world is less safe
since the invasion of Iraq.
Opponents of the War on Terror
Critics in the War on Terror debate commonly charge
that it has been exploited by governments to reduce civil
liberties and take away basic human rights. Many argue
that the term war is not appropriately used in this
context since there is no one enemy. Ken McDonald, the
Director of Public Prosecutions in the United Kingdom,
has stated that those responsible for terrorist attacks
like the London Bombings are not, in fact, soldiers.
Thus, they should be dealt with through the criminal
justice system, not through military action.
One other problem with the War on Terror is the lack of
agreement on the very definition of terrorism. Some who
are labeled terrorists in one nation may be considered
freedom fighters in another. In fact, citizens of Iran and
Venezuela commonly use the work "terrorism" to
describe the actions of the United States during the
War.
Some also believe that the War on Terror is very
inefficient in achieving its goals. In a 2005 paper, an
Oxford Group showed that the Al Qaeda was still alive
and active, despite efforts of American forces. George
Bush pledged that the War on Terror would not end until
every global terrorist group had been found and
defeated. This initially rallied support for the war, but
upon further examination proved to be rather unrealistic
and seems to denote a perpetual war.