After the events on 9/11 in 2001, President George W. Bush called in a "War on Terror" in which a military campaign would be instituted with the intention of culling terrorism. What would ensue would be a drawn out witch hunt which spawned an entire decade.
Of course, Bush couldn't just simply declare a war on all of terrorism. It had to have objectives. Congress would pass a legislation which defined the main goals for the war on terror: defeat terrorist leaders (ie. Osama bin Liden), identify terrorist groups, deny state/country sponsorship of terrorism, and seek to protect US citizens.
Only 19 days after 9/11, President Bush initiated the War in Afghanistan against the Taliban-controlled government. This would be a long and costly war, as it didn't end until 2014. However, it would ultimately prove successful in its endeavors as the Americans were able to successfully depose the Taliban and also kill Osama bin Laden. Overall, tens of thousands (25-40,000) were killed, including another couple of thousand innocent civilians.
Afghanistan was not the only Middle Eastern country which the US invaded, as Iraq had been listed as a state sponsor of terrorism. They were led by Saddam Hussein, a ruling dictator who ruled with an iron fist. Hussein would eventually be deposed and executed. Soon after, terrorist groups would flee Iraq and invade Syria, causing wars to be fought there too. The United States also fought in Pakistan.
Not everyone supported the war on terror, as many claimed that it violated many moral codes. It severely reduced civil liberties, infringed upon human rights, and created a hysteria of racial bias against Muslims. The Patriot Act justified increased military spending on national defense. Overall, the war on terror had a profound impact on American life today.
Sources:
https://ww2.kqed.org/lowdown/2014/09/10/13-years-later-four-major-lasting-impacts-of-911/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Terror
As you mentioned, many have claimed that the War on Terror has violated many moral codes. But despite that, to what extend would you say the United States has accomplished the goals of the War on Terror when it was declared? Obviously, Bin Laden has been captured and killed, but how does the rise of worldwide terrorism since the declaration in general factor in?
ReplyDeleteGreat informative post on the War on Terror and the cause behind it. I'm wondering if the War on Terror will revitalize again since Trump has declared that the fight against ISIS is his number one priority. In recent news, we've seen missiles being launched in Syria, including the biggest missile America's arsenal holds that is not nuclear. However, the majority of people will not support a re-entry into the War on Terror, but will Trump nevertheless
ReplyDeleteexercise his power in this way?
Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/06/politics/donald-trump-syria-military/
Interesting conclusion in that the War On Terror, despite killing innocent civilians and violating moral codes, was still successful in deposing terrorist leaders. However, this definitely begs further discussion into whether the ends truly justified the means. In other words, what were some of the unintended consequences of the War On Terror (the creation of other terrorist groups, anti-Western sentiment, destabilization of nations, civilian deaths).
ReplyDelete