war on terror

   The global war on terror, or terrorism, has the stated objective of ending international terrorism by preventing groups said to be terrorist in nature from posing a threat and putting an end to state sponsorship of terrorism. The invasion of Afghanistan by United States and NATO forces was the first action of this war The war had its origin in the attacks on the Twin Towers of 9/11 which NATO members saw as an attack upon them all. From the beginning, it was active in response to the terrorist threat and quickly supported the ‘coalition of the willing’ which sent troops into Afghanistan to root out al-Qaeda activists and topple the Taliban regime said to have harboured them. The war has subsequently been waged in other theatres such as Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. However, the decision to invade Iraq as a further step in the war was controversial even among some countries that had been part of the ‘coalition of the willing’. So too have other policies, such as the attitude to the events in Lebanon, in 2006. Critics argue that the attempt to carry on waging the war until every terrorist group has been defeated means that the world will be in a perpetual state of conflict and war. Indeed, sometimes the methods used to wage the fighting may have the effect of creating resentment and so antagonising moderate groups that they become more sympathetic to terrorism. Some point out that the very name ‘war on terrorism’ is misleading, for terrorism is a method rather than a country and you cannot wage war against a tactic. Others make the point that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.

   See also: Iraq war, September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center