War on Terrorism

NINE DAYS AFTER the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on the United States, President George W Bush declared to Congress and the American people that these attacks were “acts of war.” In the same speech, Bush named this war the War on Terror (also known as the War on Terrorism and the Global War on Terrorism). The scope of this war would be vast, would prominently feature military means, and would be a lengthy campaign. Bush stated: “Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.”

President Bush and the other architects of the War on Terror saw this campaign at its inception, as a multi-generational and era-defining struggle. They compared it to the Cold War and the 20th century fight against fascism. Since the War on Terror was first articulated by President Bush it has been a significant political issue, important in U.S. campaigns and elections.

Sea Knight helicopters maneuver the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu during flight operations, December 3, 2005. The Peleliu was off the coast of southern California preparing for its upcoming deployment in the global war on terrorism.

In President Bush's speech of September 20, 2001, the War on Terror commenced with a demand on the Taliban-controlled government of Afghanistan to turn over all al-Qaeda terrorists or face repercussions. The United States invaded Afghanistan less than one month later on, October 7, 2001, in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Over the following year, President Bush and various administration officials sought to make the case that confronting Iraq over its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) was central to combating terrorism. The administration argued that Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq, was not to be trusted and thus WMD from Iraq could end up in the hands of terrorists and be deployed against Americans. Less publicly, administration officials discussed a war against Iraq as the key to reshaping the entire region of the Middle East (or southwest Asia) because, in their estimation, military victory in such a war was overwhelmingly likely. On March 19, 2003 the United States invaded Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

The Bush administration also established the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate the domestic security functions of various federal agencies. Congress quickly passed the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001 expanding the definition of terrorism to include “domestic terrorism” and granting authority to law enforcement agencies to more easily search records, monitor communication, detain and deport immigrants, and gather intelligence domestically. The War on Terror has been criticized as primarily intended for domestic consumption, in order to boost the popularity of elected officials, and as having the effect of restricting civil liberties and freedoms beyond what is necessary or desirable.

The concept of terrorism has a history of being deployed to support political causes. In the late 20th century, anarchists used the term “terrorists” as a positive appellation to distinguish themselves from mere murderers. President Ronald Reagan also implied that terrorists were not uniformly malignant when he declared that “one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter” in reference to the Nicaraguan contras fighting to remove the Sandinistas from power in Nicaragua. In contrast, in the current political context, terrorism is overwhelmingly deployed by U.S. politicians and seen by U.S. citizens as uniformly pernicious and, thus, as something worth fighting. Some Americans question the conclusion that terrorism should be the lens through which foreign policy is framed, but many more question the means employed in the struggle against terrorism (especially the war in Iraq and the Bush administration's domestic security policies). While President Bush has sought to frame the War in Iraq as the “central front” in the War on Terror, most Americans now disagree, and would like to see a swift end to the war in Iraq. A vast majority of Americans disapprove of holding terrorist suspects indefinitely without legal representation, but only a minority favor closing the controversial Guantanamo Bay military detention camp. The War in Afghanistan has considerable support among the American public.

...