Americas War on Terror Essay - 1677 Words

With the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City, the United States adopted radical changes to its foreign policy and its response to terrorist threat. With the swift implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act shortly after the attacks (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act), and intervention in Afghanistan, the United States had begun its War on Terror. This war was shepherded by then President George W. Bush. These actions marked the beginning of the War on Terror, and laid the groundwork for the problems experienced by the Obama administration almost ten years later. The USA PATRIOT Act was a statute designed to unburden law enforcement agencies from privacy†¦show more content†¦conduct in the ‘war on terror,’ especially the use of Guantanamo to circumvent legal protections of the rights of prisoners detained there† (Lowenthal 2009: 19). The United States initiated Operation Iraqi Freedom on 20 March 2003, without NATO approval, beginning with targeted bombing of Iraq, and soon a full-scale invasion. This has proved to become an unpopular war, for some because of the motivations behind it or because of the perceived lack of progress in Iraq, attributed to â€Å"enemy body counts and casualty ratio data† which â€Å"is quantifiable and commonly viewed by the public as a reasonable indicator of success (or, more likely, failure)† (Boettcher and Cobb 2006: 833). It also damaged the United States’ international standing because the war in Afghanistan â€Å"was followed by the deeply controversial Iraqi war of shock and awe which fractured the international legal order so carefully crafted in the crucible of Lake Success in 1945† (Steyn 2004: 7). To the present day, the United States remains engaged in Afghanistan and Iraq; and continues to operate military camps outside of legal jurisdiction in Guantanamo Bay. These actions and decisions have formed the cornerstone of the USA’s response to terrorism. Barack Obama was elected President of the United States in the 2008 election, promising to close Guantanamo Bay’s military camps and provide a timeline for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Both of these promises are yet to be met, however theShow MoreRelatedPresident Obama s Foreign Policy758 Words   |  4 PagesLindsay (2011), President Bush’s foreign policy was dominated, first by the ‘war on terror’, and second by his ‘freedom agenda.’ This suggests that President Bush’s foreign policy was largely driven by ideology. Lindsay (2011:766) argues that during the war on terror â€Å"fighting terrorism became not just a priority, but the priority† of American foreign policy. The war on terror was the rationale behind America’s decisions to go to war with Afghanistan and Iraq. According to Lindsay (2011), America invadedRead MoreCharles Krauthammer The 9 / 11 Synthesis Summary840 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"The 9/11 â€Å"Overreaction†? Nonsense.†, Charles Krauthammer selects the supporting side of The United States of America’s reaction to the terrorist attack of September 11th, 2001. Throughout the essay, Krauthammer succeeds in persuading his target audience of conservatives and general Americans that not only was Americas reaction to the 9/11 terrorist attack justified, but it also brought adequate results. Krauthammer utilizes various strategies such as the rhetorical triangle, stylistic techniquesRead MoreTaken Hostage By David Farber1083 Words   |  5 Pagesinforms us of America’s first encounter with radical Islam and what had caused the conflict between them. For four hundred and forty-four days, President Carter tried to put effort into resolving the issues but he failed on releasing the hostages. Since the American people paid close attention to this issue, they were highly disappointed with President Carter and his processes. From our class lectures and throughout the tensions illustrated in Farber’s book, we learn of how the role of Cold War policy hadRead MoreGeorge W. Bush s Foreign Policy Successful1601 Words   |  7 Pagesthe foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel American resolve† - George. W. Bush Prior to World War I, the United States’ foreign policy remained predominantly isolated. However, upon the end of the war, American foreign policy saw a pragmatic shift from its original isolationistic nature to XXXXX . America’s policy then was calling for American to avoid entangling political alliance. The new policy of the United States differed from the original inRead MoreChomsky And The War On Terror1277 Words   |  6 Pagespolitical commentator, social justice activist, and anarcho-syndicalist advocate does an elaborate job in his speech given at Harvard University, to make us question if there really is a war on terror. Chomsky calls everybody a hypocrite and uses the U.S. Army Manual definition of terrorism to argue that there can’t be a war on terrorism because the U.S. is also a terrorist group itself. We can’t fight something if we ourselves do that same thing. Chomsky backs up his claim with many pieces of evidenceRead MoreThe United States And The Islamic State Of Iraq1080 Words   |  5 PagesSuccessful nations allow conflict to arise within and outside of the nation. War is the offspring of such political intercourse. The intention to gain power and control serve as enablers for national and international wars. Attaining power and control expand potential competition from a regional to a global level. The United States have involved itself in such terrorists attacks due to the desire to possess such resources, power and control. The Islamic State of Iraq also commonly known as ‘ISIS’Read MoreThe Realism Theory Of The War On Afghanistan1648 Words   |  7 Pagesthe realism theory in examining the War in Afghanistan. For example, realism explicitly applies to relations between nations and consequently, war between countries. This was not the case, since the war did and still does not involve conflict between America and Afghanistan. Rather the war was between America and the Taliban government that sup ported the infamous terror group, al Qaeda. For this reason, realist theory does not explain this highly controversial war. Another aspect that contravenes realismRead MoreAmerica Is A Great Nation959 Words   |  4 Pagesnumbers don’t feel like people. With numbers, comes distance. To truly understand the severity of any situation, we must take in account the statistics and numbers. But we cannot forget what is precious. On September 11th, 2001, a horrific act of terror struck our nation to the core. Fear, devastating and humbling, lodged into our blessed lives. Over 2,800 American civilians were murdered in cold blood when two planes were hijacked and flown directly into the twin towers (Anderson 3). This atrociousRead MoreThe Us Strategy For Winning The Global War On Terrorism1157 Words   |  5 PagesIn light of this, it should be mentioned that â€Å"the US strategy for winning the Global War on Terrorism is predicated on creating an international environment inhospitable to terrorists and all those who support them† (Fogarty 2001). Meaning, that the fight against terrorism heavily relies on international cooperation. In order to achieve such a feat, nevertheless, America must be amiable by fellow governments and their citizens. Unfortunately, the reports and findings on GTMO makes it increasinglyRead MoreThe War On Terrorism During The United States871 Words   |  4 PagesThe war on te rrorism in the United States began after the September 11 attacks on the United States. Following the war was a series of military campaigns carried out to destroy terrorist organizations in the Middle-East. Led by the George W. Bush administration, America made goals for the war on terror to defeat main targets and terrorist leaders such as Osama bin Laden. The invasion of the Middle-East was supported by the American people at first. After three more years Saddam Hussein’s weapons