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{{About|the international military campaign|the board game|War on Terror (game)}}
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The '''War on Terror''' (also known as the '''Global War on Terror''' or the '''War on Terrorism''') is an ongoing international military campaign led by the [[United States of America]] and the [[United Kingdom]] with the support of other [[NATO]] and non-NATO countries. The campaign was launched in 2001 with the U.S./U.K. [[War in Afghanistan|invasion of Afghanistan]] in response to the [[September 11 terrorist attacks]]. Since then, other operations have commenced, the largest being the [[Iraq War|War in Iraq]], beginning with a [[2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 invasion]]. Originally, it was waged against [[al-Qaeda]] and other terrorist organizations with the purpose of eliminating them.<ref name="WH 10-07-01"> [[ETA]]
{{cite press release
|publisher=The White House
(Clockwise, starting at top left:Burning ruins of the [[World Trade Center]], American soldiers board a Chinook helicopter during [[Operation Anaconda]], an Aghan and American soldier standby to engage an enemy, a car bomb detonates in Baghdad, Iraq.    
|date=October 7, 2001
|title=Presidential Address to the Nation
|url=http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/10/print/20011007-8.html}}</ref>

The phrase ''War on Terror'' was first used by former US President [[George W. Bush]] and other high-ranking US officials to denote a global military, political, legal and ideological struggle against organizations designated as terrorist and regimes that were accused of having a connection to them or providing them with support or were perceived, or presented as posing a threat to the US and its allies in general. It was typically used with a particular focus on [[Islamic terrorism|militant Islamists]] and [[al-Qaeda]].

Although the term is not officially used by the administration of President [[Barack Obama]] (which instead uses the term '''Overseas Contingency Operation'''), it is still commonly used by politicians, in the media and officially by some aspects of government, such as the Army's [[Global War on Terrorism Service Medal]].

The notion of a "war on terror" has been criticized for lacking a defined and identifiable enemy, thus making it a potential framework for [[perpetual war|perpetual military action]] pursuing other goals.

==Precursor to the 9/11 attacks==
{{See also|Terrorism|List of terrorist incidents}}
In May 1996 the group World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders (WIFJAJC), sponsored by [[Osama Bin Laden]] and later reformed as [[al-Qaeda]], started forming a large base of operations in [[Afghanistan]], where the [[Islamism|Islamist]] extremist regime of the [[Taliban]] had seized power that same year.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2001/dec/06/news/mn-12224
|title=Fighters Hunt Former Ally 
|date=December 6, 2001
|author=Megan K. Stack
|work=articles.latimes.com
|accessdate=May 2, 2010}}
</ref>

Following the [[1998 United States embassy bombings|bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania]],<ref>
{{cite news
|title=Report of the Accountability Review Boards 
|publisher=U.S. Department of State 
|date=August 7, 1998 
|url=http://www.state.gov/www/regions/africa/board_introduction.html}}
</ref> [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Bill Clinton]] launched [[Operation Infinite Reach]], a bombing campaign in [[Sudan]] and Afghanistan against targets the US asserted were associated with WIFJAJC,<ref>
{{cite news
|title=U.S. strikes terrorist targets in Afghanistan, Sudan 
|publisher=CNN 
|date=August 20, 1998 
|url=http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/20/clinton.02/index.html?eref=sitesearch}}</ref><ref>
{{cite news
|title=U.S. retaliates for Africa bombings 
|publisher=CNN 
|date=August 20, 1998 
|url=http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/20/clinton.01/index.html?eref=sitesearch}}
</ref> although others have questioned whether a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan was used as a chemical warfare plant. The plant produced much of the region's [[antimalarial drug]]s<ref name="newstatesman.com">
{{cite web
|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200003200023 
|title=Bad air and rank hypocrisy
|author=Malcolm Clark
|March 20, 2000
|work=www.newstatesman.com
|accessdate=May 2, 2010}}
</ref> and around 50% of Sudan's pharmaceutical needs.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://partners.nytimes.com/library/world/africa/082798attack-us.html 
|title= Possible Benign Use Is Seen for Chemical at Factory in Sudan
|author=Stevel Lee Myers and Tim Weiner
|date=August 27, 1998
|work=partners.nytimes.com
|accessdate=May 2, 2010}}
</ref> The strikes failed to kill any leaders of WIFJAJC or the Taliban.<ref name="newstatesman.com"/>

Next came the [[2000 millennium attack plots]] which included an attempted bombing of [[Los Angeles International Airport]]. In October 2000 the [[USS Cole bombing]] occurred, followed in 2001 by the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref>
{{cite news
|title=What proof of bin Laden's involvement 
|publisher=[[CNN]] 
|date=September 13, 2001
|url=http://cnn.com/2001/US/09/13/binladen.evidence/index.html?eref=sitesearch}}
</ref>

==Terminology==
The conflict has been referred to by names other than the War on Terror.  It has also been known as:
*[[World War III]]<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1632213.htm Bush likens 'war on terror' to WWIII. 06/05/2006. ABC News Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/13/opinion/foreign-affairs-world-war-iii.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |title=Foreign Affairs; World War III |author=Thomas L. Friedman |date=13 September 2009 |work= |publisher=New York Times |accessdate=10 November 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/opinions/2004/03/12/2004-03-12_world_war_iii_strikes_spain.html |title=World War II Strikes Spain |author= |date=12 March 2004 |work= |publisher=NYDailyNews.com |accessdate=10 November 2009 }}</ref>
*World War IV<ref>{{cite news |title=Ex-CIA director: U.S. faces 'World War IV' |author=Charles Feldman and Stan Wilson |newspaper=CNN |date=3 April 2003 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/04/03/sprj.irq.woolsey.world.war/ }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/1427428/We-want-them-to-be-nervous-That-means-you-Ali-Bashar-and-Kim.html |title='We want them to be nervous' (That means you Ali, Bashar and Kim) |author= |work= |publisher=telegraph.co.uk |accessdate=9 November 2009 | location=London | first=Julian | last=Coman | date=April 13, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=95001493 |title=World War IV |author=Elio A. Cohen |date=20 November 2001 |work= |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |accessdate=9 November 2009 }}</ref> (assuming the [[Cold War]] was World War III)
*Bush's War on Terror<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1868367,00.html TIME.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012203929.html WashintongPost.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/28/terror/main3757858.shtml CBSnews.com]</ref>
*The Long War<ref>[http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed090803a.cfm]</ref><ref name="WaPo">"Abizaid Credited With Popularizing the Term 'Long War'", 3 February 2006: Washington Post traces history of the phrase "Long War" [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/02/AR2006020202242.html]</ref>

In 1984 the [[Reagan Administration]] used the term "war against terrorism" as part of an effort to pass legislation that was designed to freeze assets of terrorist groups and marshal the forces of government against them. Author [[Shane Harris]] asserts this was a reaction to the [[1983 Beirut barracks bombing]].<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1973131,00.html How America Became a Surveillance State Time Magazine March 18, 2010]</ref>        
 
On September 16, 2001, at [[Camp David]], President George W. Bush used the phrase ''war on terror'' when he said, "This crusade - this war on terrorism - is going to take a while, [...] And the American people must be patient. I'm going to be patient. But I can assure the American people I am determined."<ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2001/09/17/2001-09-17_a_fight_vs__evil__bush_and_c.html  KENNETH R. BAZINET, "A FIGHT VS. EVIL, BUSH AND CABINET TELL U.S."]</ref> On September 20, 2001, during a televised address to a joint session of congress, Bush launched the war on terror when he said, "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."<ref name=cnntranscript>{{cite news|title=Transcript of President Bush's address |publisher=CNN |date= 2001-09-20 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/09/20/gen.bush.transcript/}}</ref> Bush did not say when he expected this would be achieved. (Previous to this usage, after stepping off the presidential helicopter on Sunday, September 16, 2001, Bush stated in an unscripted and controversial comment: "This crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while." Bush later apologized for this remark due to the negative connotations the term crusade has to people of [[Muslim]] faith. The word crusade was not used again).<ref>Jonathan Lyons, "Bush enters Mideast's rhetorical minefield" (Reuters: September 21, 2001). [http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=006SM3 Greenspun.com]</ref>

US President [[Barack Obama]] has rarely used the term, but in his inaugural address on January 20, 2009, he stated "Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred."<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Inauguration/story?id=6689022&page=1 Inaugural Address]</ref> In March 2009 the Defense Department officially changed the name of operations from "Global War on Terror" to "Overseas Contingency Operation" (OCO).<ref name=oco-wapost>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032402818.html 'Global War On Terror' Is Given New Name], Scott Wilson and Al Kamen, ''[[The Washington Post]]'', March 25, 2009; Page A04</ref> In March 2009, the [[Presidency of Barack Obama|Obama administration]] requested that [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] staff members avoid use of the term, instead using "Overseas Contingency Operation".<ref name=oco-wapost/>

Both the term and the policies it denotes have been a source of ongoing controversy, as critics argue it has been used to justify unilateral [[preventive war]], [[human rights abuses]] and other violations of [[international law]].<ref>Borhan Uddin Khan and Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman, “Combating Terrorism under Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Regime”, Mediterranean Journal of Human Rights, Vol. 12 (Double Issue), 2008, pp.379-397. </ref><ref>
{{cite web 
|url= http://www.amnestyusa.org/war-on-terror/civil-rights/page.do?id=1108209|title= Civil Rights and the "War on Terror"
|work=www.amnestyusa.org 
|accessdate=May 2, 2010}}</ref>

==US objectives==
The [[George W. Bush administration]] defined the following objectives in the War on Terror:<ref name="NatStratCombatTerror">[http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030214-7.html President Bush Releases National Strategy for Combating Terrorism], February 14, 2003, The White House</ref>

# Defeat terrorists such as [[Osama Bin Laden]], [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]] and destroy their organizations
# Identify, locate and destroy terrorists along with their organizations
# Deny sponsorship, support and sanctuary to terrorists
## End the [[state sponsorship of terrorism]]
## Establish and maintain an international standard of accountability with regard to combating terrorism
## Strengthen and sustain the international effort to fight terrorism
## Work with willing and able states
## Enable weak states
## Persuade reluctant states
## Compel unwilling states
## Interdict and disrupt material support for terrorists
## Eliminate terrorist sanctuaries and havens
# Diminish the underlying conditions that terrorists seek to exploit
## Partner with the international community to strengthen weak states and prevent (re)emergence of terrorism
## Win the war of ideals
# Defend US citizens and interests at home and abroad
## Implement the [[National Strategy for Homeland Security]]
## Attain domain awareness
## Enhance measures to ensure the integrity, reliability, and availability of critical physical and information-based infrastructures at home and abroad
## Integrate measures to protect US citizens abroad
## Ensure an integrated incident management capability

==US and NATO-led military operations==
[[Image:M249 with M4 stock.jpg|thumb|US soldier of the [[10th Mountain Division]] in [[Nuristan]]]]
===Operation Active Endeavour===
{{Main|Operation Active Endeavour}}
Operation Active Endeavour is a [[Navy|naval operation]] of NATO started in October 2001 in response to the September 11 attacks. It operates in the [[Mediterranean Sea]] and is designed to prevent the movement of militants or [[weapons of mass destruction]] and to enhance the security of shipping in general. The operation has also assisted [[Greece]] with its prevention of [[illegal immigration]].

===Operation Enduring Freedom===
{{Main|Operation Enduring Freedom}}
Operation Enduring Freedom is the official name used by the Bush administration for the War in Afghanistan, together with three smaller military actions, under the umbrella of the Global War on Terror.

====Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan====
{{Main|War in Afghanistan (2001–present)}}

[[Image:Inbound Choppers in Afghanistan 2008.jpg|thumb|right|200px|US Army [[Chinook helicopter]] in Afghanistan]]

On September 20, 2001, in the wake of the [[September 11 attacks]], [[George W. Bush]] delivered an ultimatum to the Taliban government of Afghanistan to turn over [[Osama bin Laden]] and [[al-Qaeda]] leaders operating in the country or face attack.<ref name=cnntranscript/> The [[Taliban]] demanded evidence of bin Laden's link to the September 11 attacks and, if such evidence warranted a trial, they offered to handle such a trial in an Islamic Court.<ref>{{cite news|title=Taliban rejects president Bush's demands |publisher=PBS |date= 2001-09-21 |url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/september01/taliban_9-21.html}}</ref> The US refused to provide any evidence.

Subsequently, in October 2001, US forces (with UK and coalition allies) [[2001 invasion of Afghanistan|invaded Afghanistan]] to oust the Taliban regime. On October 7, 2001 the official invasion began with British and US forces conducting [[airstrike]] campaigns.

Waging war in Afghanistan had been of a lower priority for the US government than the war in Iraq. Admiral [[Mike Mullen]], Staff Chairman the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that while the situation in Afghanistan is "precarious and urgent," the 10,000 additional troops needed there would be unavailable "in any significant manner" unless withdrawals from Iraq were made. Mullen stated that "my priorities . . . given to me by the commander in chief are: Focus on Iraq first. It's been that way for some time. Focus on Afghanistan second."<ref>Washington Post, July 23, 2008, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/22/AR2008072202942_2.html?nav=hcmodule&sid=ST2008072203343&pos= WashingtonPost.com] citing PBS Newshour interview of July 22, 2008</ref>

====Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines====
{{Main|Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines}}

[[Image:SF Soldier in Philippines.jpg|thumb|[[US Special Forces]] soldier and infantrymen of the [[Philippine army]]]]

In January 2002 the [[United States Special Operations Command|United States Special Operations Command, Pacific]] deployed to the [[Philippines]] to advise and assist the [[Armed Forces of the Philippines]] in combating Filipino Islamist groups. The operations were mainly focused on removing the [[Abu Sayyaf Group]] (ASG) and [[Jemaah Islamiyah]] (JI) from their stronghold on the island of [[Basilan]]. 

The United States military has reported that they have removed over 80% of the Abu Sayyaf Group members from the region. The second portion of the operation was conducted as a humanitarian program called "Operation Smiles". The goal of the program was to provide medical care and services to the region of Basilan as part of a "Hearts and Minds" program.

====Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa====
{{Main|Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa}}
{{See also|War in Somalia (2006–2009)|War in Somalia (2009-present)}}
[[Image:Operation Enduring Freedom - djibouti2.jpg|thumb|[[U.S. Army|US soldiers]] and [[Naval commandos (France)|French Naval commandos]] in [[Djibouti]].]]

This extension of Operation Enduring Freedom was titled OEF-HOA. Unlike other operations contained in Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF-HOA does not have a specific organization as a target. 

OEF-HOA instead focuses its efforts to disrupt and detect militant activities in the region and to work with willing governments to prevent the reemergence of militant cells and activities.

In October 2002, the [[Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa]] (CJTF-HOA) was established in [[Djibouti]] at [[Camp Lemonnier]]. It contains approximately 2,000 personnel including US military and special operations forces (SOF) and coalition force members, [[Combined Task Force 150]] (CTF-150). 

Task Force 150 consists of ships from a shifting group of nations, including [[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Italy]], [[Netherlands]], [[Pakistan]], [[New Zealand]] and the United Kingdom. The primary goal of the coalition forces is to monitor, inspect, board and stop suspected shipments from entering the Horn of Africa region and affecting the US' [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]].

Included in the operation is the training of selected armed forces units of the countries of Djibouti, [[Kenya]] and [[Ethiopia]] in [[counter-terrorism]] and [[counter-insurgency]] tactics. Humanitarian efforts conducted by CJTF-HOA include rebuilding of schools and medical clinics and providing medical services to those countries whose forces are being trained. 

The program expands as part of the [[Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative]] as CJTF personnel also assist in training the armed forces of [[Chad]], [[Niger]], [[Mauritania]] and [[Mali]]. However, the War on Terror does not include [[Sudan]], where over 400,000 have died in an ongoing civil war.

On July 1, 2006, a Web-posted message purportedly written by Osama bin Laden urged [[Somalis]] to build an [[Islamic state]] in the country and warned western governments that the [[al-Qaeda]] network would fight against them if they intervened there.<ref name=BIN-LADEN-MESSAGE-IRAQ-SOMALIA>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-07-01-bin-laden-plans-message_x.htm Bin Laden releases Web message on Iraq, Somalia] USA Today</ref>

Somalia has been considered a "[[failed state]]" because its official central government was weak, dominated by warlords and unable to exert effective control over the country. Beginning in mid-2006, the [[Islamic Courts Union|Islamic Courts Union (ICU)]], an Islamist faction campaigning on a restoration of "law and order" through [[Sharia Law]], had rapidly taken control of much of southern Somalia. 

On December 14, 2006, the US Assistant Secretary of State [[Jendayi Frazer]] claimed al-Qaeda cell operatives were controlling the Islamic Courts Union, a claim denied by the ICU.<ref name=US-SAYS-AL-QAEDA-BEHIND-SOMALI-ISLAMISTS>[http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L14556061.htm U.S. says al Qaeda behind Somali Islamists] Reuters</ref>

By late 2006, the UN-backed [[Transitional Federal Government]] (TFG) of Somalia had seen its power effectively limited to [[Baidoa]], while the Islamic Courts Union controlled the majority of southern Somalia, including the capital of [[Mogadishu]]. On December 20, 2006, the Islamic Courts Union launched an [[Battle of Baidoa|offensive]] on the government stronghold of Baidoa, and saw early gains before [[Ethiopia]] intervened in favor of the government. 

By December 26, the Islamic Courts Union retreated towards Mogadishu, before again retreating as TFG/Ethiopian troops neared, leaving them to take Mogadishu with [[Fall of Mogadishu|no resistance]]. The ICU then fled to [[Kismayo]], where they fought Ethiopian/TFG forces in the [[Battle of Jilib]]. 

The Prime Minister of Somalia claimed that three "terror suspects" from the [[1998 United States embassy bombings]] are being sheltered in Kismayo.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/jun/13/usa.terrorism | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Secret world of US jails | first=Jason | last=Burke | date=June 13, 2004 | accessdate=April 9, 2010}}</ref> On December 30, 2006, al-Qaeda deputy leader [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] called upon Muslims worldwide to fight against Ethiopia and the TFG in Somalia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/cfr/world/slot2_20090227.html?_r=1|title= Backgrounder: Al-Shabaab |work=www.nytimes.com|author=Stephanie Hanson|date=March 2, 2009|accessdate=May 4, 2010}}</ref>

On January 8, 2007, the US launched the [[Battle of Ras Kamboni]] by bombing [[Ras Kamboni]] using [[AC-130]] gunships.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,242460,00.html Foxnews.com]</ref>

On September 14, 2009, US Special Forces killed two men and wounded and captured two others near the Somali village of [[Baraawe raid|Baarawe]].  Witnesses claim that helicopters used for the operation launched from French-flagged warships, but that could not be confirmed. A Somali based al-Qaida affiliated group, the [[Al-Shabaab (Somalia)|Al-Shabab]], has confirmed the death of "sheik commander" [[Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan]] along with an unspecified number of militants.<ref>{{cite news |first=Maamoun |last=Youssef |authorlink= |title=Somali al-Qaida group confirms death of leader |url=http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/09/ap_somalia_alqaida_091609w/ |newspaper= |publisher=Associated Press |date=16 September 2009 |accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref> Nabhan, a Kenyan, was wanted in connection with the [[2002 Mombasa attacks]].<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |title=Mother demands to see Nabhan's body |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/09/200991691418738699.html |newspaper= |publisher=Al Jazerra |date=16 September 2009 |accessdate=17 September 2009}}</ref>

====Operation Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara====
{{Main|Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara}}
Operation Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara (OEF-TS) is the name of the military operation conducted by the United States and partner nations in the Sahara/Sahel region of Africa, consisting of counter-terrorism efforts and policing of arms and drug trafficking across central Africa.

===Iraq===

[[Image:C-130J Hercules, Iraq, 2003.jpg|thumb|right|A British [[C-130J Hercules]] aircraft launches [[Flare (countermeasure)|flare countermeasures]] prior to being the first coalition aircraft to land on the newly reopened military runway at [[Baghdad International Airport]].]]

[[Iraq]] had been listed as a State sponsor of international terrorism by the United States since 1990,<ref>{{cite news|title=Iraq accuses U.S., Turkey of 'illegally' meeting with Kurds |publisher=CNN |date=2000-03-09 |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/meast/03/09/un.iraq/index.html}}</ref> when [[Iraq – United States relations|Saddam Hussein fell out of US favor]]. The regime of [[Saddam Hussein]] proved a continuing problem for the UN and Iraq’s neighbors in its use of [[chemical weapons]] against [[Iran]]ians and [[Kurds]].

====Iraqi no-fly zones====
After the [[Gulf War]], the US, French and British militaries instituted and began patrolling [[Iraqi no-fly zones]], to protect Iraq's Kurdish minority and [[Shi'a]] [[Arab]] population—both of which suffered attacks from the Hussein regime before and after the Gulf War—in Iraq's northern and southern regions, respectively. US forces continued in combat zone deployments through November 1995 and launched [[Operation Desert Fox]] against Iraq in 1998 after it failed to meet US demands of "unconditional cooperation" in weapons inspections.<ref>{{cite news|title=Clinton: Iraq has abused its final chance |publisher=CNN |date=1998-12-16 |url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/12/16/clinton/index.html?eref=sitesearch}}</ref>

Prior to Operation Desert Fox, [[US president]] [[Bill Clinton]] predicted "And mark my words, he will develop weapons of mass destruction. He will deploy them, and he will use them." Clinton also declared a desire to remove Hussein from power and in the same speech said, "The hard fact is that so long as Saddam remains in power, he threatens the well-being of his people, the peace of his region, the security of the world." In the aftermath of Operation Desert Fox, during December 1998, Iraq announced that it would no longer respect the no-fly zones and resumed its attempts to shoot down US aircraft.

Air strikes by the British and US against Iraqi anti-aircraft and military targets continued over the next few years. Also in 1998, Clinton signed the [[Iraq Liberation Act]], which called for regime change in Iraq on the basis of its alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction, oppression of Iraqi citizens, and attacks on other Middle Eastern countries.

The George W. Bush administration called for the [[United Nations Security Council]] (UNSC) to again send weapons inspectors to Iraq (previous inspectors had been expelled after being caught spying for the US) to find and destroy the alleged weapons of mass destruction and called for a UNSC resolution.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bush's remarks after U.N. passes Iraq resolution |publisher=CNN |date=2002-11-08 |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/11/08/bush.transcript/}}</ref> [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441|UNSC Resolution 1441]] was passed unanimously, which offered Iraq "a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations" or face "serious consequences." 

[[Image:Army.mil-2007-03-21-084518.jpg|thumb|right|American soldiers take cover during a [[battle|firefight]] with [[guerrilla]] forces in the Al Doura section of [[Baghdad]].]]
[[File:Bush announces Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003.jpg|thumb|300px|left|President George W. Bush [http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030319-17.html addresses the nation] from the Oval Office, March 19, 2003, to announce the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.]]

Resolution 1441 did not authorize the use of force by member states. The Iraqi government subsequently allowed UN inspectors some access to Iraqi sites, while the US government continued to assert that Iraq was being obstructionist.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/iraq/resolution2_2-24-03.html |title=The Second UN Resolution|date=February 24, 2003|work=www.pbs.org|accessdate=May 4,2010}}</ref>

In October 2002, a large bipartisan majority in the [[United States Congress]] authorized the president to use force if necessary to disarm Iraq in order to "prosecute the war on terrorism."<ref>{{cite news|title=Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq |date=2002-10-02 |publisher=[[White House]] |url=http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/10/print/20021002-2.html}}</ref> After failing to overcome opposition from [[France]], [[Russia]], and [[China]] against a UNSC resolution that would sanction the use of force against Iraq, and before the UN weapons inspectors had completed their inspections (which were claimed to be fruitless by the US because of Iraq's alleged deception), the United States assembled a "[[Coalition of the Willing]]" composed of nations who pledged support for its policy of regime change in Iraq. 

====Operation Iraqi Freedom====
{{Main|Operation Iraqi Freedom}}
On March 19, 2003, the [[Iraq War]] began and the [[2003 Invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]] was launched the next day. The Bush administration stated the invasion was the "serious consequences" spoken of in UNSC Resolution 1441.

Iraq's government was quickly toppled and on May 1, 2003, Bush announced that major combat operations in Iraq had ended.<ref>
{{cite press release
|publisher=The White House
|date=May 1, 2003
|title=President Bush Announces Major Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended
|url=http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/05/print/20030501-15.html}}</ref> However, an [[Iraqi Insurgency|insurgency]] arose against the US-led coalition and the newly developing Iraqi military and post-Saddam government. This insurgency led to far more coalition casualties than the invasion.

Elements of the insurgency were led by fugitive members of President Hussein's [[Ba'ath]] regime, which included Iraqi nationalists and [[pan-Arabist]]s. Many insurgency leaders are [[Islamists]] and claim to be fighting a religious war to reestablish the [[Islamic Caliphate]] of centuries past.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040705-658290,00.html TIME.com]</ref>

In January 2007 President Bush presented a new strategy for [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] based upon [[counter-insurgency]] theories and tactics developed by General [[David Petraeus]]. The [[Iraq War troop surge of 2007]] was part of this "new way forward" and, along with US backing of [[Sunni]] groups it had previously sought to defeat, has been credited with a widely recognized dramatic decrease in violence by up to 80%, and a more controversial possible increase in political and communal reconciliation in Iraq.

====Operation New Dawn====
The war entered a new phase on on September 1, 2010 <ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0819/Iraq-war-Last-US-combat-brigade-crosses-into-Kuwait</ref>, with the official end of U.S. combat operations. However, 50,000 U.S. troops remain in an advise and assist role to provide support for Iraqi security forces.

==International military support==
[[Image:BritishPatrolHelmand01.jpg|thumb|right|The [[United Kingdom]] is the second largest contributor of troops in [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghanistan]].]]
:{{Main|Participants in Operation Enduring Freedom}}
:{{Main|Multinational force in Iraq}}
:{{See also|Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2008}} 
:{{See also|Afghanistan War order of battle}}
The invasion of Afghanistan is seen to have been the first action of this war, and initially involved forces from the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], and the Afghan [[Afghan Northern Alliance|Northern Alliance]]. Since the initial invasion period, these forces were augmented by troops and aircraft from [[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[Denmark]], [[France]], [[Italy]], [[Netherlands]], [[New Zealand]] and [[Norway]] amongst others. In 2006, there were about 33,000 troops in Afghanistan.

On September 12, 2001, less than 24 hours after the September 11 attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., [[NATO]] invoked Article 5 of the [[North Atlantic Treaty]] and declared the attacks to be an attack against all 19 NATO member countries. Australian Prime Minister [[John Howard]] also declared that Australia would invoke the [[ANZUS]] Treaty along similar lines.

In the following months, NATO took a wide range of measures to respond to the threat of terrorism. On November 22, 2002, the member states of the [[Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council]] (EAPC) decided on a Partnership Action Plan against Terrorism which explicitly states that "EAPC States are committed to the protection and promotion of fundamental freedoms and human rights, as well as the rule of law, in combating terrorism." NATO started naval operations in the [[Mediterranean Sea]] designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction as well as to enhance the security of shipping in general called Operation Active Endeavour.

Support for the United States cooled when America made clear its determination to invade Iraq in late 2002. Even so, many of the "coalition of the willing" countries that unconditionally supported the U.S.-led military action have sent troops to Afghanistan, particular neighboring [[Pakistan]], which has disowned its earlier support for the Taliban and contributed tens of thousands of soldiers to the conflict. Pakistan was also engaged in the [[Waziristan War]]. Supported by U.S. intelligence, Pakistan was attempting to remove the Taliban insurgency and al-Qaeda element from the northern tribal areas.<ref>{{cite news|title=New frontline in the war on terror.}}</ref>

===International Security Assistance Force===
[[Image:ISAF map.svg|thumb|300px|Map of countries currently contributing troops to ISAF as of 5 March 2010. Major contributors (over 1000 troops) in dark green, other contributors in light green, and former contributors in magenta.]]
:{{Main|International Security Assistance Force}}

December 2001 saw the creation of the NATO-led [[International Security Assistance Force]] (ISAF) to assist the [[Afghan Transitional Administration]] and the first post-Taliban elected government. With a renewed Taliban insurgency, it was announced in 2006 that ISAF would replace the U.S troops in the province as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The [[British 16th Air Assault Brigade]] (later reinforced by [[Royal Marines]]) formed the core of the force in southern Afghanistan, along with troops and helicopters from Australia, Canada and the Netherlands. The initial force consisted of roughly 3,300 British, 2,000 Canadian, 1,400 from the Netherlands and 240 from Australia, along with special forces from Denmark and [[Estonia]] and small contingents from other nations.<ref>{{cite news|title=UK troops take over Afghan duties|date=2006-06-01|publisher=[[BBC]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4961368.stm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Canada set for longer Afghan stay |date=2006-06-16 |publisher=[[BBC]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4984880.stm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Australia outlines Afghan force|date=2006-05-08|publisher=[[BBC]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4983540.stm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=More Dutch troops for Afghanistan |date=2006-02-03 |publisher=[[BBC]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4673026.stm}}</ref>

===Pakistan involvement===
{{Main|War on Terror in Pakistan}} 
{{See also|Pervez Musharraf#Support for the War on Terror|l1=Pakistani support for the War on  Terror}}
{{See also|Waziristan War}}
[[File:2006 Musharaff at the White House.jpeg|thumb|200px|right|President Musharraf with President Bush.]]

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, former President of Pakistan [[Pervez Musharraf]] sided with the United States against the Taliban government in Afghanistan after an ultimatum by U.S. President George W. Bush.  Musharraf agreed to give the United States the use of three airbases for Operation Enduring Freedom. [[United States Secretary of State]] [[Colin Powell]] and other administration officials met with Musharraf. On September 19, 2001, Musharraf addressed the people of Pakistan and stated that, while he opposed military tactics against the Taliban, Pakistan risked being endangered by an alliance of India and the U.S. if it did not cooperate. In 2006, Musharraf testified that this stance was pressured by threats from the U.S., and revealed in his memoirs that he had "war-gamed" the United States as an adversary and decided that it would end in a loss for Pakistan.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-09-25-pakistan-memoir_x.htm  Musharraf's book says Pakistan faced U.S.  'onslaught' if it didn't back terror war] 9/26/2006 USA Today</ref>

On January 12, 2002, Musharraf gave a speech against Islamic extremism. He unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism and pledged to combat Islamic extremism and lawlessness within Pakistan itself. He stated that his government was committed to rooting out extremism and made it clear that the banned militant organizations would not be allowed to resurface under any new name. He said, "the recent decision to ban extremist groups promoting militancy was taken in the national interest after thorough  consultations. It was not taken under any foreign influence".<ref>http://www.dawn.com/2003/12/05/top8.htm</ref>

In 2002, the Musharraf-led government took a firm stand against the jihadi organizations and groups promoting extremism, and  arrested [[Maulana Masood Azhar]], head of the [[Jaish-e-Mohammed]], and [[Hafiz Muhammad Saeed]], chief of the [[Lashkar-i-Taiba]], and took dozens of activists into custody. An official ban was imposed on the groups on January 12.<ref>[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/DH20Df07.html Musharraf braced for jihadi backlash]</ref> Later that year, the [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] born [[Abu Zubaydah|Zayn al-Abidn Muhammed Hasayn Abu Zubaydah]] was arrested by Pakistani officials during a series of joint U.S.-Pakistan raids. Zubaydah is said to have been a high-ranking al-Qaeda official with the title of operations chief and in charge of running al-Qaeda training camps.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/04/01/pakistan.alqaeda/ | work=CNN | title=Officials: Captured man says he's al Qaeda brass | date=April 1, 2002 | accessdate=April 9, 2010}}</ref> Other prominent al-Qaeda members were arrested in the following two years, namely [[Ramzi Binalshibh]], who is known to have been a financial backer of al-Qaeda operations, and [[Khalid Shaikh Mohammed]], who at the time of his capture was the third highest ranking official in al-Qaeda and had been directly in charge of the planning for the September 11 attacks.

In 2004 the [[Pakistani Army]] launched a campaign in the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]] of Pakistan's [[Waziristan]] region, sending in 80,000 troops. The goal of the conflict was to remove the [[al-Qaeda]] and Taliban forces in the region. 

After the fall of the Taliban regime many members of the Taliban resistance fled to the Northern border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan where the Pakistani army had previously little control. With the logistics and air support of the United States, the Pakistani Army captured or killed numerous al-Qaeda operatives such as [[Khalid Shaikh Mohammed]], wanted for his involvement in the USS Cole bombing, the [[Oplan Bojinka]] plot, and the killing of ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' reporter [[Daniel Pearl]]. 

The United States has carried out a campaign of [[Drone attacks on Pakistan by the United States of America|Drone attacks]] on targets all over the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. However, the [[Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan|Pakistani Taliban]] resistance still operates there.

==US military aid to other countries==
{{See also|United States military aid|United States Foreign Military Financing}}
;Pakistan
In the three years before the attacks of September 11, Pakistan received approximately $9 million in American military aid. In the three years after, the number increased to $4.2 billion, making it the country with the maximum funding post 9/11.

Such a huge inflow of funds has raised concerns in the Indian press that these funds were given without any accountability, as the end uses not being documented, and that large portions were used to suppress civilians' human rights and to purchase weapons to contain domestic problems like the [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]] unrest. Pakistan has stated that India has been supporting terror groups within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]] with the aim of creating unrest within the country.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[India Today]] |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/24792/Cover+Story/Tackling+Pakistan.html |title=Tackling Pakistan |date= January 9, 2009 |accessdate=12 June 2009}}</ref>

;Lebanon
{{See also|2007 Lebanon conflict}}
On May 20, 2007, a conflict began in north [[Lebanon]] after fighting broke out between [[Fatah al-Islam]], an [[Islamism|Islamist]] [[List of designated terrorist organizations|militant organization]], and the [[Lebanese Armed Forces]] in [[Nahr al-Bared]], a [[Palestinian refugee|Palestinian]] [[List of Palestinian refugee camps|refugee camp]] near [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]]. The conflict evolved mostly around the Siege of Nahr el-Bared, but minor clashes also occurred in the [[Ain al-Hilweh]] refugee camp in southern Lebanon and several bombings took place in and around Lebanon's capital, [[Beirut]]. 

Fatah-al-Islam has been described as a militant [[mujahid]]<ref name="Figaro_20070416">Le Figaro (April 16, 2007). [http://www.lefigaro.fr/english/20070416.WWW000000477_fatah_al_islam_the_new_terrorist_threat_hanging_over_lebanon.html "Fatah Al-Islam: the new terrorist threat hanging over Lebanon"]. Retrieved May 20, 2007.</ref> movement that draws inspiration from al-Qaeda.<ref name="Figaro_20070416" /> The US provided military aid to the Lebanese government during the conflict. On September 7, 2007 Lebanese government forces captured the camp and declared victory. 

;Yemen
{{See also|Terrorism in Yemen}}
There had been a number of attacks against foreign targets in Yemen since the start of the war on terror. Yemen has a weak central government and a powerful tribal system that leaves large lawless areas open for militant training and operations. Al-Qaida has a strong presence in the country.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}

<!--Need info about past years-->
The US, in an effort to support Yemeni counter-terrorism efforts, has increased their military aid package to Yemen from less than $11 millions in 2006 to more than $70 millions in 2009, as well as providing up to $121 millions for development over the next three years.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/28/al-qaida-us-yemen-attack | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Al-Qaida: US support for Yemen crackdown led to attack | first=Hugh | last=MacLeod | date=December 28, 2009 | accessdate=April 9, 2010}}</ref>

;Israel
The US has aided Israel against groups such as [[Hamas]], [[Hezbollah]], and [[Islamic Jihad]]. Former President George W. Bush told the [[Knesset]] that America "stands by Israel in the war on terror".<ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3543589,00.html Bush tells Knesset US 'stands by Israel in war on terror']</ref>

==Post 9/11 events inside the United States==<!--Maybe some other title is more appropriate-->

[[Image:Liberty.jpg|thumb|A [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] helicopter patrols the airspace over New York City.]]
{{further|[[Detentions following the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack]]}}

In addition to military efforts abroad, in the aftermath of 9/11 the Bush Administration increased domestic efforts to prevent future attacks. Various government bureaucracies which handled security and military functions were reorganized. A new cabinet level agency called the [[United States Department of Homeland Security]] was created in November 2002 to lead and coordinate the largest reorganization of the U.S. federal government since the consolidation of the armed forces into the Department of Defense.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}

The Justice Department launched a [[Special Registration]] procedure for certain male non-citizens in the U.S., requiring them to register in person at offices of the [[Immigration and Naturalization Service]].

{{main|USA PATRIOT Act}}
The [[USA PATRIOT Act]] of October 2001 dramatically reduces restrictions on law enforcement agencies' ability to search telephone, e-mail communications, medical, financial, and other records; eases restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering within the United States; expands the [[Secretary of the Treasury]]’s authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; and broadens the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts. The act also expanded the definition of terrorism to include domestic terrorism, thus enlarging the number of activities to which the USA PATRIOT Act's expanded law enforcement powers could be applied. A new [[Terrorist Finance Tracking Program]] monitored the movements of terrorists' financial resources (discontinued after being revealed by [[The New York Times]] newspaper). Telecommunication usage by known and suspected terrorists was studied through the [[NSA electronic surveillance program]]. The Patriot Act is still in effect.

Political interest groups have stated that these laws remove important restrictions on governmental authority, and are a dangerous encroachment on civil liberties, possible [[Constitutionality|unconstitutional]] violations of the [[Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourth Amendment]]. On July 30, 2003, the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] (ACLU) filed the first legal challenge against Section 215 of the Patriot Act, claiming that it allows the [[FBI]] to violate a citizen's [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] rights, [[Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourth Amendment]] rights, and right to [[due process]], by granting the government the right to search a person's business, bookstore, and library records in a terrorist investigation, without disclosing to the individual that records were being searched.<ref>[http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2003/august2003/firstpatriot.cfm ALA.org]</ref> Also, governing bodies in a number of communities have passed symbolic resolutions against the act.

In a speech on June 9, 2005, Bush said that the USA PATRIOT Act had been used to bring charges against more than 400 suspects, more than half of whom had been convicted. Meanwhile the ACLU quoted Justice Department figures showing that 7,000 people have complained of abuse of the Act.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ([[DARPA]]) began an initiative in early 2002 with the creation of the [[Total Information Awareness]] program, designed to promote information technologies that could be used in counter-terrorism. This program, facing criticism, has since been defunded by Congress.

By 2003, 12 major conventions and protocols were designed to combat terrorism. These were adopted and ratified by a number of states. These conventions require states to co-operate on principal issues regarding unlawful seizure of aircraft, the physical protection of nuclear materials, and the freezing of assets of militant networks.<ref>Cindy C Combs (2003), Terrorism in the Twenty First Century, (3rd Edition, New Jersey: Pearsons Educ. Inc.)</ref>
 
In 2005 the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1624 concerning incitement to commit acts of terrorism and the obligations of countries to comply with international [[human rights]] laws.<ref>[http://www.un.org/sc/ctc/ U.N. Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee]</ref> Although both resolutions require mandatory annual reports on [[counter-terrorism]] activities by adopting nations, the United States and [[Israel]] have both declined to submit reports. In the same year, the [[United States Department of Defense]] and the [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] issued a planning document, by the name "National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism"  which stated that it constituted the "comprehensive military plan to prosecute the Global War on Terror for the [[Military of the United States|Armed Forces of the United States]]...including the findings and recommendations of the [[9/11 Commission]] and a rigorous examination with the Department of Defense".

On January 9, 2007, the House of Representatives passed a bill, by a vote of 299-128,  enacting many of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission The bill passed in the U.S. Senate,<ref>[http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00073   U.S. Senate: Legislation & Records<!-- Bot generated   title -->]</ref> by a vote of 60-38, on March  13, 2007 and it was signed into law on August 3, 2007 by President Bush. It became Public Law 110-53. 

The [[Office of Strategic Influence]] was secretly created after 9/11 for the purpose of coordinating propaganda efforts, but was closed soon after being discovered. The Bush administration implemented the [[Continuity of Operations Plan]] (or Continuity of Government) to ensure that U.S. government would be able to continue in catastrophic circumstances.

Since 9/11, extremists made various attempts to attack the US homeland, with varying levels of organization and skill. For example, vigilant passengers aboard a transatlantic flight prevented [[Richard Reid (shoe bomber)|Richard Reid]], in 2001, and [[Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab]], in 2009, from detonating an explosive device. 
 
Other terrorist plots have been stopped by federal agencies using new legal powers and investigative tools, sometimes in cooperation with foreign governments. 

Such thwarted attacks include: 
*A plan to crash airplanes into the [[U.S. Bank Tower (Los Angeles)|U.S. Bank Tower]] (aka Library Tower) in Los Angeles
*The 2003 plot by [[Iyman Faris]] to blow up the [[Brooklyn Bridge]] in New York City
*The [[2004 Financial buildings plot]] which targeted the [[International Monetary Fund]] and [[World Bank]] buildings in [[Washington, DC]], the [[New York Stock Exchange]] and other financial institutions
*The 2004 [[Columbus Shopping Mall Bombing Plot]]
*The [[2006 transatlantic aircraft plot]] which was to involve liquid explosives
*The [[2006 Sears Tower plot]]
*The [[2007 Fort Dix attack plot]] 
*The [[2007 John F. Kennedy International Airport attack plot]]


The Obama administration has promised the closing of the [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp]], increased the number of troops in [[War in Afghanistan (2001-present)|Afghanistan]], and promised the withdrawal of its troops from [[War in Iraq|Iraq]].

==Criticism==
{{Main|Criticism of the War on Terror}}
[[Image:World Can't Wait J4 Demo.jpg|thumb|Participants in a rally, dressed as hooded detainees.]]
The notion of a "war"  against "terror" or "terrorism" has proven highly contentious, with critics charging that it has been exploited by participating governments to pursue long-standing policy objectives, reduce [[civil liberties]], and infringe upon [[human rights]]. Some argue that the term ''war'' is not appropriate in this context, since they believe there is no  identifiable enemy, and that it is unlikely international terrorism can  be brought to an end by military means.<ref  name="Richissin">{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002023596_russanal02.html|title="War on terror" difficult to define|last=Richissin|first=Todd|date=2004-09-02|publisher=''The Balitmore Sun''|accessdate=2009-01-28}}</ref> The [[Director of Public Prosecutions]] and head of the [[Crown Prosecution Service]] in the United Kingdom, [[Ken Macdonald|Ken McDonald]] has stated that those responsible for acts of terror such as the [[7 July 2005 London bombings]] are  not "soldiers" in a war, but "inadequates" who should be dealt with by the [[criminal justice system]].<ref>"There is no war on  terror in the UK, says DPP", [[The Times]], January 24, 2007, p.12, [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2563401,00.html  TimesOnline.co.uk]</ref> Other critics, such as [[Francis Fukuyama]], note that "[[Definition of terrorism|terrorism]]" is not an enemy but a tactic;  calling it a "war on terror" obscures differences between conflicts.

The term terrorism has been characterized as unacceptably vague. The [[United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime]] stated that there is lack of agreement on a definition of terrorism and that has proven to be an obstacle to meaningful international countermeasures. It proceeds to declare that "Some have often commented that one state's 'terrorist' is another state's 'freedom fighter'". Governments in [[Iran]], [[Lebanon]], and [[Venezuela]] consistently use the term "terrorism" to describe actions taken by the United States.<ref>[http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_ID=1&article_ID=74444&categ_id=5 "An open letter to the American president" Lebanon ''Daily Star'']</ref> The use of state terrorism by the U.S. and the inherent hypocrisy of the term have been commented upon by Americans as well, including 3 star general [[William Odom]], formerly President Reagan's [[National Security Agency |NSA]] Director, who wrote:

<blockquote>"As many critics have pointed out, terrorism is not an enemy. It is a tactic. Because the United States itself has a long record of supporting terrorists and  [[United States and state terrorism|
using terrorist tactics]], the slogans of today's war on terrorism merely makes the United States look hypocritical to the rest of the world. A prudent American president would end the present policy of "sustained hysteria" over potential terrorist attacks..treat terrorism as a serious but not a strategic problem, encourage Americans to regain their confidence, and refuse to let al Qaeda keep us in a state of fright."<ref name="odom_terrorismtactic">[www.middlebury.edu/media/view/214721/original/OdomPaper.pdf American Hegemony: How to Use It, How to Lose It
by Gen. William Odom]</ref><ref>[http://www.docstoc.com/docs/32938989/American-Hegemony-How-to-Use-It-How-to-Lose American Hegemony How to Use It, How to Lose at Docstoc]</ref></blockquote>

Further criticism maintains that the War on Terror provides a framework for [[perpetual war]]; the announcement of such open-ended goals produces a state of endless conflict, since "terrorist groups" can continue to arise indefinitely.<ref>Richissin, Todd. "<cite>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002023596_russanal02.html 'War on terror' difficult to define]</cite>" [[Baltimore Sun|The Baltimore Sun]], 2 September 2004.</ref> George W. Bush pledged that the War on Terror "will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeated".<ref>
{{cite press release
|publisher=The White House
|date=September 20, 2001
|title=Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People
|url=http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/print/20010920-8.html}}</ref> During a July 2007 visit to the United States, newly appointed British Prime Minister [[Gordon Brown]] defined the War on Terror, specifically the element involving conflict with Al Qaeda, as "a generational battle".<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/30/bush.brown/index.html "CNN: Britain's Brown: Al Qaeda fight a 'generation-long' battle"]</ref>

The War on Terror has been criticized as inefficient, with a number of security experts, politicians, and policy organizations having claimed that the War on Terror has been counterproductive, that it has consolidated opposition to the U.S., aided terrorist recruitment, and increased the likelihood of attacks against the U.S. and its allies. In a 2005 briefing paper, the [[Oxford Research Group]] reported that "Al-Qaida and its affiliates remain active and effective, with a stronger support base and a higher intensity of attacks than before 9/11. ...Far from winning the 'war on terror', the second [[George W. Bush administration]] is maintaining policies that are not curbing paramilitary movements and are actually increasing violent anti-Americanism." On September 19, 2008, the [[RAND]] Corporation presented the results of a comprehensive study for "Defeating Terrorist Groups" before the United States House Armed Services Committees, which said that "by far the most effective strategy against religious groups has been the use of local police and intelligence services, which were responsible for the end of 73 percent of [terrorist] groups since 1968."<ref name="RAND: Defeating Terrorist Groups, by Seth G. Jones">[http://www.rand.org/pubs/testimonies/CT314/ Rand.org]</ref> The RAND Corporation recommended "[The U.S. military] should generally resist being drawn into combat operations in Muslim countries where its presence is likely to increase terrorist recruitment."  They stated that "moving away from military references would indicate that there was no battlefield solution to countering terrorism." 

Others have criticized the U.S. for [[double standard]]s in its dealings with key allies that are also known to support terrorist groups, such as [[Pakistan]]. [[Afghanistan|Afghan]] President [[Hamid Karzai]] has repeatedly stated that in the "war against terrorism," “the central front is Pakistan"; Pakistan has also been alleged to provide [[Taliban]] operatives with covert support via the [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]].<ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C11%5C16%5Cstory_16-11-2006_pg7_23 ‘Pakistan must not harbour Taliban’ By Khalid Hasan]</ref> These accusations of double dealing apply to civil liberties<ref>[http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2003/12/08/031208ta_talk_lemann "Democracy Hypocrisy"; ''The New Yorker'' 8 Dec 2001]</ref> and human rights as well as terrorism. According to the [[Federation of American Scientists]], "[i]n its haste to strengthen the "frontline" states' ability to confront transnational terrorist threats on their soil, and to gain the cooperation of regimes of geostrategic significance to the next phases of the "War on Terrorism", the administration is disregarding normative restrictions on U.S. aid to human rights abusers."<ref>[http://www.fas.org/terrorism/at/docs/Aid&Humanrights.html "The War on Terrorism" and Human Rights: Aid to Abusers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
[[Amnesty International]] has argued that the Patriot Act gives the U.S. government free rein to violate the constitutional rights of citizens.<ref>[http://www.amnestyusa.org/war-on-terror/civil-rights/page.do?id=1108209 Amnesty International]</ref> The Bush administration's use of torture and alleged use of [[extraordinary rendition]] and [[secret prison]]s have all fueled opposition to the War on Terror.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/01/AR2005110101644.html ''Washington Post'']</ref><ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5776968 NPR]</ref><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/jun/13/usa.terrorism ''Guardian'']</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/13/AR2009011303372.html?hpid=topnews ''Washington Post'']</ref>
[[Image:TankStencil.jpg|thumb|An anti-war [[Tank]] [[Stencil]].]]
<!-- May need update -->
International support of the War on Terror has also faced a substantial decline, both in public opinion and by foreign state officials. In 2002, strong majorities supported the U.S.-led War on Terror in [[UK|Britain]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Japan]], [[India]], and [[Russia]]. By 2006, supporters of the effort were in the minority in Britain (49%), France (43%), Germany (47%), and Japan (26%). Although a majority of Russians still supported the War on Terror, that majority had decreased by 21%. Whereas 63% of the Spanish population supported the War on Terror in 2003, only 19% of the population indicated support in 2006. 19% of the Chinese population supports the War on Terror, and less than a fifth of the populations of [[Turkey]], [[Egypt]], and [[Jordan]] support the effort. Indian support for the War on Terror has been stable.<ref>[http://pewglobal.org/commentary/display.php?AnalysisID=1019 Pew Global Attitudes Project: America’s Image in the World: Findings from the Pew Global Attitudes Project<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Andrew Kohut, speaking to the [[U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs]], noted that, according to the [[Pew Research Center]] polls conducted in 2004, "majorities or pluralities in seven of the nine countries surveyed said the U.S.-led war on terror was not really a sincere effort to reduce international terrorism. This was true not only in Muslim countries such as Morocco and Turkey, but in France and Germany as well. The true purpose of the war on terror, according to these skeptics, is American control of Middle East oil and U.S. domination of the world."<ref>{{cite web| url=www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/congress/koh111005.pdf|title=Testimony of Andrew Kohut, House of Representatives International Relations Committee|work=www.au.af.mil}}</ref>

[[Stella Rimington]], former head of the British intelligence service [[MI5]], has criticized the war on terror as a "huge overreaction", and had decried the militarization and politicization of the U.S. efforts as being the wrong approach to terrorism.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Norton-Taylor |first=Richard |title=Response to 9/11 was "hugh overreaction" |journal=[[The Guardian]] |issue=October 18 |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/oct/18/stella-rimington-9-11-mi5 |accessdate=2008-10-22 | location=London | date=October 18, 2008}}</ref>  In January 2009, the  British [[Foreign Secretary]], [[David Miliband]], wrote that "ultimately, the notion is misleading and mistaken" and later said "Historians will judge whether [the notion] has done more harm than good".<ref>{{cite news |first=Julian |last=Berger |title='War on Terror' was a mistake, says Milliband |work=[[The Guardian]] |page= |date=2009-01-15 |accessdate=15 January 2009|quote=democracies must respond to terrorism by championing the rule of law, not subordinating it |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jan/15/war-on-terror-miliband | location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=David |last=Milliband |title='War on Terror' was wrong |work=[[The Guardian]] |page= |date=2009-01-15 |accessdate=15 January 2009|quote= The call for a "war on terror" was a call to arms, an attempt to build solidarity for a fight against a single shared enemy. But the foundation for solidarity between peoples and nations should be based not on who we are against, but on the idea of who we are and the values we share. Terrorists succeed when they render countries fearful and vindictive; when they sow division and animosity; when they force countries to respond with violence and repression. The best response is to refuse to be cowed.
|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/15/david-miliband-war-terror | location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7829946.stm|title=BBC    NEWS | Politics | Miliband regrets 'war on  terror'|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk|accessdate=2009-01-15 | date=January 15, 2009}}</ref>

==Role of U.S. media==
{{Main|Criticism of the War on Terrorism#Role of U.S. media|l1=Role of U.S. media on the War on Terror}}
Researchers in the area of communication studies and political science have found that American understanding of the war on terror is directly shaped by how the mainstream news media reports events associated with the war on terror. In ''Bush’s War: Media Bias and Justifications for War in a Terrorist Age''<ref>
{{cite book
 | last =Kuypers
 | first =Jim A.
 | title =Bush’s War: Media Bias and Justifications for War in a Terrorist Age
 | origdate =2006-10-28
 | publisher =[[Rowman & Littlefield]] Publishers, Inc.
 | isbn =0-7425-3653-X
 | year =2006
 }}</ref>
political communication researcher [[Jim A. Kuypers]] illustrated "how the press failed America in its coverage on the War on Terror." In each comparison, Kuypers "detected massive bias on the part of the press." The researcher called the mainstream news media an "anti-democratic institution" in his conclusion. The findings of the research suggest that the public is misinformed about government justification and plans concerning the war on terror.

Others have also suggested that press coverage has contributed to a public confused and misinformed on both the nature and level of the threat to the U.S. posed by terrorism. In his book ''Trapped in the War on Terror''<ref>
 {{cite book
 | last =Lustick 
 | first =Ian S. 
 | title =Trapped in the War on Terror 
 | origdate =2006-09-01 
 | publisher =University of Pennsylvania Press 
 | isbn =0-8122-3983-0
 | year =2006
 }}</ref>
political scientist Ian S. Lustick states "the media have given constant attention to possible terrorist-initiated catastrophes and to the failures and weaknesses of the government's response." Lustick alleged that the War on Terror is disconnected from the real but remote threat terrorism poses, and that the generalized War on Terror began as part of the justification for invading Iraq, but then took on a life of its own, fueled by media coverage.

Media researcher Stephen D. Cooper’s analysis of media criticism ''Watching the Watchdog: Bloggers As the Fifth Estate''<ref>
 {{cite book
 | last =Cooper 
 | first =Stephen D. 
 | title =Watching the Watchdog: Bloggers As the Fifth Estate 
 | origdate =2006-06-12 
 | publisher =Marquette Books 
 | isbn =0-9229-9347-5
 | year =2006
 }}</ref>
contains many examples of controversies concerning mainstream reporting of the War on Terror. Cooper found that bloggers' criticisms of factual inaccuracies in news stories or bloggers’ discovery of the mainstream press's failure to adequately check facts before publication caused many news organizations to retract or change news stories.

[[David Barstow]] won the 2009 [[Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting]] by connecting the Department of Defense to over 75 retired generals supporting the Iraq War on TV and radio networks. The Department of Defense recruited the retired generals to sell the war to the American public. Barstow also discovered undisclosed links between some retired generals and defense contractors. Barstow reported "the Bush administration used its control over access of information in an effort to transform the analysts into a kind of media Trojan horse."

==Casualties==
There is no widely agreed on figure for the number of people that have been killed so far in the War on Terror as it has been defined by the Bush Administration to include the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, and operations elsewhere. Some estimates include the following:

* Iraq: 62,570 to 1,124,000
{{Main|Casualties of the Iraq War}}
:*[[ORB survey of Iraq War casualties|Opinion Research Business (ORB) poll]] conducted August 12–19, 2007 estimated 1,033,000 violent deaths due to the Iraq War. The range given was 946,000 to 1,120,000 deaths. A nationally representative sample of approximately 2,000 Iraqi adults answered whether any members of their household (living under their roof) were killed due to the Iraq War. 22% of the respondents had lost one or more household members. ORB reported that "48% died from a gunshot wound, 20% from the impact of a car bomb, 9% from aerial bombardment, 6% as a result of an accident and 6% from another blast/ordnance."<ref name=ORB>[http://www.opinion.co.uk/Newsroom_details.aspx?NewsId=78 "More than 1,000,000 Iraqis murdered"]. September 2007. Opinion Research Business. PDF report: [http://www.opinion.co.uk/Documents/TABLES.pdf Opinion.co.uk]</ref><ref name=ORB2>[http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/09/14/3839/ "Poll: Civilian Death Toll in Iraq May Top 1 Million"]. By Tina Susman. Sept. 14, 2007. ''[[Los Angeles Times]].''</ref><ref name=ORB3>[http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/09/16/3879/ "Greenspan Admits Iraq was About Oil, As Deaths Put at 1.2 Million"]. By Peter Beaumont and Joanna Walters. September 16, 2007. ''[[The Observer|The Observer (UK)]].''</ref><ref name=ORB4>[http://www.medialens.org/alerts/07/070918_the_media_ignore.php "The Media Ignore Credible Poll Revealing 1.2 Million Violent Deaths In Iraq"]. Sept. 18, 2007. ''[[MediaLens]].''</ref>
:* Between 392,979 and 942,636 estimated Iraqi (655,000 with a confidence interval of 95%), civilian and combatant, according to the second [[Lancet surveys of mortality before and after the 2003 invasion of Iraq|Lancet survey of mortality]].
:* A minimum of 62,570 civilian deaths reported in the mass media up to 28 April 2007 according to [[Iraq Body Count project]].<ref>[http://www.IraqBodyCount.org IraqBodyCount]</ref>
:* 4410 U.S. military dead. 31,844 wounded in action, of which 13,954 were unable to return to duty within 72 hours.<ref>http://www.defense.gov/NEWS/casualty.pdf</ref>

* Afghanistan: between 10,960 and 49,600

{{Main|Civilian casualties of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)}}

:*According to Marc W. Herold's extensive database,<ref>[http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mwherold/dossier Dossier on Civilian Victims of United States' Aerial Bombing]</ref> between 3,100 and 3,600 civilians were directly killed by U.S. [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] bombing and Special Forces attacks between October 7, 2001 and June 3, 2003. This estimate counts only "impact deaths"—deaths that occurred in the immediate aftermath of an explosion or shooting—and does not count deaths that occurred later as a result of injuries sustained, or deaths that occurred as an indirect consequence of the U.S. airstrikes and invasion.

:*In an opinion article published in August 2002 in the magazine [[The Weekly Standard]], [[Joshua Muravchik]] of the [[American Enterprise Institute]],<ref>[http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2006/10/10/the_fp_memo_operation_comeback ForeignPolicy.com]</ref> questioned Professor Herold's study entirely on the basis of one single incident that involved 25-93 deaths. He did not provide any estimate his own.<ref>[http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/565otmps.asp?pg=1 WeeklyStandard.com]</ref>

:*In a pair of January 2002 studies, Carl Conetta of the Project on Defense Alternatives estimates that "at least" 4,200-4,500 civilians were killed by mid-January 2002 as a result of the U.S. war and airstrikes, both directly as casualties of the aerial bombing campaign, and indirectly in the resulting humanitarian crisis.

:*His first study, "Operation Enduring Freedom: Why a Higher Rate of Civilian Bombing Casualties?",<ref>[http://www.comw.org/pda/0201oef.html "Operation Enduring Freedom: Why a Higher Rate of Civilian Bombing Casualties?"]</ref> released January 18, 2002, estimates that, at the low end, "at least" 1,000-1,300 civilians were directly killed in the aerial bombing campaign in just the 3 months between October 7, 2001 to January 1, 2002. The author found it impossible to provide an upper-end estimate to direct civilian casualties from the [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] bombing campaign that he noted as having an increased use of [[cluster bombs]].<ref>[http://www.comw.org/pda/0201oef.html#1 Operation Enduring Freedom: Why a Higher Rate of Civilian Bombing Casualties - Bombers and cluster bombs]</ref> In this lower-end estimate, only Western press sources were used for hard numbers, while heavy "reduction factors" were applied to Afghan government reports so that their estimates were reduced by as much as 75%.<ref>[http://www.comw.org/pda/0201oef.html#appendix1 Operation Enduring Freedom: Why a Higher Rate of Civilian Bombing Casualties - Appendix 1. Estimation of Civilian Bombing Casualties: Method and Sources]</ref>

:*In his companion study, "Strange Victory: A critical appraisal of Operation Enduring Freedom and the Afghanistan war",<ref>[http://www.comw.org/pda/0201strangevic.html "Strange Victory: A critical appraisal of Operation Enduring Freedom and the Afghanistan war"]</ref> released January 30, 2002, Conetta estimates that "at least" 3,200 more Afghans died by mid-January 2002, of "starvation, exposure, associated illnesses, or injury sustained while in flight from war zones", as a result of the U.S. war and airstrikes.

:*In similar numbers, a [[Los Angeles Times]] review of U.S., British, and Pakistani newspapers and international wire services found that between 1,067 and 1,201 direct civilian deaths were reported by those news organizations during the five months from October 7, 2001 to February 28, 2002. This review excluded all civilian deaths in Afghanistan that did not get reported by U.S., British, or Pakistani news, excluded 497 deaths that did get reported in U.S., British, and Pakistani news but that were not specifically identified as civilian or military, and excluded 754 civilian deaths that were reported by the Taliban but not independently confirmed.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20020604082553/http://www.latimes.com/templates/misc/printstory.jsp?slug=la-060202bombs LAtimes.com]</ref>

:* According to [[Jonathan Steele]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' between 20,000 and 49,600 people may have died of the consequences of the invasion by the spring of 2002.<ref>"<cite>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/may/20/afghanistan.comment Guardian.co.uk]</cite>" The Guardian</ref>
*Somalia: 7,000+
:*In December 2007, The Elman Peace and Human Rights Organization said it had verified 6,500 civilian deaths, 8,516 people wounded, and 1.5 million displaced from homes in [[Mogadishu]] alone during the year 2007.<ref>[http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=208509 Mogadishu violence kills 6,500 in past year: rights group<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* USA
:* June 01 2009, Pvt. William Andrew Long was shot and murdered by Abdulhakim Muhammad, while standing unarmed outside a recruiting facility in Little Rock AR: this was the first U.S. casualty on U.S. soil, as well as the first attack on U.S. soil, since the War on Terror began.<ref>[http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/33843_RIP_Pvt._William_Andrew_Long LittleGreenFootballs.com]</ref><ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |title=Recruitment Shooting Suspect Doesn't Think Killing Was Murder |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525584,00.html |newspaper=Fox News |publisher=Associated Press |date=9 June 2009 |accessdate=20 September 2009}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Axis of evil]]
* [[Black site]]s (CIA secret detention centers)
* [[Bush Doctrine]]
* [[Foreign policy of the United States]]
* [[Pakistan – United States relations]]
* [[State Sponsors of Terrorism]]
* [[Timeline of United States military operations]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/infocus/nationalsecurity/faq-what.html White House FAQ about the WoT]
* [https://www.cia.gov/news-information/cia-the-war-on-terrorism/index.html CIA and the WoT]
* [http://www.defenselink.mil/qdr/docs/2005-01-25-Strategic-Plan.pdf U.S. National Military Strategic Plan for the WoT]
* Human Rights First; [http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/us_law/PDF/detainees/Getting_to_Ground_Truth_090804.pdf Getting to Ground Truth: Investigating U.S. Abuses in the “War on Terror.” (2004)]

{{War on Terror}}
{{HighValue}}
{{United States topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:War On Terrorism}}
[[Category:2000s]]
[[Category:2003 in Iraq]]
[[Category:Iraq War]]
[[Category:2004 in Iraq]]
[[Category:2005 in Iraq]]
[[Category:2006 in Iraq]]
[[Category:2007 in Iraq]]
[[Category:Al-Qaeda]]
[[Category:Counter-terrorism policy of the United States]]
[[Category:Counter-terrorism]]
[[Category:Global conflicts]]
[[Category:History of Iraq]]
[[Category:War on Terror]]

[[ar:الحرب على الإرهاب]]
[[bs:Rat protiv terorizma]]
[[bg:Война срещу тероризма]]
[[cs:Válka s terorismem]]
[[cy:Rhyfel yn erbyn Terfysgaeth]]
[[da:Krigen mod terrorisme]]
[[de:Krieg gegen den Terror]]
[[es:Guerra contra el terrorismo]]
[[fr:Guerre contre le terrorisme]]
[[hr:Rat protiv terorizma]]
[[id:Perang melawan terorisme]]
[[it:Guerra al terrorismo]]
[[he:המלחמה העולמית בטרור]]
[[ms:Perang Terhadap Keganasan]]
[[nl:Oorlog tegen het terrorisme]]
[[ja:対テロ戦争]]
[[no:Krigen mot terror]]
[[pl:Wojna z terroryzmem]]
[[pt:Guerra ao Terror]]
[[ru:Война против терроризма]]
[[sl:Vojna proti terorizmu]]
[[sr:Рат против тероризма]]
[[sh:Rat protiv terorizma]]
[[fi:Terrorisminvastainen sota]]
[[sv:Kriget mot terrorismen]]
[[th:สงครามต่อต้านการก่อการร้าย]]
[[tr:Terörizmle Savaş]]
[[ur:دہشت پر جنگ]]
[[vi:Chiến tranh chống khủng bố]]
[[yi:מלחמה קעגן טעראר]]
[[zh:反恐战争]]
[[Category:2Fix]]