War on Terror
The War on Terror
The War on Terror (or War on Terrorism) refers to the campaign waged by the United States of America and a coalition of willing allies with the stated goal of ending international terrorism, which is typically understood to refer particularly to radical Islamist terrorism. The war was launched in response to the 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks on the United States.
Overview
Campaigns
Afghanistan
In immediate response to the 9/11 attacks, the United States invaded Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban and deny al-Qaeda a base of operations.
Iraq War
The Iraq War, also known as the Second Persian Gulf War, began in March 2003 when the United States and a "coalition of the willing" invaded Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein's Baathist regime. The close links between Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein have been documented by CNN.[1] The Bush administration initiated this costly campaign based on the pretense that Iraq had and was developing weapons of mass destruction. However, this notion has been proven to be false.
Research using robust surveying techniques has estimated that over 650,000 Iraqis have died[2] since the fall of the Ba'athist regime.
The campaign in Iraq is growingly unpopular among the American people. 54% of Americans believe that the war will ultimately be judged as a failure, while only 29% believe it will be seen as a success. <ref> [1]
References
- â [http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9902/13/afghan.binladen/ Bin Laden reportedly leaves Afghanistan, CNN
- â Iraqi death toll withstands scrutiny, Nature
Second Lebanon War
The Second Lebanon War was fought between Israel and Hezbollah, primarily in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, in the summer of 2006.
Waziristan War
The Waziristan War (2004-2006) was fought between Pakistan and al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and sympathetic tribal militias in the Waziristan province of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan.