War on Terrorism
Noble, New Age, Necessary
The War on Terrorism
In a world where the integration of cultures, prolificacy of international trade markets, and blurring of state borders has become a widely accepted norm, the distinction between standardized warfare and, the newly prescribed term, “war on terrorism” has become increasingly relevant and paramount to define and combat in the modern world. Though the “War on Terror” is considered modern vernacular in a new globalized sphere, the idea of terrorism has been around for at least the last century (Goldstein 205). It is important however to mark the turning point of this dangerous, “underground” type of war in the modern century and recognize it as an essential and imperative movement that must be recognized by the international society in order to combat the “shadow” enemy who has perpetrated crimes on humanity that spans more than a single state’s borders.
The war on terrorism is different from other wars and conflicts as it spread throughout various and often times numerous countries, is not confined by international borders, and it has no legal binding to any governmental entity; it is classically systematized as a “nonstate actor attacking against civilians by secret nonuniformed forces, as a leverage against state actors” (Goldstein 205). Terrorism attacks the psyche of the citizenship more than anything; its perpetrators’ goals are to instill fear and promote instability by targeting a vulnerable few whose tragedy can be projected onto the general mass. For instance, the al Qaeda’s group attack on September 11th proved devastatingly destructive, changing the cultural and political landscape almost instantaneously and still has effects on the nation today. Following the 9/11 attacks by al Qaeda, President Bush declared a “global war on terror (GWOT)” that has since been fought on Afghan, Iraqi, and other Middle Eastern grounds in the name of bringing down those who openly attack the
The War on Terrorism
In a world where the integration of cultures, prolificacy of international trade markets, and blurring of state borders has become a widely accepted norm, the distinction between standardized warfare and, the newly prescribed term, “war on terrorism” has become increasingly relevant and paramount to define and combat in the modern world. Though the “War on Terror” is considered modern vernacular in a new globalized sphere, the idea of terrorism has been around for at least the last century (Goldstein 205). It is important however to mark the turning point of this dangerous, “underground” type of war in the modern century and recognize it as an essential and imperative movement that must be recognized by the international society in order to combat the “shadow” enemy who has perpetrated crimes on humanity that spans more than a single state’s borders.
The war on terrorism is different from other wars and conflicts as it spread throughout various and often times numerous countries, is not confined by international borders, and it has no legal binding to any governmental entity; it is classically systematized as a “nonstate actor attacking against civilians by secret nonuniformed forces, as a leverage against state actors” (Goldstein 205). Terrorism attacks the psyche of the citizenship more than anything; its perpetrators’ goals are to instill fear and promote instability by targeting a vulnerable few whose tragedy can be projected onto the general mass. For instance, the al Qaeda’s group attack on September 11th proved devastatingly destructive, changing the cultural and political landscape almost instantaneously and still has effects on the nation today. Following the 9/11 attacks by al Qaeda, President Bush declared a “global war on terror (GWOT)” that has since been fought on Afghan, Iraqi, and other Middle Eastern grounds in the name of bringing down those who openly attack the
Cited: Dorschner, Jon P. "The United States 'war on terror ' has been overtaken by events." American Diplomacy (2013). Academic OneFile. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. Goldstein, Joshua S., and Jon C. Pevehouse. International Relations. 10th ed. New Jersey: Pearson, 2013-2014. Print. Snow, Donald M. Cases in International Relations. 5th ed. Glenview: Pearson, 2012. Print.