Introduction
The war on terrorism has occurred as a never-ending battle that the U.S. has waged against the perpetrators over decades now. The 9/11 attacks orchestrated a heightened campaign against this menace by engaging significant human and economic costs. However, terrorism still prevails today with the emergence of terrorist groups such as the Islamic State (IS) that carry out attacks spontaneously in different parts of the world including the US. The paper explores the war on terrorism especially following the 9/11 attacks that resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 individuals and destruction of property. Additionally, the impact of this course on the country remains vital in this discussion.
The Impact of War on Terrorism
Since 9/11 attacks, the U.S. actively engaged in dealing with terror suspects within and outside its borders. The country’s defense spending on counterterrorism is estimated at $100 billion annually. The figure surpasses that of the seven countries following the U.S. in counterterrorism spending combined (Sahadi, 2015). Additionally, the figure could be even more with funding for intelligence units such as the National Security Agency (NSA). The wake of terrorism has also pointed to a possibility of an increment in spending to alleviate any chances of a terror attack. The funding functions to enable responsible units to destroy terrorist havens protect federal buildings and public spaces, cut funding for terror organizations, and diplomatic engagement to preach about the essence of peace and stability in the world.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The war on terrorism has attuned the U.S. foreign policy resulting in the removal of leaders in some countries thereby causing instability (Hook & Spanier, 2015). The Afghanistan and Iraq governments have remained weak since the U.S. ground operations in these nations to fight terror groups such as Al-Qaeda and Taliban. The killing of Osama Bin Laden and the disengagement of U.S. ground troops from the two countries created a vacuum that resulted in the emergence of IS. The Afghan government does not have control of the outside Kabul, and the Iraqi government has faced increased challenges in wiping out IS. Today, the two nations are less safe than they were before the U.S. invasion. Essential commodities such as food, electricity, and healthcare services remain a challenge for most residents.
The war on terror has envisaged flaunting of the international law pointing to Guantanamo Bay detention camp. In this area, prisoners are tortured without remorse and locked up for an unspecified period. The events at this prison camp allude to the erosion of civil liberties that the U.S. claims to cherish and safeguard. The failure by President Barack Obama to close Guantanamo Bay despite his earlier promises alludes to the gravity of this issue. The government has claimed that the camp keeps highly dangerous people from causing harm to society. Today, the camp remains open and hosts some prisoners thereby denting the U.S. image and credibility on the human rights front.
Anti-American sentiments have emerged because of the U.S. global counterterrorism activities. Critics have considered this a battle against Islam and the Muslim society. The argument draws from increased profiling of Muslims especially those coming from nations such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia thought as terror hotbeds. Additionally, anti-Muslim sentiments have grown drawing from the association of the Islam religion with terrorism. The escalation of wars in the Middle East has caused more of destabilization rather than restoration. Israeli wars in Gaza and Lebanon envisaged the weakening of a democratically elected HAMAS leader (Chomsky et al., 2015). During these events, the US supplied the Israelis with military artillery and at the same time cutting off aid to Lebanon. The event envisaged the lack of commitment from the U.S. to promoting peace and stability in the Middle East.
The U.S. fight against terrorism has come at a greater cost. It is undeniable that many threats have been dealt with to stop the escalation of such activities. Terror activities are not in any way going to end soon. The recent shootout in an Orlando gay club leading to the death of fifty people and fifty-three injured alludes to this problem (Alvarez & Perez-Pena, 2016). Increasing funding to curtail these acts does not occur as the ultimate solution. However, it is significant to address this issue with a comprehensive approach. Most of these acts especially on the American soil are a result of frustration and proliferation of terrorist’ ideologies on the perpetrators. The IS has used the Internet to popularize their sentiments pointing to Anti-Americanism. The rise in xenophobia and Islamophobia alludes to the problem pertinent to particular individuals within the society. Dealing with this issue commences with the appreciation of aspects such as globalization that have widened the inequality gap.
Policy makers in the U.S. should have a thorough understanding of the perspectives of Muslim majorities in the country concerning the world. In this case, there is a need in fostering mutual coordination to alleviate most of these challenges. The extremist viewpoints can help delve into this problem with a broader perspective. Military engagement does not promise to suffice the eradication of the terror menace. On the other hand, extremists will view this as an agitation towards their course.
Conclusion
The war on terrorism explains a myriad of events and perspectives that have traversed across the U.S. Dating from the 9/11 attacks, the nation has remained vigilant and committed to eradicating terror. However, the latter has come at the cost of political instability for Middle East nations and fueling of xenophobic viewpoints, especially against Islam and Muslims. A more comprehensive approach to this problem puts into perspective having a mutual understanding of the extremist thoughts.
References
Alvarez, L. & Perez-Pena, R. (2016, June 12). Orlando Gunman Attacks Gay Nightclub, Leaving 50 Dead. New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/13/us/orlando-nightclub-shooting.html
Chomsky, N., Achcar, G., & Shalom, S. R. (2015). Perilous Power: The Middle East and US Foreign Policy Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War, and Justice . Routledge.
Hook, S. W., & Spanier, J. (2015). American foreign policy since World War II . CQ Press.
Sahadi, J. (2016, Nov 16). The cost of fighting terrorism. CNN Money. Retrieved from: http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/16/news/economy/cost-of-fighting-terrorism/
