Analyzing Understanding the War on Terror 3rd Edition - Essay Example

It was probably then when the notion of America on war with terrorism took birth. Later on, George W. Bush, US President and other officials of USA having high ranks used this term of War on Terror extensively to show that America is against terrorism and the organisations that use weapons and keep armaments for the purpose of spreading terror. This campaign was started because these terrorist organisations were not only causing threat to USA but they are threatening to other countries as well.

Such militant organisations are dangerous for humanity on the whole. The phrase of the war on terror is particularly used against militant Islamic organisations like al-Qaeda. On the other hand, the present President of USA Barack Obama does not use the terminology of war on terror officially as he makes use of the term Overseas Contingency Operation for the same idea as that of war on terror. But the term of the war on terror is still in use and is used by political persons in media and some parts of government also makes use of it e.g. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Some people believe that the term of the war on terror was introduced by the US President George W. Bush after the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the twin towers of USA. The term the war of terror is developed to show America’s clash with the people who have Islamic extremist thoughts. This term of the war on terror was selected by George W. Bush when the higher officials of USA wanted to introduce the term "global struggle against violent extremism” (Coaty and Babst, pp. 222–228). USA had already a strained relationship with Iraq and also with Afghanistan which was led by Taliban.

This stress in relationship occurred as a result of Gulf War of 1991 but the situation worsened and the terrorists’ attacks on the Twin Towers on 9 September 2011 made the US President Bush to take some steps against terrorism. The attack on the Twin Towers is observed as the attack on humanity and not on USA alone. Terrorism is a problem which has threatened not only America but also its allies and other independent countries. Furthermore, after the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers the anthrax-laced letters which were sent to USA took the lives of five American people and it is thought to be the worst biological attack in the history of USA created by Islamist militant extremists, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As these events occurred together so United States of America had to take an action. The union of happenings forced USA to make amendments in its foreign policy as well as domestic policy. As a consequence, American officials drafted USA Patriot Act and also developed Department of Homeland Security. These steps helped in the renovation of the security measures such as operation involving investigation and intelligence. Along with the alterations made in the domestic and foreign policy the President Bush ordered the Taliban government of Afghanistan to give Osama Bin Laden to the US government.

It was suspected that Osama bin Laden was the hand behind these terrorists’ attacks and it is he who developed the whole plan of terrorism and executed it. Along with Osama bin Laden, US government wanted to capture other members of al-Qaeda which could be a threat for any further act of terrorism. But the government of Taliban did not accept the orders of President Bush which made US President to start operations of war against