America And The War On Terrorism - 1621 Words

America and the War on Terrorism The â€Å"War on Terror† began from the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001 (9/11). The current president at the time was newly elected President George W. Bush in which he gave a speech announcing the infamous â€Å"War on Terror†. This an on-going war and its effects are being felt today. Before knowing what the Global War on Terror looks like, it is necessary to define the term terrorism. Terrorism, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in this case international terrorism, is defined as the following: acts that are dangerous to human life, are intentional in order for the government or the people to†¦show more content†¦As stated by President Bush, while addressing the nation post 9/11, he explained that the, â€Å"enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country†, that this was not simply an act of aggression rather an act of war, and so the war on terror became a reality. He later proceeds by explaining that the â€Å"War on Terror† will not be waged against a country but instead it will be waged against the individual groups regardless of their location; â€Å"the United States respects the people of Afghanistan†¦but we condemn the Taliban regime† ( Bush Addresses the Nation). â€Å"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†, and so the war began (Bush Addresses the Nation). The United States of America currently has a list of known, and recognized, terrorist groups, however, the â€Å"War on Terror† is primarily dealing with the known terrorist groups in the Middle East—where al-Qaeda is located (Foreign Terrorist Organizations). Conducting war against terrorist groups is quite quarrelsome as they do not wear standard uniform and often dress in regular civilian clothing because they are not affiliated with their nation’s armed forces. This is what makes fighting the terrorist groups difficult and why it has lasted for more than 14 years. Another reason fighting these groups is difficult is because the Taliban—who harbored al-Qaeda—were