The Approach of U.S. Foreign Policy and Terrorism Essay

Introduction. The United States’ War on Terror is a mistake because it is bringing more burdens and terrorism to the United States at home and abroad.

A primary consideration in deciding whether or not to use military force is to assess the lethality and influence of the threat to our democracy. Viewing the situation from the lens of the United States, terrorism has consistently been over-exaggerated. Just a few decades ago Washington

President Obama stated in his Anti-Terror Strategy address, "We continue to face a terrorist threat. We cannot erase every trace of evil from the world, and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great harm. That was the case before 9/11, and that remains true today” (Obama).The Middle East today is composed of very complicated religious tensions, unstable states, and rising terrorist organizations. The collapse of central governments and the rise of powerful non-state actors breed problems that foreign powers and the world’s only superpower, simply should begin to address. Many argue that the involvement in the Middle East is not our problem and that it will only cause our national debt to increase. As human beings we must began to realize the crimes against humanity occurring in the region and ask ourselves one question, can we truly turn a blind eye to the hundreds of innocent people dying and at what cost? The United States of America must get involved in the Middle East to ensure justice is achieved and maintained. Our interference will decrease the chances of terrorist attacking U.S. soil, and our military involvement will save the lives of many innocent citizens caught up in the turmoil. The United States must protect its interests and allies in the region. America stands for freedom, justice, and dignity; we must take a stand to defend ourselves and those in need, if we truly want to uphold the

Terrorism is the most concerned conflict the United States has on its agenda today. On September 11th of 2001, two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, killing over 2,000 people and causing the buildings to collapse. This horrendous event caused the U.S. to start research, prepare, and prevent the terrorist attacks. It was discovered that the planes were hijacked by a group of militants from al-Qaeda (terrorists associated with the Islamic Extremist Group). Although the United States has recovered, the Middle East is continued to be left corrupt and unstable. The U.S. stresses that the Middle East will strike again, especially because the rise of power that terrorists have gained over the past years. Since most countries in the Middle East are unfortunately experiencing such low conditions, terrorism has created a large impact on it.

There are striking parallels between the eras of the Cold War and the War on Terror and America’s International Relations. After World War II, the Truman Doctrine became America’s ideology for combating communism throughout the globe. Similarly, after the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001, America’s philosophy was then succeeded by the Bush Doctrine to battle the new threat, the war on terror. In addition, both the long climatic wars of each era (Vietnam War and War in Iraq) shared comparable lead-ups, beginnings, and endings in their conflicts in each region, their politics and shared resentment by the American public. The final parallel is the common suspicions

September 11th, 2001 has changed and defined American foreign policy for the past two decades. Enemies of the United States are no longer only other nations, but also terrorist groups, which operate transnationally and even between continents. On the night of September 11th, in the aftermath of the deadliest terror attack the world has seen, former President George W. Bush and his War Cabinet officially declared the start of the “War on Terror”. Bush would say on September 19th, 2001,

The efforts to curb terrorism are multifaceted approach that needs cooperation from all sectors. One arm of the government or an agency of the government cannot win the war against terror. The magnitude of terrorist attacks dawned on many Americans when the 9/11 attack was carried out, throwing all citizens off balance concerning the nature of the intelligence of the USA as a whole.

As Afghan opposition groups and U.S. armed forces continue their successes in the war against the Taliban and al Qaeda, the American debate has quickly turned to the question of where the fight against terrorism should go next. In numerous public statements, President Bush has talked about a wide-ranging campaign against global terrorism. He has not committed to military operations against any other countries or terrorist organizations, but he has made it clear that the broader struggle against terrorism will be a long-lasting effort that could include the use of military force in regions beyond Afghanistan.

American foreign policy towards the Middle East revolves around oil interests. The U.S. has attempted to maintain stability between nations such as Palestine, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran in order to protect the flow of imported oil from the Middle East. The September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have undermined U.S. attempts at stability in the Middle East, by demonstrating to the world that America is in fact vulnerable, while at the same time symbolically proving to other Middle Eastern nations that they do not have to be taken advantage of by America. President Bush has since declared a "war on terrorism," in which the financial assets of terrorist groups have been frozen, economic sanctions have been imposed on countries harboring terrorist factions, and US military forces are not engaged in active conflict in Afghanistan. The

American foreign policy has forever been a controversial topic in international discussions. Questions regarding America’s military presence, intent and use of force have long been centers of controversy and debate. Recent American involvements in the Syrian Civil War and the conflict with ISIS have raised questions about the ethics of US involvement and her justifications for force. As ISIS began to grow stronger and the list of crimes it committed began to augment, America began to use force to combat ISIS’s growth citing legal American precedents and humanitarian urgency as the major justifications for involvement. However, critics of American involvement contend that America’s involvement violates both American and international law,

In order to understand the policies adopted in the War on Terror, we must first look to the origins of the conflict as well as the practices involved. Whilst the term itself was initially introduced during the Reagan administration, it was given renewed vigour under George Bush following the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon on 9/11. The consequences of these attacks saw the Bush administration undertake a new policy against terrorism which included: defeating terrorists and abolishing their organisations, denying sponsorship and support to terrorists and defending US citizen’s interests at home and abroad (Whitehouse Archives, 2003). In this way, the War on Terror can be considered more than just an armed conflict

The Global War on Terror, or War on Terror, with the United States at the helm, is the second most expensive war in American history, having surpassed $2 trillion. At the same time, little has been accomplished for domestic security or the destruction of terror groups. The United States needs a clear, focused strategy to suppress terrorist groups, while at the same time eliminating the causes for terrorism. I propose a gradual drawdown and closing of US bases and garrisons around the world. I also propose a serious global coalition to tackle ISIS, with a clear plan and exit strategy. At the same time, negotiating an agreement cannot be overlooked.

The Cold War and the War on Terrorism both have similar and different events that make each war important to think about. The U.S. has dealt with the Cold War for decades and today the War on Terrorism continues since 2001. However, the viewpoints of culture, society and other variables change how each war was or is viewed. Tactics used by the U.S. varied for each war and we will look closer at those tactics. We also need to consider if the approach for the War on Terrorism is even the right one? First let’s learn a little more on each war and then we will compare and contrast them.

Terrorism and the United States A cloud of anthrax spores looming in the sky of San Diego California

The world has been changed forever since the tragic attack on September 11, 2001. An observer described the atrocity by saying, "It just went 'bam,' like a bomb went off. It was like holy hell (CNN 1). " The new world will be different from what any American has known before. A new war has arisen, not against a foreign country or a major region of the world, but rather against a select group of people who have the capabilities to destroy the lives of so many. The war against terrorism which the United States is now forced to wage will not be an easily won battle. This war will not be fought solely on scattered battlefields in certain countries. It will instead permeate through every aspect of life as we