ROUGH DRAFT

Rough Draft: The “War On Terror” has made the U.S. more Vulnerable

Rough Draft: The “War On Terror” has made the U.S. more Vulnerable

Introduction

Terrorism means violence against a ruling system (political, economic, or social) to air grievances and compel change. It has been used throughout modern history by political and religious extremists. Terrorist acts are often aimed at government property or major public spaces; some attacks are perpetrated against government officials while others are committed against civilians. “Global War On Terror” (GWOT) began with the al-Qaeda terrorist attacks on targets in New York and Washington DC on 11 September 2001. Although Islamist terrorist attacks had been made against US targets around the world through the 1990s, the successful attacks upon US soil galvanised a response on the part of the Bush administration and many of its traditional allies and partners. (Thompson 2010, 63)

Thesis Statement

Research has shown that responding to the 9/11 attacks with the “War on Terror” has made the US more vulnerable because it has created huge deficits, diminished America's standing in the world, and weakened the rights of its citizens.

Discussion

There is not any consensus on the relationship between terror and terrorism. Some see terrorism as the more organised form of terror, and yet others stress that terror is a state of mind while terrorism refers to organised social activity. The most polarised views are that terror can occur without terrorism, and that terror is the key to terrorism. Terrorism does not only produce terror; and terror is perhaps not even the main result for the majority of the audience of an act or campaign of terrorism. Psychologists define the psychological condition of terror as extreme fear or anxiety. Though terrorism is a real, not an imaginary danger, it is a vague, incomprehensible, unpredictable and unexpected menace. (Bamford 2005, 45-50)

Another thing that makes US more vulnerable to attacks due to the GWOT is that Afghanistan is said to be the graveyard of super powers. History shows that many super powers of the history have failed in Afghanistan. So, it is obvious that US is also going to fail. There is no intention of occupying part or all of Afghanistan beyond the time required to complete military operations. Mindful of history—Afghan tribes fought tenaciously against foreign invaders such as Alexander the Great, the British in the 19th century, and the Russians in the 20th—the United States is helping to establish an indigenous civil government in the country. The American administration has repeatedly advised that Operation Enduring Freedom will not be a quick conflict and warned that the time required to accomplish its goals may take months or even years. Throughout its history the country has been divided into ethnic and tribal alliances that are constantly shifting. Many suspect that the United States may have to continue to play a significant role in mediating the divisions and providing support to reconstruct a country and economy that has been devastated by seemingly endless ...