Has the War on Terror been a Success?

Has the War on Terror been a Success?

Introduction

Judging the success of the war on terror is extremely difficult. On any given day, a glimpse at the day's news gives varying impressions about the status. Depending on the perception and which weigh the news source leans, many believe that the war is being won on many fronts. Others believe that the war was destined to failure the day it began and the current world scenario is proof. Stating it as a success or failure is dependent on personal beliefs. The general public is not aware of complete information. Majority of the information is locked away and it is highly unlikely that it will ever be made public. The war on terror began with the attacks of September 11. It should be noted that there has not been an attack of similar stature since (Osgood, 1968, pp. 56-89). This either means that the war has been successful and the enemy, terrorists, have been wiped out. It could also mean that there have been no other similar attacks because we, by choice, have become the terrorists waging a war against anyone that poses a threat.

Discussion

The attacks that took place on September 11, 2001 affected not only the United States, but the entire world. Primarily, the attacks showed that America was susceptible to attacks and was not invulnerable as perceived earlier. American intelligence was aware of an impending attack. What they did not know was that airplanes could be used as flying bombs. This form of an attack could not have been predicted by even the wildest of thinkers. The horrific act of terrorism killed over three thousand innocent people. Following this incident, billions of dollars were spent to increase security. America was not the only nation that was made aware of its safety shortcomings (Osgood, 1968, pp. 56-89). Every nation spent money in an attempt to make their citizens feel safer.

The very first aspect was to make air travel safer. As soon as this initiative was launched, it became apparent that the airline industry was not the only part of the country that faced danger. Coast lines, borders, trucking routes, railway lines, nuclear power plants, and defense facilities were at risk. Intelligence agencies felt that iconic land marks could become targets too because they were symbolic to the nation's beliefs. In an attempt to tackle ...