The War on Terror (also known as the Global War on Terror and War on Terrorism) is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign begun in 2001 by the United States and the United Kingdom, with support from other countries. The campaign's official purpose was to eliminate al-Qaeda and other militant organizations.
The phrase 'War on Terror' was first used by US President George W. Bush on 20 September 2001. The Bush administration and the Western media have since used the term to denote a global military, political, legal and ideological struggle—targeting both organizations designated as terrorist and regimes accused of supporting them. It was typically used with a particular focus on militant Islamists and al-Qaeda.
Although the term is not officially used by the administration of US President Barack Obama (which instead uses the term Overseas Contingency Operation), it is still commonly used by politicians, in the media and officially by some aspects of government, such as the United States' Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Read more about War On Terror: Language, Precursor To The 9/11 Attacks, US Objectives, International Military Support, Al-Qaeda Attacks, U.S. Military Aid To Other Countries, Post 9/11 Events Inside The United States, Casualties, Costs, Criticism
Famous quotes containing the words war and/or terror:
“It takes twenty years or more of peace to make a man; it takes only twenty seconds of war to destroy him.”
—Baudouin I (b. 1930)
“Methinks King Richard and myself should meet
With no less terror than the elements
Of fire and water, when their thundering shock
At meeting tears the cloudy cheeks of heaven.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)