2001–present United States war on terror

2001–present United States war on terror
Conflict	2001–present United States war on terror
Place	Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Horn of Africa, Philippines, Sahel, global
Date	September 11, 2001 – present
Combatant1	United States; United Kingdom; NATO; Australia; Canada; France; Germany; Italy; Turkey; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; Qatar
Combatant2	Al-Qaeda; Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; Taliban; al-Shabaab; Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham; Ansar al-Sharia; Boko Haram; ISIS-K; various regional militias
Commanders1	George W. Bush; Dick Cheney; Donald Rumsfeld; Colin Powell; Barack Obama; Hillary Clinton; Leon Panetta; James Mattis; Joe Biden
Commanders2	Osama bin Laden; Ayman al-Zawahiri; Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi; Mullah Omar; Aden Hashi Ayro
Strength1	United States Armed Forces; coalition partners; intelligence agencies; CIA paramilitary elements; private military contractors
Casualties1	thousands killed; wounded; contractors killed
Casualties2	tens of thousands killed; captured

2001–present United States war on terror is a global campaign initiated by George W. Bush following the September 11 attacks against Al-Qaeda and associated transnational networks. It encompasses conventional wars, counterinsurgency, intelligence operations, targeted strikes, and law enforcement actions across Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Libya and other theaters. The campaign has involved administrations led by George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, and has reshaped NATO strategy, United Nations deliberations, and international security law.

Background and Origins

The campaign traces to the September 11 attacks, planned by Al-Qaeda leadership including Osama bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, which prompted the Authorization for Use of Military Force passed by the United States Congress and invoked by George W. Bush. Preceding operations referenced Gulf War (1990–1991), Somalia intervention (1992–1993), and counterterrorism efforts after the 1998 United States embassy bombings and the USS Cole bombing. Strategic doctrines drew on debates among Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Richard Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, and think tanks such as the Project for the New American Century and RAND Corporation.

Major Military Campaigns and Operations

Initial operations included Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan targeting Taliban rule and Al-Qaeda sanctuaries, and later Operation Iraqi Freedom which toppled Saddam Hussein after disputed claims regarding Weapons of mass destruction and alleged links to Al-Qaeda. Subsequent campaigns involved counterinsurgency doctrine influenced by figures like David Petraeus and operations including Anbar campaign, Operation Neptune Spear that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, and air campaigns against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant led by a US-led coalition in Iraq and Syria. Other theaters included drone campaigns in Pakistan under CIA authority, strikes in Yemen targeting al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, naval and special operations in Somalia against al-Shabaab (militant group), and support to Libya during the 2011 military intervention in Libya.

Counterterrorism Policy and Legal Framework

Policy instruments encompassed the Authorization for Use of Military Force, the Patriot Act enacted under Congress of the United States, and executive orders including detention policies at Guantanamo Bay detention camp established under Guantanamo Bay Naval Base directives. Legal debates involved the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Habeas corpus, the role of the Supreme Court of the United States in cases such as Rasul v. Bush, Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, and Boumediene v. Bush, and oversight by committees including the Senate Armed Services Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Homefront Measures and Civil Liberties

Domestic measures included enhanced surveillance programs conducted by the National Security Agency, immigration and aviation security reforms overseen by the Transportation Security Administration created by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, and creation of the Department of Homeland Security consolidating agencies like Federal Emergency Management Agency and Customs and Border Protection. Litigation and advocacy involved organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and public figures including Michael Hayden and John Ashcroft, raising disputes over warrantless surveillance, detention practices, and profiling of communities including Arab Americans and Muslim Americans.

International Alliances and Diplomacy

Coalition-building engaged NATO invoking Article 5 for the first time, partner operations with United Kingdom forces in Iraq War and Afghanistan, and partnerships with regional states including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Diplomatic forums included the United Nations Security Council authorizations and debates, bilateral agreements like status of forces agreements exemplified by the U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement, and controversies involving rendition and interrogation with states such as Poland and Romania implicated in extraordinary rendition cases.

Humanitarian Impact and Reconstruction

Military operations precipitated large-scale displacement and humanitarian crises addressed by organizations including United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Committee of the Red Cross, World Food Programme, and numerous non-governmental organizations such as Doctors Without Borders and International Rescue Committee. Reconstruction efforts invoked programs like the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, the Provincial Reconstruction Team model in Afghanistan, and funding mechanisms overseen by USAID, with challenges from insurgency, corruption, and infrastructure damage in Baghdad, Kabul, Mosul, and other cities.

Costs, Criticism, and Accountability

Scholars and institutions including the Brown University Watson Institute, Congressional Budget Office, and Department of Defense have documented direct and indirect financial costs, with debates over long-term care for veterans cared for by the Department of Veterans Affairs and casualty accounting for civilians tracked by organizations like Iraq Body Count and The Lancet. Criticism has come from international figures such as Kofi Annan and legal scholars citing issues of proportionality under International Committee of the Red Cross principles, calls for investigations by the International Criminal Court, and congressional oversight inquiries into programs such as enhanced interrogation and contractor misconduct involving firms like Blackwater Worldwide. Accountability measures have included military tribunals, criminal prosecutions, and policy reforms across administrations.

Category:War on terror