The 'War on Terror' and International Security

Abstract

Abstract:The 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon were deeply traumatic for the United States, and there was a singularly strong response, commencing with regime termination in Afghanistan, the development of a 'war on terror' and its extension to oppose a so-called axis of evil, which led to regime termination in Iraq. Over the past decade the consequences of this response have been unexpected and call into question the policies adopted. This raises issues surrounding the reasons for the decision by the US to adopt such policies, but also has implications for more general policies relating to problems of global insecurity. The failure of the 'war on terror' to achieve the stated objectives indicates the need for a new approach to problems of international conflict, with an emphasis on a sustainable security paradigm that unites ideas of human and common security into a long-term perspective.