The War on Terrorism- after the tragic events of the 9/11 attacks the United States engaged in a war on terrorism throughout the world. It has been argued that the effectiveness of this campaign have failed to live up to expectations and that the U.S. is not any safer than it was before we began this campaign.

 

 The Facts:
 
 
"The War on Terror" Coined shortly after the attacks this phrase began to encompass almost everything from the formation of the Patriot Act and the foundation of the Department of Homeland Security the invasion of Afghanistan and subsequently Iraq. Accurate numbers concerning casualties of Americans since declaring war on Terrorism are hard to find. There are many anti- war sites spouting off all kinds of numbers that may or may not be reliable. Conservative estimates on casualties for Americans altogether between 6 and 10 thousand dead and upwards of 20 thousand wounded.  (If someone can provide a link or other information on accurate un-biased accounts please add them or drop me a line) The effectiveness of the war on terror is also hard to determine from the official announcements. From a scan of major headlines in the last 3 years it is safe to say that about 20 major plots around the world have been foiled. Whether these plots would have been stopped previously to declaring war on terrorism is unknown and likely impossible to know one way or the other. This is not an attempt to cast doubt on success but rather a general observation.
 
 
Solutions:
 
 
One solution would be to completely pull our soldiers out of foreign countries all together concentrate on protecting our borders from within and become isolationists like the early part of the 20th century. However with the vast globalization of the country's resources and economy, this neither wise nor practical. Another solution would be to vastly increase the strength of our military that is currently facing a man power shortage; yes this could mean military conscription (draft). At the moment either solution has negative aspects. However it seems that with further globalization wars between nation states will cease indefinitely as it becomes less and less advantageous for all countries concerned. Wars will be fought more often against terrorist groups and rouge states hoping to gain from turmoil caused by the violence be it financially, or religiously. At this moment I cannot conceive a working solution for this problem or war.

 

Senator Obama's Plan: (summary) The Complete Plan

Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning. In 2002, as the conventional thinking in

Washington lined up for war, Obama had the judgment and courage to speak out against the war. He said the

war would lead to "an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs and undetermined

consequences." In January 2007, Obama introduced legislation to responsibly end the war in Iraq, with a phased

withdrawal of troops engaged in combat operations.

As the nation debates how to move forward in Iraq, Obama laid out his plan to end the war, as well as his vision

for what America can achieve once we turn the page in Iraq.

Obama would immediately begin to pull out troops engaged in combat operations at a pace of one or two

brigades every month, to be completed by the end of next year. He would call for a new constitutional

convention in Iraq, convened with the United Nations, which would not adjourn until Iraq’s leaders reach a new

accord on reconciliation. He would use presidential leadership to surge our diplomacy with all of the nations of

the region on behalf of a new regional security compact. And he would take immediate steps to confront the

humanitarian disaster in Iraq, and to hold accountable any perpetrators of potential war crimes.

 

Senator Clinton's Plan: (summary) The Complete Plan The most important part of Hillary's plan is the first: to end our military engagement in Iraq's civil war and immediately start bringing our troops home. As president, one of Hillary's first official actions would be to convene the Joint Chiefs of Staff, her Secretary of Defense, and her National Security Council. She would direct them to draw up a clear, viable plan to bring our troops home starting with the first 60 days of her Administration. She would also direct the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to prepare a comprehensive plan to provide the highest quality health care and benefits to every service member -- including every member of the National Guard and Reserves -- and their families.

 

Representative McCain's Plan: (summary) The Complete Plan   A greater military commitment now is necessary if we are to achieve long-term success in Iraq. John McCain agrees with retired Army General Jack Keane that there are simply not enough American forces in Iraq. More troops are necessary to clear and hold insurgent strongholds; to provide security for rebuilding local institutions and economies; to halt sectarian violence in Baghdad and disarm Sunni and Shia militias; to dismantle al Qaeda; to train the Iraqi Army; and to embed American personnel in Iraqi police units. Accomplishing each of these goals will require more troops and is a crucial prerequisite for needed economic and political development in the country. America's ultimate strategy is to give Iraqis the capabilities to govern and secure their own country.

 

Sites of Interest:

University of Michigan documents concerning the war on terrorism

 

 

PovertyAbroad, PovertyLocal, GlobalClimateChange,  TheWarOnDrugs, FreshWaterConservation, ResourceUsage, ArmsTrading, DiamondTrade, HumanTrafficking

 


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