When considering the events that led to the initiation of the War on Terror, people would almost unanimously agree that the efforts made could be seen as successful. When the planes struck on September 11th, the country was left in shock. At the time, there was nothing beyond uncertainty and fear. Clearly, the United States was not prepared for an attack of that nature, much less one no one saw coming. In my research, I read a handful of quotes made by President George W. Bush in response to the attacks on September 11th and many of his words seemed fueled by an emotional response to what the country was experiencing at that time. Understandably so, however, that leads to the question as to if the quick onslaught of military action was based on the emotional fallout of the attacks? On October 11, 2001, President George W. Bush states,
“The attack took place on American soil, but it was an attack on the heart and soul of the civilized world. And the world has come together to fight a new and different war, the first, and we hope the only one, of the 21st century. A war against all those who seek to export terror, and a war against those governments that support or shelter them”. (Bush, 2011)
This is just one of President George W. Bush’s many statements and, just like others, it is filled with an almost erratic fire. It was just shy of a month when a two-decade-long war would begin with the United States and British Forces imposing attacks on Taliban training bases. Some viewed the War on Terror as a rushed response in an effort to send a message. “In is powerlessness and impotence in the face of this type of asymmetric attack, the US wanted to demonstrate to the world, and especially to the Arab world that whoever messes with us in the future forfeits his right to exist” (Greiner, 2021)
The War on Terror would span two decades and in that time caused negative impacts such as a damaged reputation for the United States, expenditures that cost upwards of $8 trillion, a rise in hate crimes against Arab and Muslim Americans, and the many lives lost in the process. In my opinion, these factors would deem the War on Terror a failure based on the negative impacts that were a direct response to measures taken at that time. “There are so many other worthy ventures the United States could have directed its vast people and resources instead of responding destructively to the September 11 attack” (Wetheim, 2021).