Two decades and two years since 9/11 attack: Is the ‘war against terror’ a success?

Abstract

The September 11, 2001 attack on the United States by the terrorist groups is no doubt a shocking one which forced the then President George Bush and his administration to vehemently vowed; to carry out a war against terror. Consequently, the United States, partnering with other countries across the globe under the auspices of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), made real, President Bush's vowed and embarked on full-scale military operations against the terrorists. The efforts of the GWOT at suppressing the terrorists notwithstanding, their activities have continued to escalate. In the course of the war against terror, over seven thousand Americans have died, while hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Afghans have lost their lives. The costs of procuring the war on terror by joint military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan stood between $2 to $4 trillion, apart from material losses that remain unquantifiable. Given the reality on the ground, the study concluded that, although the war against terrorism has achieved some levels of success, however, the purpose of the declaration of war has not been fully realized. The study thus recommends that the underlying causes of terrorism should be, adequately addressed, for the war on terror to be effective. The United States and its allies should also reassess the approaches they have been using against the terrorist groups and adjust the approaches appropriately.