The War On Terror. It is a name that brings many strong thoughts and emotions to mind for Americans still to this today. It is has been Americas longest war, most expensive war, and a deadly conflict. All in all, the Iraqi War from 2003 to 2011 brought a cost of 500,000 lives from civilians to militants (Vergano 1). Among the U.S. army alone it is estimated that around 900,000 veterans have had some form of injury ranging from PTSD to amputations (Ruis 1). Not to mention, many experts say once all war reparations have been paid the war will cost upwards of three trillion dollars (Broder 1). That means when the math is done, if the war cost were to be split evenly among all American households, than every family in the U.S. would have to pay $75,000 (Auken 1). When President Barack Obama was campaigning in 2008 he once argued that through various taxes the Iraqi War (2003-2011) was and is costing each America household over $100 a month (Broder 1). With such catastrophic cost and tolls of the thousands of innocent lives where can the foundations for such a war effort begin?
Throughout the years many eyebrow-raising statements have been brought up concerning the war, which quickly begins to make any war effort basis appear shallow and weak. Peter Baker, a former White House correspondent, wrote a book in which an anonymous senior Bush administration official is quoted saying, “The only reason we went into Iraq, I tell people now, is we were looking for somebody’s ass to kick.” In addition, General John Abizaid, a former head of U.S. Central Command and Military Operations in Iraq for 2007 said, “Of course it's about oil; we can't really deny that," in and interview with CNN (Juhasz 1). With such startling statements over the years...
... middle of paper ...
...heridan, Kerry. "Iraq Death Toll Reaches 500,000 Since Start Of U.S.-Led Invasion, New Study Says." The World Post. HPMG News, 15 Nov. 2013. Web. 04 Mar.
Swanson, David. "You're More Likely to Be Killed by a Toddler than a Terrorist." Washington's Blog. Washington Post, 12 June 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.
Staff, CNN. "Bin Laden's Death: How the Story Unfolded." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
Gipe, Paul. "For the Price of the Iraq War, The U.S. Could Have a 100% Renewable Power System." Washingtons Blog. Washington Blogs, 11 Apr. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
Templeton, Tom. "9/11 in Numbers." The Observer. Guardian News and Media, 17 Aug. 2002. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
Vergano, Dan. "Half-Million Iraqis Died in the War, New Study Says." National Geographic Daily News. National Geographic Society, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2014.
"Terror Hits Home: The Oklahoma City Bombing." FBI. FBI, 21 May 2010. Web. 22 Jan. 2014. .
After an analysis of the preliminary speeches Former Senator Robert C. Byrd gave in the early 2000s one may deduce that the senator had the welfare of his fellow Americans in mind as the copious amounts of people around the world might be effected by this war. These speeches are in regard to the grand dilemma that presented itself over a decade ago. This conflict happened to be whether or not we ought to go to war with Iraq. The vein of the initial speech, Rush to War Ignores U.S. Constitution, is cautionary. Byrd is attempting to emblematically pump the breaks on the notion that we have a duty to wage war. In the second speech A Preordained Course of Action on Iraq, Byrd continues to convey his disapprobation as well as recurrently referencing
Jeffrey David Simon, The Terrorist Trap: America's Experience with Terrorism, 2nd ed. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2001), 188-89.
Denise Grady’s (2006) article sound a strong wake up call for the American government and for the American public to re-evaluate their guiding principles towards war in Iraq and the continued presence of the American soldiers in the Iraqi soil. Grady delineated the enormous damages the war had costs in not only monetary terms but also the future of thousands of promising young and talented men and women sent in the Iraq War; that had no clear benefits to them or the American people.
Matusek, Matt. “Purpose of Iraq war murky to Americans.” 17 September 2004. The Online Rocket. 1 April 2008.
Today, the War on Terror takes up most of the government’s funds and energy. The Department of Defense spends trillions of dollars on protection against groups like ISIS despite the one in 20 million odds of being killed in a terrorist attack. The wars and conflicts in the Middle East are taking priority despite the public’s pleas to leave Afghanistan and Iraq. Still recovering from the Great Recession, the economy is pulled tight and foreign concerns are one of the number one priorities (Davidson). Fueled by President George Bush, the world views America as a threat to world peace and stability. After declaring a war with the intent to gain more access to oil from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, America is in a worse position
There had been Pros and Cons since President George W. Bush officially declared the "Global war on Terror"(GWOT) on September 20, 2011.
Trotta, Danial, “Iraq war cost U.S. more than $2 trillion: study,” 14 March 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/14/us-iraq-war-anniversary-idUSBRE92D0PG20130314 (accessed 9 April 2014)
On September 11, 2001, our country was hit with enormous devastation, just after eight o’clock a.m. the first of the twin towers was struck by a suicide pilot, the second was struck slightly later. The towers fell just after ten o’clock a.m., devastating the entire country, and ruining the lives of many. A plane also hit the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and another in rural Pennsylvania causing just as much grief. The U.S. is still in mourning, but standing tall, more Americans showed their American pride in the following months than ever before. In the months to come the only thing that was on the minds of millions was: Should we go to war? War is necessary for the survival of our country. Going to war with Iraq is a fight against terrorism. Many people believed that going to war with Iraq is unjust. Some believe that there are other ways in looking at the situation.
Martino, Joe, “24 Hard Facts About 9/11.” Collective Evolution. Jan 18, 2013. Web. 23 Feb.2014.
Hersh, Joshua. "Iraq War Cost $800 Billion, And What Do We Have To Show For It?"
Throughout the thirteen years the U.S military was stationed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq a total of 4.4 trillion dollars was spent. As of casualties, around 2,358 Americans have died in combat. Yet 48,644 Afghan people, 1,690,903 Iraqi and 35,000 Pakistani people have died since the U.S invasion, paying the ultimate price for a crime they did not commit. In the media, these civilians are still being labeled dangerous. The White House attempts to link Iraqi government to the ways of Al-Qaeda has created a stigma towards the people of Iraq. A Knight Ridder poll showcases the real thoughts of Americans, 44 percent thought “most” or “some” of the September 11th hijackers were Iraqi despite the fact that none of them were. This kind of spread of misconceptions and false information is proving to be inimical. Nowadays possessing dark skin and a beard can equate being stopped and questioned by airport security. The death of millions in a different land and a new kind of stereotype associating the Middle East to the evil schemes of a terrorist organization does not justify the death of 2,977
Historical Significance: The September 11th, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, orchestrated by Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden, were the events that launched the U.S. War on Terrorism. Al-Qaeda’s attack on the United States was carried out by members of radicalized Islamic groups, whose objective was to spread jihad against the secular influence of the West. This tragic event provided the historical b...
Troops are sent into a pointless war and invasions oversea, and result in killing the innocent. Moore quotes George Orwell, "It's not a matter of whether the war is not real, or if it is, victory is not possible. The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous." These small battles are not crucial, as if to win is unattainable, and the endless cycle of war is promised to stay everlasting. Another example, refering to the hunt of Osama Bin Laden, President Bush says “I just don't spend that much time on it, to be honest.” Moore’s remark “'Don't spend that much time on it?' Just what kind of President was he?” President Bush claims, “I’m a war President!” In Implication, that President Bush supports war, not only for the liking, but for his political gain, and financial