Global War on Terrorism

Definition/Scope: The War on Terrorism, or War on Terror, is the common term for the military, political, legal and ideological conflict against Islamic terrorism and Muslim militants, and specifically used in reference to operations by the United States, since the September 11, 2001 attacks. The stated objectives of the war are to protect US territory, break up terrorist cells in the US, and disrupt the activities of the international network of terrorist organizations made up of a number of groups under the umbrella of al-Qaeda. Both the term and the policies it denotes have been a source of ongoing controversy, as critics argue it has been used to justify unilateral preemptive war, human rights abuses and other violations of international law.

Acronym:

GWOT

Broader Terms:

Afghanistan
authorization for use of military force
Central Intelligence Agency
Coalition / Joint Task Force
Defense Department
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Iraq
Middle East
military operation
Pakistan
Somalia
terrorism
Transportation Security Administration

Narrower Terms:

A.I.C. Comprehensive Research Institute
Al-Qaida
counterterrorism
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Jihad
Military Transition Team
Operation Anaconda
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation New Dawn
Patriot Act
police transition team
Taliban

Related Terms:

antiterrorism
Irish Republican Army
Islam
Muslim
Osama bin Laden
September 11 terrorist attacks (2001)
USS Cole