War on Terrorism

The "War on Terrorism" or "War on Terror" (in US foreign policy circles, the global war on terrorism or GWOT{{fn|1}} ) is a campaign by the United States and some of its allies to rid the world of terrorist groups and to end state sponsorship of terrorism. There is a de facto focus on stopping Islamist terrorism.

International support

On September 12, 2001, less than 24 hours after the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., NATO declared the attacks to be an attack against all the 19 NATO member countries. This was the first time in NATO's history that NATO invoked Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which states that an armed attack against one or more NATO member will be considered an attack against all.

Related Topics:
September 12 - 2001 - New York City - Washington, D.C. - NATO - Washington Treaty

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In the following months, NATO took a wide range of measures to respond to the threat of terrorism. On November 22, 2002, the member states of the EAPC decided on a Partnership Action Plan against Terrorism which explicitly states that "EAPC States are committed to the protection and promotion of fundamental freedoms and human rights, as well as the rule of law, in combating terrorism" http://www.nato.int/docu/basictxt/b021122e.htm.

Related Topics:
November 22 - 2002 - EAPC

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At the same time, NATO and Russia intensified their cooperation.

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The almost unlimited international support for the United States' and Britains' War on Terrorism crumbled only after U.S. preparations to invade Iraq intensified in late 2002. Some governments, such as the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Poland and Australia joined the "coalition of the willing", unconditionally supporting a U.S.-led military action against Iraq. Other countries, including Germany, France, Pakistan, the Vatican and New Zealand opposed military actions that were not fully backed by a UN resolution. The war provoked the largest ever world-wide protests, and opinion polls show that the population of most countries opposed the war even when the governments supported it, and the reputation of the US was severely harmed. The abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison, and the refusal to give prisoners at Guantanamo Bay the full rights to question their imprisonment aggravated this.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Italy - Spain - Poland - Australia - Coalition of the willing - Germany - France - Pakistan - Vatican - New Zealand - UN - Protests - Abu Ghraib - Guantanamo Bay

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