War On Terror During Spring Break

When Americans think of the War on Terror and terrorism, most think of the Middle East or the World Trade Center. Americans think of men with covered faces who hate America and have bombs strapped to their chest. But is this necessary what it means to be a terrorist? Does a terrorist have to be from the Middle East or have to be Arab? Does the War On Terror really just a war that affects America and the terrorist we are fighting and is it necessary?

What many Americans fail to realize or see is that there are many different types of terrorist who are more aggressive and violent to other nations than Al- Quida is towards America. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) has attacked the United Kingdom many times fighting against the tyranny of British rule. There are far more terrorist attacks done upon the British from this terrorist group than the number of terrorist attacks towards America. America’s terrorist threat is thousands of miles away where we only really see the enemy on television. English citizens have to handle their terrorist threat that lives next door only separated by a small body of water. They have to handle an enemy who is more willing to show their face publicly and violently. Our image of a terrorist is probably very different than a image of a terrorist for a young British citizen our age.

Our war on terror does more than protect our nation from danger. It also has a drastic effect on the people in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our government says we are providing American freedom to their lives and restoring democracy to the region. We do not necessarily need to make their countries democratic but we defiantly should have intervened due to the horrible ways Suddam was treating his citizens and due to Afghanistan being a training ground for Al- Quida. America is like a big student who walks up and sees the local bully picking on a little kindergartner. America doesn’t like how he is picking on a small kid and needs to decide to either intervene to help the little kid or stand by and continue to watch the little kid be beaten. Suddam was this bully and his helpless citizens were the little kid. Luckily when America walked up and saw this event, she decided not to stand by and watch but instead intervene. This war on terror is not a simple event that you can see the whole picture in one glance. You must look at all the aspects and things this war is doing for the region.

These wars are also necessarily to have and continue due to the need of our national security. The current situation between America and Iran is a lot like it was between the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R) and America. Granted the present situation is not as drastic or severe as it was with the Soviet Union, but is still to local tough guys telling each other not to do things and still doing it just to defy the other. America does not want the Iranians to become nuclear and by having troops station right next door in Iraq creates pressure on Iran fearing for its national security. This pressure is clearly present due to Iran openly stating that it does not want American troops in Iraq. This present conflict is something that the War On Terror has a drastic affect on and many Americans cannot see this and just say this war is not necessary and should be stopped now.