11 - The “War” Against Terrorism

Summary

Leaders across the globe promised their support to George Bush, for his response to the Taliban and bin Laden. Democrats and Republicans in Congress united to give the president a free-hand to fight the war he declared on terrorism, and his popularity with his people soared as they rallied round the flag. The American victory over the Taliban had been easy, but it was not clear anything enduring had been accomplished. Bush's first State of the Union address to Congress in January 2002 redirected the country's focus in the war on terror from al Qaeda to the need for regime change in rogue states, specifically Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. Probably the greatest American fear was that the Pakistani government would lose control of its nuclear arsenal. There was an issue that begged resolution before the United States invaded a Muslim nation: the Arab-Israeli conflict. In 2012, the most ominous challenge to American foreign policy came from Iran, whose leaders had dismissed Barack Obama's overtures.