Can anyone tell me when the current global war on terrorism (GWOT) started?

Please let’s not quibble over definitions. We all know that GWOT is not a good description of the events taking place in the world but it’s as good as any other.

It was 4 November 1979 when a group of Iranian “students” attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. This was an attack on American soil AND it was an attack that held the world’s most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. There were 66 Americans seized but some were released later. We had 52 Americans held from 4 Nov 1979 thru 20 Jun 1981

Unfortunately, this attack on the sovereign U. S. embassy set the stage for events to follow even up to today.

President Jimmy Carter and his team had so depleted the military and the CIA that we were almost at the will of our enemies. And, with such demonstration of weakness, Americans began to be kidnapped and killed throughout the Middle East.

Then in 1983 a truck packed with high explosives was driven into the compound where US Marines were living in Beirut, Lebanon. The rest is history.

We have been at war for over 30 years.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Within the past few months, particularly with the White House publication of the National Security Strategy, the term “Global War on Terrorism” (GWOT) has gone out of vogue.

We all know that the GWOT is a misnomer. Terrorism is both a criminal act and form of warfare used by insurgents. Nevertheless, the term did give meaning to the vast worldwide conflict the U.S. is waging against extremists, jihadist, anarchist, and a lot of criminals, crazies and terrorists.

No alternate term has been submitted and the current administration claims that the problem is “globalization.”

Globalization did not create the Saudi Arabian funded Wahhabi madrases, al Qaeda, Iranian sponsored terrorist groups, etc.

Unfortunately, no one has come up with a more accurate term to address this world wide phenomenon.

Our campaigns in Afghanistan seem to be operationally ineffective and strategically going no where.

Now our senior commander in Afghanistan says the war will take longer than he envisaged.

There is no light at the end of the tunnel and  the American congress has shown their colors before by abandoning the Republic of Vietnam, Lebanon, Somalia – just to name a few.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites