Many people think that the Global War against Terrorism began after
Terrorists successfully attacked and destroyed the Twin Towers in Manhattan, New York on the United States on September 11, 2001.
This was the day that brought on President Bush’s announcement on the launching of the Global War on Terror. This was to be a military and law enforcement campaign with the sole intention to bring the fight to America’s enemies. The very fact that a group of terrorist had many to plan an carry out such an audacious attack on such a prominent and symbolic target sent chills down the collective spine of the American people. The fact that 3,000 brave people had been victims of the largest single terrorist attack in modern history sent the American people a wake up call that they had been living in fear of. It told them the Global War on Terrorism would be a long and dirty war, and tactics would be employed that many people would later find themselves doubting their legitimacy.
Terrorism has been part of the global picture since the Nineteen Fifties and Sixties. Some early examples are the French curbing of terrorism in Algeria, and the British handling the IRA insurgence both in Northern Ireland and on the British Mainland. Heavy handed tactics were freely employed in both these campaigns. However in those days, the ability to impose censorship was much more pronounced that it is now, and many tactics were employed” behind the scenes” that eventually brought victory and sent the terrorists begging for a cease fire.
The Western World is only too aware that Osama Bin Laden is the leader of a massive terrorist community who are responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent victims all over the World. That retribution should be harsh and cruel there can be no doubt. However there are many people of principal who balk at the images of terrorist being held without trial in Guantanamo Bay for years.
These people are war criminals and are being held and interrogated to extract information that may well save innocent lives in the future. When some well meaning soul begins to question the legitimacy of interrogation and the methods employed, they should remember that all of us are in the firing line in the war against international terrorism. And all is fair and legitimate in war.