War on Terror

The Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), or War on Terror, is a campaign that the United States and some of its allies started in September 2001 to remove terrorist groups and to punish the states that sponsor islamic terrorism. It replaced the later War in Afghanistan and Iraq War. United States President George W. Bush argued that the countries like North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Libya (also known as the Axis of Evil) were a direct threat to the United States and its allies. The term was typically used with a particular focus on Taliban, Islamic State, and al-Qaeda.

War on terror
300px File:Major military operations of the War on Terror.svg Photographs, clockwise from top left: Aftermath of the September 11 attacks; U.S. servicemen boarding an aircraft at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan; a U.S. soldier and Afghan interpreter in Zabul Province, Afghanistan; explosion of an Iraqi car bomb in Baghdad. Map: Countries with major military operations of the war on terror.
Date Main phase: 14 September 2001 – 30 August 2021 (19 years, 11 months, 2 weeks and 2 days) Location Global Status Ongoing; major wars ended
Belligerents
Main countries: United States United Kingdom France Canada Australia Germany Italy Spain Poland Turkey Israel	Main opponents: Al-Qaeda Taliban Islamic State Iraq (until 2003)
Commanders and leaders
George W. Bush Barack Obama Donald Trump Joe Biden	Osama bin Laden X Ayman al-Zawahiri X Saddam Hussein  Mullah Omar  # Hassan Dahir Aweys Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi X
Casualties and losses
4.5–4.6 million+ people killed (937,000+ direct deaths, 3.6–3.7 million indirect deaths) At least 38 million people displaced

The Administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama used the term Overseas Contingency Operation.

See also

• Islamic State attacks on Israel
• War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
• Gulf War

War On Terror Media

• OCO GWOT.jpg

  Letter from Barack Obama indicating appropriation of congressional funds for "Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism"

• Streamer gwotE.PNG

  Campaign streamer awarded to units who have participated in Operation Enduring Freedom

• M249 with Mk46 stock.jpg

  U.S. Army soldier of the 10th Mountain Division in Nuristan Province, June 2007

• US Army at Khost Province of Afghanistan.jpg

  An American soldier in Afghanistan's Khost Province

• Defense.gov News Photo 020311-D-2987S-018.jpg

  U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard B. Myers and joined by military representatives from 29 countries of the worldwide coalition on the war against terrorism, at The Pentagon, 11 March 2002

• ISAF map.svg

  Map of countries contributing troops to ISAF as of 5 March 2010. Major contributors (over 1000 troops) in dark green, other contributors in light green, and former contributors in magenta.

• SF Soldier in Philippines.jpg

  U.S. Special Forces soldier and infantrymen of the Philippine Army

• Northern Mali conflict.svg

  A map of the conflict in northern Mali

• C-130J Hercules, Iraq, 2003.jpg

  A British C-130J Hercules aircraft launches flare countermeasures before being the first coalition aircraft to land on the newly reopened military runway at Baghdad International Airport.

• Task Force Warclub conducts CE.jpg

  U.S. soldiers in Syria during Operation Inherent Resolve

• CollateralMurder.ogv

  Footage of leaked Apache gunship strike in Baghdad, July 2007

Other websites

• Media related to War on Terror at Wikimedia Commons