The Failure Of The War On Terror

How the war on terror made the world a more terrifying place

New figures show dramatic rise in terror attacks worldwide since the invasion of Iraq

Innocent people across the world are now paying the price of the "Iraq effect", with the loss of hundreds of lives directly linked to the invasion and occupation by American and British forces.

An authoritative US study of terrorist attacks after the invasion in 2003 contradicts the repeated denials of George Bush and Tony Blair that the war is not to blame for an upsurge in fundamentalist violence worldwide. The research is said to be the first to attempt to measure the "Iraq effect" on global terrorism. It found that the number killed in jihadist attacks around the world has risen dramatically since the Iraq war began in March 2003. The study compared the period between 11 September 2001 and the invasion of Iraq with the period since the invasion. The count - excluding the Arab-Israel conflict - shows the number of deaths due to terrorism rose from 729 to 5,420. As well as strikes in Europe, attacks have also increased in Chechnya and Kashmir since the invasion. The research was carried out by the Centre on Law and Security at the NYU Foundation for Mother Jones magazine.

Iraq was the catalyst for a ferocious fundamentalist backlash, according to the study, which says that the number of those killed by Islamists within Iraq rose from seven to 3,122. Afghanistan, invaded by US and British forces in direct response to the September 11 attacks, saw a rise from very few before 2003 to 802 since then. In the Chechen conflict, the toll rose from 234 to 497. In the Kashmir region, as well as India and Pakistan, the total rose from 182 to 489, and in Europe from none to 297.

Isn't it time to admit TWAT (The War On Terror) is a failure?

Invading Iraq was a serious error in judgment, as it had nothing to do with Al Qaeda, yes Saddam was a horrible man but he was a dictator and a secular one at that, Bin Laden didn't like him and Saddam didn't like Bin Laden. There is terrorism there now but that was the result of the failures by the provisional authorities after the war, the dismissing of much of the state apparatus and the disbanding of the army, who were hungry, unpaid and had guns, there was the nucleus of the insurgency and now on top of an insurgency there is a civil war happening.

If the Bush Junta are really committed about dealing with terrorism, why don't they start with Pakistan? Specifically their border province of Waziristan, which shelters the former Taliban and Al Qaeda, a place where they can regroup, train and recruit new members. I recommend you check out this audio slideshow by Guardian reporter Declan Walsh.

The Bush Junta was so eager to invade Iraq and live out their Neocon fantasies that they neglected Afghanistan and now they are dreaming of bombing Iran, and how exactly is that tied into the 'war on terror' or dealing with Al Qaeda? I can't think of a rational reason, only to say that Iraq and possibly Iran is part of the divorcing from reality in the Bush Junta, their Neocon backers and their war cheerleaders. The Bush Junta so eager for glory cut corners, they did not try approaching this was a criminal matter, instead they have to dream up a war.

On top of this they have decided to make torture their key weapon in the 'War on Terror' thereby killing off whatever moral superiority they have (not that they started off with any), its sick the way torture has been condoned and those who support it are lower than pond scum.

Their stupidity, greediness and general laziness has cost lives and money.