The War on Terror is not a traditional war in the sense that you have defined nations at war with the combatants wearing a military uniform. The War on Terror is a global war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban that are in many nations but primarily in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Pakistan. The September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City and Washington focused the American military and government on Afghanistan and Iraq for the purpose of fighting the terrorist Taliban and Al Qaeda organizations.

Al Qaeda’s goal is to remake the world to its beliefs and impose its radical beliefs on the people of the world. The Taliban and Al Qaeda practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that believes their beliefs direct them to kill all Americans, Christians and Jews and to make no distinction between military or civilian targets, including women and children. The Al Qaeda movement is lead by a man called Bin Laden. His organization has thousands of members in more than 60 countries.

The United States has not been attacked on its home soil in seven years since it took the fight to Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Iraq. The war in Iraq seems to have diminished but the fear is the Al Qaeda organization is waiting on the American presidential elections before vigorously continuing the war in Iraq. The War in Afghanistan is an entirely different matter.

The boarder of Afghanistan and Pakistan is a growing problem as the Al Qaeda have been forced out of Afghanistan and have established bases in Pakistan These bases are the source of increasing attacks on Nato and American forces inside Afghanistan. This boarder war is straining relation between the United States and Pakistan with the issue a major discussion topic during the current presidential elections. The War on Terror has no quick solutions and does not appear to have an end in sight.