The tragedy on September 11, 2001, which targeted the twin towers in New York, is not only a terrifying obsession for the people of the US, but also acts as a reminder of the pain caused by terrorism and the threat of terrorism.
The US and many countries were caught up in a global war on terrorism after 9/11. The anti-terrorism operations of the US and its allies are conducted everywhere, in every corner, with "hot spots" such as Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and many African countries...
For more than 20 years, the US has led the global coalition against terrorism, with the fight against the international terrorist group Al-Qaeda and the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).
After killing Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in May 2011, which significantly prevented terrorist attacks from occurring in the US as well as weakened IS in Iraq and Syria, the US continues the hunt for terrorists everywhere.
The notorious leader of IS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in October 2019 and most recently, in July, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaeda, was killed in a drone strike conducted by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The war on terror, launched by former US President George Bush after the event of September 11, 2001, “cost” the world's No.1 economy between 6.4 trillion and 8 trillion USD, mainly serving the wars in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Africa.
The US military was “bogged down” in Afghanistan, and it is not until August 31, 2021, that it could complete its withdrawal after twenty years of costly war in this South Asian country.
Although Washington declared an end to the era of the US' war in Afghanistan, wiping out the nests of terrorist organisations in many places, the reality of terrorism is still lurking, threatening security and interests of the US and its Western allies.
In the context that the threat to the US coming from extremist groups is still present in "many forms", the US has been and continues to be in a protracted war on terrorism.
Over the years, extremist fighters who were “inspired” by jihadists in “smelters” in Iraq, Syria and Libya have appeared like “mushrooms after rain”, with “lone wolf” elements having conducted many terrorist attacks. The US faced a major challenge as it had to continue to build more resilient counterterrorism capabilities to face a wide range of threats.
In November 2001, the US approved the establishment of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) responsible for airport inspections to address security issues. The 2018 U.S. National Strategy for Counterterrorism and the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, first announced in June 2021, are considered effective new steps by the US in this effort.
Along with deploying efforts to fight terrorism in many regions of the world, the US also tightened domestic security, from changing airport security regulations to normal activities of daily life such as walking in and out of buildings. After the US troops withdrew from Afghanistan, US President Joe Biden pledged to maintain the fight against terrorism not just in Afghanistan, but also anywhere else in the world.
The 9/11 terrorist attacks left the US with a deep wound and the world's No.1 power still has constant fear of terrorism. Although Washington claimed to have won the war on terror in many places, the reality of this war is persistent and continues to be one of the top concerns of the US.
