Almost six years ago one of the most shocking and dramatic events were happening in the United States of America. We are still able to recall the moment in which we turned on the TV and watched the World Trade Center falling down in ashes and one of the Pentagon’s wings completely gone. That was the moment in which not only human history but also international diplomacy took a brand new direction.
It was the first time that a terrorist attack hit the U.S and affected the citizens
directly. As many political analysts once claimed, important policy changes were carrying on after 9/11 and specially in regard to external relationships. President Bush (elected in 2000 and 2004) immediately decided some weeks after the day of fire to declare a “Global War Against Terrorism” – Although, he wasn’t backed up by the United Nations Security Committee; he achieved to join forces with the Republican Party and the different national security organisms support, and the members of NATO’s troops to star war in Middle East. At this point, after five years of fighting, the consequences it has brought can’t be ignored anymore and in this sense American people are starting to work out new ways to make this conflict stop once for all.
In a beginning, when war was officially declared (10/07/01) the U.S government announced that Afghanistan would be the first target to be attacked because it was the place where Osama bin Laden, the headmaster of Al Qaide, was hidden. Afterwards they attacked Irak justifying their economic interests basically based in oil by claiming that it was a country that was living under a tirany led by Saddam Hussein and that democracy must be re-established.
Another aspect I would like to point out about U.S explanations to justify war is that at some point, those who decided on aggression must pay a price, or aggression will be universal. Specialists say that nowadays terrorism is the main threat for North America but the country took long time ago the necessary steps to face it, at least in their own way. We should bear in mind that there are many international and national interests in regard to Middle East. It is not an easy but really a complex reality that has to be solved urgently.
The truth after all is that U.S citizens are paying a terrible price for the decisions the president and his staff once took after 9/11. But also we should analyze whether a nation can declare war to another one in spite of not have been supported by the United Nations and passing over international regulations. Is there any valid explanation to sacrifice such a huge number of lives and causing serious damages in many aspects just in order to obtain nothing else rather than economic benefits?
