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67-867: Under the "Total Force" concept, Texas Air National Guard units are considered to be an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force (USAF). Texas ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. In addition, the Texas Air National Guard forces are assigned to Air Expeditionary Forces and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty and Air Force Reserve counterparts in their assigned cycle deployment window. Along with their federal reserve obligations, as state militia units

134-480: A Taliban offer to hand over bin Laden on the condition the bombing campaign was halted, and by mid-November, Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, fell . The remaining al-Qaeda and Taliban remnants fell back to the rugged mountains of eastern Afghanistan, mainly Tora Bora. In December, Coalition forces (the U.S. and its allies) fought within that region . It is believed that Osama bin Laden escaped into Pakistan during

201-624: A bill that grants the President powers to unilaterally wage perpetual "world wide wars". Operation Enduring Freedom is the official name used by the Bush administration for the War in Afghanistan , together with three smaller military actions, under the umbrella of the global war on terror. These global operations are intended to seek out and destroy any al-Qaeda fighters or affiliates. Originally,

268-572: A bombing campaign in Sudan and Afghanistan against targets the U.S. asserted were associated with WIFJAJC, although others have questioned whether a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan was used as a chemical warfare facility. The plant produced much of the region's antimalarial drugs and around 50% of Sudan's pharmaceutical needs. The strikes failed to kill any leaders of WIFJAJC or the Taliban. Next came

335-467: A boundless 'global war on terror,' but rather as a series of persistent, targeted efforts to dismantle specific networks of violent extremists that threaten America. In many cases, this will involve partnerships with other countries." Nevertheless, in the same speech, in a bid to emphasize the legality of military actions undertaken by the U.S., noting that Congress had authorised the use of force, he went on to say, "Under domestic law, and international law,

402-509: A few days prior; the authorization is still active to this day and has been used to justify numerous military actions. The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists or "AUMF" was made law on 14 September 2001, to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for 11 September attacks. It authorized the President to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided

469-573: A hard time maintaining full control over their country. The fledgling government requested support from the international community on combating the Islamic militants. In January 2013, France intervened on behalf of the Malian government's request and deployed troops into the region. They launched Operation Serval on 11 January 2013, with the hopes of dislodging the al-Qaeda affiliated groups from northern Mali. Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa

536-563: A journalist's question about the impact of enhanced law enforcement authority given to the U.S. surveillance agencies on Americans' civil liberties: "This is a new kind of—a new kind of evil. And we understand. And the American people are beginning to understand. This crusade , this war on terrorism is going to take a while. And the American people must be patient. I'm going to be patient." The reference to Crusades became subject to heavy criticism due to its controversial connotations in

603-598: Is an extension of Operation Enduring Freedom. Unlike other operations contained in Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF-HOA does not have a specific organization as a target. OEF-HOA instead focuses its efforts to disrupt and detect militant activities in the region and to work with willing governments to prevent the reemergence of militant cells and activities. In October 2002, the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA)

670-805: Is considered the Texas Air National Guard's official birth concurrent with the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate branch of the United States military under the National Security Act. On 1 July 1957 the 111th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in Houston was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 147th Fighter Group (Air Defense) was allotted by the National Guard Bureau, extended federal recognition and activated. On 1 August 1961

737-1050: Is no military solution to the conflict, pointing out that terrorism is not an identifiable enemy, and have emphasized the importance of negotiations and political solutions to resolve the underlying roots of the crises. The phrase war on terror was used to refer specifically to the military campaign led by the United States, the United Kingdom, and allied countries against organizations and regimes identified by them as terrorist, and usually excludes other independent counter-terrorist operations and campaigns such as those by Russia and India. The conflict has also been referred to by other names, such as "World War IV", " World War III ", "Bush's War on Terror", "The Long War", "The Forever War", "The Global War on Terror", "The War Against al-Qaeda", or "The War of Terror". The phrase "war against terrorism" existed in North American popular culture and U.S. political parlance prior to

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804-456: Is not a global war against a tactic—terrorism, or a religion—Islam. We are at war with a specific network, al-Qaeda, and its terrorist affiliates who support efforts to attack the United States, our allies, and partners." Usage of the term "war on terror" was initially discontinued in May 2010 and again in May 2013. On 23 May 2013, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the "war on terrorism"

871-844: Is over 4,000 costing around 12 billion in Pakistani Rupees. In January 2002, the United States Special Operations Command, Pacific deployed to the Philippines to advise and assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines in combating Filipino Islamist groups. The operations were mainly focused on removing the Abu Sayyaf group and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) from their stronghold on the island of Basilan . The second portion of

938-715: Is simultaneously a set of actual practices—wars, covert operations, agencies, and institutions—and an accompanying series of assumptions, beliefs, justifications, and narratives—it is an entire language or discourse". Jackson cites, among many examples, a statement by John Ashcroft that "the attacks of September 11 drew a bright line of demarcation between the civil and the savage ". Administration officials also described "terrorists" as hateful, treacherous, barbarous, mad, twisted, perverted, without faith, parasitical , inhuman, and, most commonly, evil. Americans, in contrast, were described as brave, loving, generous, strong, resourceful, heroic, and respectful of human rights. Denouncing

1005-411: The 136th Fighter Group at Love Field Airport, Dallas. It's 181st Fighter Squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and its mission was the air defense of the state. Other units assigned to the 136th in 1947 were the 111th Fighter Squadron at Ellington Field , Houston, and the 182d Fighter Squadron at Kelly Field , San Antonio. They were also equipped with F-51D Mustangs. 18 September 1947, however,

1072-473: The 2000 millennium attack plots , which included an attempted bombing of Los Angeles International Airport . On 12 October 2000, the USS Cole bombing occurred near the port of Yemen, and 17 U.S. Navy sailors were killed. On the morning of 11 September 2001, nineteen men hijacked four jet airliners , all of them bound for California. Once the hijackers assumed control of the jet airliners, they told

1139-577: The Battle of Ras Kamboni by bombing Ras Kamboni using AC-130 gunships. On 14 September 2009, U.S. Special Forces killed two men and wounded and captured two others near the Somali village of Baarawe . Witnesses claim that helicopters used for the operation launched from French-flagged warships, but that could not be confirmed. A Somali-based al-Qaida affiliated group, the Al-Shabaab , has verified

1206-630: The Cold War . The main targets of the campaign are militant Islamist movements such as al-Qaeda , Taliban and their allies. Other major targets included the Ba'athist regime in Iraq , which was deposed in an invasion in 2003 , and various militant factions that fought during the ensuing insurgency . Following its territorial expansion in 2014, the Islamic State also emerged as a key adversary of

1273-634: The Global War on Terror . Flight crews, aircraft maintenance personnel, communications technicians, air controllers and air security personnel deployed to Iraq , Afghanistan , Qatar , Israel , and other locations throughout Southwest Asia . Additionally, in 2005 elements of all the units were activated to provide relief after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita . [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Air reserve component The air reserve components (ARC) are

1340-761: The Muslim world and historical Muslim-Christian relations . On 20 September 2001, during a televised address to a joint session of Congress, George Bush said, "Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated." Both the term and the policies it denotes have been a source of ongoing controversy, as various critics and organizations like Amnesty International have argued that it has been used to justify unilateral preventive war , human rights abuses and other violations of international law. The political theorist Richard Jackson has argued that "the 'war on terrorism' [...]

1407-526: The Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative as CJTF personnel also assist in training the armed forces of Chad , Niger, Mauritania and Mali . However, the war on terror does not include Sudan, where over 400,000 have died in an ongoing civil war. On 1 July 2006, a Web-posted message purportedly written by Osama bin Laden urged Somalis to build an Islamic state in the country and warned western governments that

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1474-556: The large-scale evacuation has also been criticized for leaving behind hundreds of American citizens, residents, and family members. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was created in December 2001 to assist the Afghan Transitional Administration and the first post-Taliban elected government. With a renewed Taliban insurgency, it was announced in 2006 that ISAF would replace

1541-594: The large-scale evacuation of foreign citizens and certain vulnerable Afghans , executed in cooperation with the Taliban. On 30 August 2021, the United States completed its hasty withdrawal of its military from Afghanistan . The withdrawal was heavily criticized both domestically and abroad for being chaotic and haphazard, as well as for lending more momentum to the Taliban offensive . However, many European countries followed suit, including Britain, Germany, Italy, and Poland. Despite evacuating over 120,000 people,

1608-496: The term "war on terrorism" on 16 September 2001, and then "war on terror" a few days later in a formal speech to Congress . Bush indicated the enemy of the war on terror as "a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them". The initial conflict was aimed at al-Qaeda, with the main theater in Afghanistan and Pakistan , a region that would later be referred to as " AfPak ". The term "war on terror"

1675-691: The 182d FIS in San Antonio was expanded to become the 149th Fighter-Interceptor Group. Today, the 136th Airlift Wing (136 AW) provides global airlift for Air Mobility Command; the 147th Attack Wing (147 AW) flies the MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance/strike RPA and the 149th Fighter Wing (149 FW) flies the Block 30 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon tactical fighter-bomber. From 2001 through 2007, elements of every Air National Guard unit in Texas were activated in support of

1742-479: The 1983 Beirut barracks bombing "the opening salvo in a war that we have waged ever since—the global war on terror." In May 1996, the group World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders (WIFJAJC), sponsored by Osama bin Laden (and later re-formed as al-Qaeda ), started forming a large base of operations in Afghanistan , where the Islamist extremist regime of the Taliban had seized power earlier in

1809-485: The British government announced publicly that it was abandoning the use of the phrase "war on terror" as they found it to be less than helpful. This was explained more recently by Lady Eliza Manningham-Buller . In her 2011 Reith lecture , the former head of MI5 said that the 9/11 attacks were "a crime, not an act of war. So I never felt it helpful to refer to a war on terror." U.S. president Barack Obama rarely used

1876-506: The Philippines under the name "PACOM Augmentation Team", until 24 February 2015. On 1 September 2017, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis designated Operation Pacific Eagle – Philippines (OPE-P) as a contingency operation to support the Philippine government and the military in their efforts to isolate, degrade, and defeat the affiliates of ISIL (collectively referred to as ISIL-Philippines or ISIL-P) and other terrorist organisations in

1943-712: The Philippines. By 2018, American operations within the Philippines against terrorist groups involved as many as 300 advisers. Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara (OEF-TS), now Operation Juniper Shield, is the name of the military operation conducted by the U.S. and partner nations in the Sahara/Sahel region of Africa, consisting of counter-terrorism efforts and policing of arms and drug trafficking across central Africa. The conflict in northern Mali began in January 2012 with radical Islamists (affiliated to al-Qaeda) advancing into northern Mali. The Malian government had

2010-787: The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Both buildings collapsed within two hours from fire damage related to the crashes, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third jet airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia , just outside Washington, D.C. The fourth jet airliner crashed into a field near Shanksville , Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of

2077-643: The U.S. troops in the province as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. The British 16th Air Assault Brigade (later reinforced by Royal Marines ) formed the core of the force in southern Afghanistan, along with troops and helicopters from Australia, Canada and the Netherlands. The initial force consisted of roughly 3,300 British, 2,000 Canadian, 1,400 from the Netherlands and 240 from Australia, along with special forces from Denmark and Estonia and small contingents from other nations. The monthly supply of cargo containers through Pakistani route to ISAF in Afghanistan

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2144-440: The United States is at war with al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their associated forces. We are at war with an organization that right now would kill as many Americans as they could if we did not stop them first. So this is a just war—a war waged proportionally, in last resort, and in self-defense." Nonetheless, the use of the phrase "war on terror" persists in U.S. politics. In 2017, for example, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called

2211-530: The United States signed a security agreement, which allowed the United States and NATO forces to remain in Afghanistan until at least 2024. However, on 29 February 2020, the United States and the Taliban signed a conditional peace deal in Doha which required that US troops withdraw from Afghanistan within 14 months so long as the Taliban cooperated with the terms of the agreement not to "allow any of its members, other individuals or groups, including Al Qaeda, to use

2278-574: The United States. Regarding al-Qaeda's recent status, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated in 2021, "Al-Qaeda has a new base of operations: it is the Islamic Republic of Iran." Al-Qaeda's de facto leader, Saif al-Adel , is currently believed to be living in Iran . The "war on terror" uses war as a metaphor to describe a variety of actions which fall outside the traditional definition of war. U.S. president George W. Bush first used

2345-564: The al-Qaeda network would fight against them if they intervened there. The Prime Minister of Somalia claimed that three "terror suspects" from the 1998 United States embassy bombings are being sheltered in Kismayo. On 30 December 2006, al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri called upon Muslims worldwide to fight against Ethiopia and the TFG in Somalia. On 8 January 2007, the U.S. launched

2412-580: The battle. In March 2002, the U.S. and other NATO and non-NATO forces launched Operation Anaconda with the goal of destroying any remaining al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shah-i-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains of Afghanistan. The Taliban suffered heavy casualties and evacuated the region. The Taliban regrouped in western Pakistan and began to unleash an insurgent-style offensive against Coalition forces in late 2002. Throughout southern and eastern Afghanistan, firefights broke out between

2479-823: The buildup of the Army Air Corps prior to the United States entry into World War II. On 24 May 1946, the United States Army Air Forces , in response to dramatic postwar military budget cuts imposed by President Harry S. Truman , allocated inactive unit designations to the National Guard Bureau for the formation of an Air Force National Guard. These unit designations were allotted and transferred to various State National Guard bureaus to provide them unit designations to re-establish them as Air National Guard units. The modern Texas ANG received federal recognition on 27 January 1947 as

2546-572: The campaign are ongoing, including a U.S. military intervention in Somalia. Although the major wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have ended, the Israel–Hamas war and its spillover across the Middle East have led to renewed debate on whether a new phase of the war on terror had begun. According to the Costs of War Project , the post-9/11 wars of the campaign have displaced 38 million people,

2613-533: The campaign was named "Eternal Justice" but due to widespread controversy and condemnation in the Muslim world , the phrasing was changed to "Enduring Freedom". On 20 September 2001, in the wake of the September 11 attacks , George W. Bush delivered an ultimatum to the Taliban government of Afghanistan, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan , to turn over Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda leaders operating in

2680-621: The coalition forces is to monitor, inspect, board and stop suspected shipments from entering the Horn of Africa region and affecting the United States' Operation Iraqi Freedom . Included in the operation is the training of selected armed forces units of the countries of Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency tactics. Humanitarian efforts conducted by CJTF-HOA include rebuilding of schools and medical clinics and providing medical services to those countries whose forces are being trained. The program expands as part of

2747-540: The country or face attack. The Taliban demanded evidence of bin Laden's link to 11 September attacks and, if such evidence warranted a trial, they offered to handle such a trial in an Islamic Court. Subsequently, in October 2001, U.S. forces (with UK and coalition allies) invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban regime. On 7 October 2001, the official invasion began with British and U.S. forces conducting airstrike campaigns over enemy targets. Shortly after, Bush rejected

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2814-517: The elements of the Texas ANG are subject to being activated by order of the Governor to provide protection of life and property, and preserve peace, order and public safety. State missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of vital public services, and support to civil defense. The Texas Air National Guard consists of

2881-561: The first time ever, NATO invoked Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty , which commits each member state to consider an armed attack against one member state to be an armed attack against them all. The invocation of Article 5 led to Operation Eagle Assist and Operation Active Endeavour . On 18 September 2001, President Bush signed the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists passed by Congress

2948-460: The following major units: Support Unit Functions and Capabilities: The Texas Air National Guard origins date to 14 August 1917 with the establishment of the 111th Aero Squadron as part of the World War I United States Army Air Service . The 111th served at Kelly Field , San Antonio, then after the 1918 Armistice with Germany was demobilized in 1919. The Militia Act of 1903 established

3015-451: The following objectives in the war on terror: The 2001 AUMF has authorized US President to launch military operations across the world without any congressional oversight or transparency. Between 2018 and 2020 alone, US forces initiated what it labelled "counter-terror" activities in 85 countries. Of these, the 2001 AUMF has been used to launch classified military campaigns in at least 22 countries. The 2001 AUMF has been widely perceived as

3082-532: The jet airliners, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C., to target the White House or the U.S. Capitol . None of the flights had any survivors. A total of 2,977 victims and the 19 hijackers perished in the attacks. Fifteen of the nineteen were citizens of Saudi Arabia , and the others were from the United Arab Emirates (2), Egypt , and Lebanon . On 13 September, for

3149-821: The late 2000s. Controversy over the war has focused on its morality, casualties, and continuity, with critics questioning government measures that infringed civil liberties and human rights. Critics have notably described the Patriot Act as " Orwellian " due to its substantial expansion of the federal government's surveillance powers. Controversial practices of coalition forces have been condemned, including drone warfare , surveillance, torture, extraordinary rendition and various war crimes. The participating governments have been criticized for implementing authoritarian measures, repressing minorities, fomenting Islamophobia globally, and causing negative impacts to health and environment. Security analysts assert that there

3216-493: The old Houston Light Guard Armory. The 111th Observation Squadron received Federal Recognition on 29 June 1923, as part of the 36th Division, Texas Air National Guard. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II . The 111th Observation Squadron was ordered into active service on 25 November 1940 as part of

3283-473: The operation was conducted as a humanitarian program called "Operation Smiles". The goal of the program was to provide medical care and services to the region of Basilan as part of a "Hearts and Minds" program. Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines disbanded in June 2014, ending a successful 12-year mission. After JSOTF-P had disbanded, as late as November 2014, American forces continued to operate in

3350-500: The passengers that they had a bomb on board and would spare the lives of passengers and crew once their demands were met—no passenger and crew actually suspected that they would use the jet airliners as suicide weapons since it had never happened before in history, and many previous hijacking attempts had been resolved with the passengers and crew escaping unharmed after obeying the hijackers. The hijackers—members of al-Qaeda's Hamburg cell —intentionally crashed two jet airliners into

3417-566: The present National Guard system, units raised by the states but paid for by the Federal Government, liable for immediate state service. If federalized by presidential order, they fall under the regular military chain of command . On 1 June 1920, the Militia Bureau issued Circular No.1 on organization of National Guard air units. The unit was reorganized with the establishment of a permanent air service in 1920, forming in

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3484-456: The remarks of George W. Bush , Osama Bin Laden stated during an interview in 21 October 2001: "The events proved the extent of terrorism that America exercises in the world. Bush stated that the world has to be divided in two: Bush and his supporters, and any country that doesn't get into the global crusade is with the terrorists. What terrorism is clearer than this? Many governments were forced to support this "new terrorism." In April 2007,

3551-692: The reserve forces of the United States Air Force , consisting of the Air Force Reserve (AFR) and the Air National Guard (ANG). ‘ARC’ is a designation used to refer to the entire reserve structure of the Air Force; It is not a command or organization in and of itself. Both the AFR and ANG have their own command structures. Together with the ‘regular’ Air Force, the AFR and ANG (as well as the Civil Air Patrol , as of 2015) make up

3618-500: The second largest number of forced displacements of any conflict since 1900, and caused more than 4.5 million deaths (direct and indirect) in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Philippines, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. They also estimate that it has cost the US Treasury over $ 8 trillion. While support for the "war on terror" was high among the American public during its initial years, it had become deeply unpopular by

3685-686: The soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies". The Afghan government was not a party to the deal and rejected its terms regarding release of prisoners. After Joe Biden became president, he moved back the target withdrawal date to 31 August 2021. On 15 August 2021, the Afghan capital Kabul fell to a surprisingly effective Taliban offensive , ending the war in Afghanistan . The US military and NATO troops took control of Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport for use in Operation Allies Refuge and

3752-480: The surging Taliban and Coalition forces. Coalition forces responded with a series of military offensives and an increase of troops in Afghanistan. In February 2010, Coalition forces launched Operation Moshtarak in southern Afghanistan along with other military offensives in the hopes that they would destroy the Taliban insurgency once and for all. Peace talks were also underway between Taliban affiliated fighters and Coalition forces. In September 2014, Afghanistan and

3819-555: The term and instead to use "Overseas Contingency Operation". Basic objectives of the Bush administration "war on terror", such as targeting al Qaeda and building international counterterrorism alliances, remain in place. In May 2010, the Obama administration published a report outlining its National Security Strategy . The document dropped the Bush-era phrase "global war on terror" and reference to "Islamic extremism," and stated, "This

3886-519: The term, but in his inaugural address on 20 January 2009, he stated: "Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred." In March 2009 the Defense Department officially changed the name of operations from "Global War on Terror" to "Overseas Contingency Operation" (OCO). In March 2009, the Obama administration requested that Pentagon staff members avoid the use of

3953-430: The terrorist attacks that occurred on 11 September 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or individuals. Congress declares this is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution of 1973. The George W. Bush administration defined

4020-414: The terrorist organization. This was considered to be another campaign of the "war on terror". In December 2012, Jeh Johnson , the General Counsel of the Department of Defense , speaking at Oxford University , stated that the war against al-Qaeda would end when the terrorist group had been weakened so that it was no longer capable of "strategic attacks" and had been "effectively destroyed." At that point,

4087-455: The war on terror. But it was not until the 11 September attacks that it emerged as a globally recognizable phrase and part of everyday lexicon. Tom Brokaw , having just witnessed the collapse of one of the towers of the World Trade Center , declared "Terrorists have declared war on [America]." On 16 September 2001, at Camp David , U.S. president George W. Bush used the phrase war on terrorism in an ostensibly unscripted comment when answering

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4154-594: The war would no longer be an armed conflict under international law , and the military fight could be replaced by a law enforcement operation. In May 2013, two years after the assassination of Osama bin Laden , Barack Obama delivered a speech that employed the term global war on terror put in quotation marks (as officially transcribed by the White House): "Now, make no mistake, terrorists still threaten our nation. ... In Afghanistan, we will complete our transition to Afghan responsibility for that country's security. ... Beyond Afghanistan, we must define our effort not as

4221-477: The year. In August 1996, Bin Laden declared jihad against the United States. In February 1998, Osama bin Laden signed a fatwa , as head of al-Qaeda, declaring war on the West and Israel; in May al-Qaeda released a video declaring war on the U.S. and the West. On 7 August 1998, al-Qaeda struck the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania , killing 224 people, including 12 Americans. In retaliation, U.S. President Bill Clinton launched Operation Infinite Reach ,

4288-483: The ‘Air Force Total Force’ concept. This United States Air Force article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . War on Terrorism The war on terror , officially the Global War on Terrorism ( GWOT ), is a global military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks in 2001, and is the most recent global conflict spanning multiple wars . Some researchers and political scientists have argued that it replaced

4355-420: Was established in Djibouti at Camp Lemonnier . It contains approximately 2,000 personnel including U.S. military and special operations forces (SOF) and coalition force members, Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150). Task Force 150 consists of ships from a shifting group of nations, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Pakistan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The primary goal of

4422-431: Was immediately criticized by individuals including Richard Myers , then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , and eventually more nuanced terms came to be used by the Bush administration to define the campaign. While "war on terror" was never used as a formal designation of U.S. operations, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal was and is issued by the U.S. Armed Forces . As of 2024, various global operations in

4489-429: Was over, saying that the U.S. would not wage war against a tactic but would instead focus on a specific group of terrorist networks. Other American military campaigns during the 2010s have also been considered part of the "war on terror" by individuals and the media. The rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria during 2014–2015 led to the global Operation Inherent Resolve , and an international campaign to destroy

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