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So far it's been a failure, since terrorism is on the rise, & it's costing everybody too much. Both Afghanistan & Iraq are fragile states, & without a US pressence they will end up as hot-beds for terrorism & continued regional instability.

Florida Jeff wrote:

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It should be clarified that The War on Terrorism does not refer to only the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, they are a small part of the global War on Terrorism.

As such, you are not going to see any statistics on how many terrorist attacks have been thwarted by the agencies the world over responsible for security. Classified information will not be made public.

You will read facts, however, on internal arrest numbers and some security activity.

For example:

http://www.saudiembassy.n...s/Terrorism/IssuesTer.asp

This is definitely part of the War on Terrorism, and Saudi Arabia has made an enormous effort to help the world thwart terrorism. You are correct in that this is costing a lot to everybody, but it would cost a lot more if the war was not fought. What price tag do you put on preventing another Sept. 11 somewhere in the world? What price tag do you put on fighting fanatical organizations? Of course something like this costs the world a lot of money.

You could find similar information for all countries involved in the international War on Terrorism.

Jeff

You have too much faith in commissioned analysis of the US Government, needless to say they know as much about the 'war on terrorism' has not been successful because it isn't addressing why terrorism occurs. Iraq is a distraction because that country HAD NOTHING to do with terrorism on a global scale & certainly not against the US (be it in the US or throughout the region) so the invasion+occupation of that country really didn't do much but create a black hole for financing, when the problem of terrorism could have been handled for far less. The 'war on terrorism' is thought of as one to prevent major attacks on the US (inside & out) but is often not explained in that context. The invasion+occupation of Iraq didn't serve that purpose directly.

Terrorism is growing, but it's not because societies where terrorism begins are increasingly turning to it. The terrorist mindset (for Islamic Terrorism anyway) is to turn society against its leaders, needless to say, poverty & unemployment are such that most people are just trying to get by & have no real interest in 'social reform' in these countries (I speak of Arab countries). It is usually those who are not poor & unemployed who end up as the terrorists & a fraction who see changing the status quo through over-throw of the regime. Ben Laden goes a step further & blames the US for the errors &/or misfortunes of the US. The Saudi regime is also uneasy about his status as a Yemeni (given their oppression in KSA) & suspects that there could be a political motive as well. Thus Ben Laden is not really very different from most of the clerics & Wahabists in KSA itself.

On KSA's role in the 'war on terrorism' & on global terrorism one must remember that the Saudis recognised the Taliban, & (as bad as they were) did the ultimate in hosting Osama Ben Laden. Curiously enough Ben Laden (& I have heard enough of his speeches & so on) never actually condemned the Saudi regime or refers to them directly but speaks of 'American infidels in the holy lands' & this is obviously not something the Saudi regime wants to speak of openly & often keeps it under-wraps The Palestine-Israel issue doesn't even figure high on their list simply because it (unlike Chechnya or Afghan war against the Russia/USSR respectively) where not sanctioned by their mentors of the Saudi regime (the US). Yes, many of their appointed clerics say some unflattering things about the US (& continue on their missionary duties in Africa & whever riding GMC-made vehicles, HINT HINT). Yet in many communities (Muslim communities) the Wahabists have split communities & created factionalism. I would probably be regarded an Infidel by most of them had it not been for the Saudi regime's system that labels me 'Muslim' just because I happen to say so.

If one considers state-terrorism, the US has done worse than most countries as an administration.