History glossary
War on Terror
the U.S.-led global campaign against al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and other militant groups after 9/11.
- Category
- Security policy
- Region
- Global
- Date range
- from 2001
What it means
The War on Terror was the U.S.-led campaign launched after the September 11 attacks. It combined wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, counterterrorism operations, intelligence expansion, detention policies, homeland security changes, and a broader doctrine of preventing future attacks.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The World After The Cold War
From the fall of the Soviet Union to the rise of China and global terrorism, this story traces the turbulent reshaping of the international order after 1991.
The United States After 9/11
After 9/11, the United States launched the War on Terror, invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, expanded surveillance and homeland security, and entered a long era of costly war and deep political division.
