Description
In the immediate aftermath of the horror inflicted on the United States on 9/11, it was the task of the George W. Bush Administration to craft a response. Exactly a week later, under intense pressure to “do something”, the president signed into law a joint resolution authorizing the use of force against the perpetrators. This resolution would go on to justify a host of policy decisions, including the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, holding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, and a broad-ranging domestic surveillance program, to name a few. This course will examine the difficulties associated with retaliating against a non-state actor, review specific operations associated with the “War on Terror”, and assess the extent to which America’s post-9/11 focus has produced its desired results.