ABSTRACT

The war on terror, launched and spearheaded by the United States in response to the catastrophic attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, has presented the international community with difficult choices. On the one hand, the threat posed by terrorism to world peace and stability is universally recognized, especially by those states which themselves are facing this menace. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the US drew worldwide sympathy and promises of cooperation from nations across continents and civilizations in its quest to punish the perpetrators. On the other hand, the international community remains sharply polarized over aspects of the war on terror waged by the Bush administration. Three elements of the US response have proven to be especially divisive. The first is the Bush administration's penchant for unilateral action. The second is the Bush doctrine of pre-emption. The third is the attack on Iraq, which the Bush administration initially justified by citing Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction—a justification which has not been backed by credible evidence even after the US victory in Iraq.