Folly of the War on Terror

By Carolyn K. Long

Annapolis, MD, September 11, 2015 –

Fear and power make dangerous bedfellows. The shock and pain of 9/11 left our fear-ridden nation vulnerable to the lure of revenge -- and the use of our great powers against the "evil-doers" who caused such devastation and heartbreak. A naïve people believed George Bush when he assured them on his visit to Ground Zero that the terrorists might bring down a building, but they could not shake the foundations of our society. And then they followed him in a misdirected war against Iraq.

Fourteen years later, few still seem ready to acknowledge the earth-shaking ramifications of our "Shock and Awe" approach to fighting the amorphous enemy in our "Global War on Terror"  Our policies and indiscriminate bombings have killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people, cost thousands of U.S. lives, alienated Americans around the world, and undermined the balance of power in the Middle East. And the current flood of refugees from war-torn Middle Eastern countries is yet one more unintended consequence.

A 90% increase in suicide bombings against U.S. & allied forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries since 1994 shows the War on Terror has spawned a proliferation of disaffected extremists willing to die to kill their enemies. Extensive research reveals the vast majority of these suicide attacks are in response to foreign occupation.

Bin Laden once admitted that Al Qaeda spent $500,000 on the 9/11 attacks, while estimating that the United States lost, at a minimum, $500 billion in the event and the aftermath. He is quoted as saying, "That makes a million dollars for every Al Qaeda dollar . . . This shows the success of our plan to bleed America to the point of bankruptcy, with God's will" 

The financial, physical, and psychological impact of this non-war has been felt at every level of life in the United States, and the devastation to military families will be felt far into the future.

The United States is still, for the time being, at least, the most powerful country in the world. But fighting a never-ending Global War is sure to continue to drain financial and military resources, and has been shown to create ever-more terrorists. The War on Terror has been described as a war that will never end. But perhaps a shift from focusing on the War on Terror to applying the lessons we have learned about what does and does not work could begin to change the minds and hearts of people around the world and turn the tide of terrorism.

It is a thought-provoking exercise to imagine what our world might be like today had the United States chosen a less violent, reactive, misdirected and vengeful approach following 9/11, and followed the "angels of our better nature" as suggested by the 9/11 Memorial Poem and Video, "Angels Over America"

The 8-minute video "Angels Over America," incorporating original scenes and video from September 11, 2001, is both a stirring tribute to 9/11 victims and heroes, and an artistic work whose unique metaphor offers healing perspectives on this pivotal moment in our nation's history. (www.AngelsOverAmerica.org)

Award-winning New York arranger and composer Mark Freeh co-produced the video from Carolyn Long's poem, "Angels Over America," against the backdrop of powerful 9/11 images and his stirring arrangement of "America the Beautiful" and moving renditions of "Amazing Grace" and "My Country 'Tis of Thee"

The "Angels Over America," poem and video can be viewed or downloaded from the website www.AngelsOverAmerica.org. A YouTube version is also linked to the site. A copy of the video on DVD and a laminated poster of the poem, "Angels Over America," are available by contacting Carolyn.K.Long@gmail.com.

Carolyn K. Long, author of "Angels Over America" and co-producer of the 9/11 memorial video of that name, is a Professional Speaker, Writer and Photographer, based in Annapolis, MD.